PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB

Pompey will face Crawley and Gillingham in the group stages of the 2018/19 Checkatrade Trophy.

Kenny Jackett’s side will discover their third and final opponents when the draw for invited clubs is made at around 1.20pm next Wednesday (July 18).

The Blues could face the under-21 side of either Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea, Fulham, Swansea, Tottenham or West Ham.

However, the EFL have confirmed that Pompey and Southampton’s under-21s will not be drawn into the same group.

Crawley visited Fratton Park at the same stage of last season’s competition and so the next meeting will take place on the Sussex side’s turf.

Pompey will be at home to Gillingham and will also play host to the invited club that are placed in their group.

The first round of games are scheduled to be played in the week beginning September 3, with fixtures following in the weeks beginning October 9 and November 12. However, there is a level of flexibility with these dates.

The 48 EFL clubs were placed into pre-determined groups, with consideration given to ensure travel time is minimised for supporters.

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