---
title: "Crystal Palace U21s Handed Senior EFL Trophy Test In Group E"
canonical: "https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/06/29/crystal-palace-u21s-efl-trophy-group-e-test/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Crystal Palace News"
published: "2026-06-29T12:57:00Z"
modified: "2026-06-29T12:57:00Z"
---

# Crystal Palace U21s Handed Senior EFL Trophy Test In Group E

**Crystal Palace Under-21s have been handed a demanding EFL Trophy group after being drawn alongside Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town and Newport County.**

[Palace confirmed](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/announcement/draw-confirms-palaces-efl-trophy-opponents/) that Darren Powell’s side will compete in Southern Section Group E.

Each of Palace’s fixtures will be played away from home. Exact dates, kick-off times and ticketing details are still to be confirmed by the competition organisers.

The draw gives Palace’s academy group a sharp early-season benchmark against three senior EFL sides.

Plymouth, Swindon and Newport will all bring the physical edge, tempo and game-management experience that Premier League 2 football cannot always replicate.

[U21s Beat MENS SIDE 🙌 | EFL Trophy Highlights: Gillingham 1-3 Palace (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mEge0-Mnkbk?feature=oembed)

## Darren Powell Faces Senior Opposition Test

Palace are one of 16 invited academy sides in the 2026/27 EFL Trophy.

[The EFL confirmed](https://efl.com/news/2026/june/23/under-21-teams-and-group-stage-draw-confirmed-for-2026-27-efl-trophy/) that invited Under-21 sides from Premier League clubs will join League One and League Two teams in the competition.

[The EFL’s group-stage draw update](https://efl.com/news/2026/june/25/efl-trophy-group-stage-draw-confirmed/) also lists the Round of 32 for the week commencing Monday 7 December, with the final scheduled for Sunday 11 April 2027.

For Powell, the value is obvious.

Palace’s academy pathway has already produced senior-level players such as Tyrick Mitchell. This competition remains one of the clearest tests of whether the next group can handle first-team realities.

ReadCrystalPalace has already looked at why [Pierre Sage’s Europa League calendar gives Palace a brutal workload check](https://readcrystalpalace.com/2026/06/26/pierre-sage-crystal-palace-europa-league-calendar/).

That makes academy readiness even more relevant.

If Powell’s group can compete against senior sides, it gives Palace more than good development minutes. It gives the club a clearer read on which young players can survive real pressure.

That is exactly what this competition is built to reveal.