SWINDON Town could find themselves facing Arsenal's U21 team in the Checkatrade Trophy next season after the Gunners' Academy side signed up to the 2018-19 version of the competition.

Arsenal, whose Academy manager is Germany's 2014 World Cup winner Per Mertesacker, have been confirmed as one of the 16 invited teams for next season, joining U21 teams from Premier League rivals Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

The competition will continue in its current format with the country’s leading Category One Academies taking on the 48 League One and League Two clubs.

Four EFL clubs will have U21 sides involved, with Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion featuring in the group stage draw, which takes place next month.

The first round of fixtures is scheduled to take place during the week commencing Monday, September 3.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “Feedback from all levels of the game is indicating that the competition is starting to reap the benefits that we all envisaged at the outset of the revamp and I’m confident the format will continue to prosper with increasing support from clubs and their fans.

“The Checkatrade Trophy will continue to provide young players, from invited teams and EFL clubs alike, with a unique opportunity to experience first team football and I look forward to seeing the stars of 2018/19 emerge as the competition progresses.

“Last season, we had the success of Lincoln City, who stated from the outset that the Checkatrade Trophy is a competition that they wanted to win.

"I was delighted for the club’s fans when they made it to Wembley for the first time in their history. Of equal significance, will have been the financial return the club achieved from the competition of over £500,000.

“The 48 EFL Clubs from League One and Two all received a financial boost from the 2017/18 competition and I am confident the increasing profile, as evidenced once again by the inclusion of yet another of English football’s biggest names, will help to encourage more fans to get behind their team in this unique competition format.”

Invited U21 sides: Arsenal, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, Chelsea, Stoke City, Everton

Swansea City, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City, West Ham United, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion.