The draw for the 2023/24 Premier League International Cup has been made, with holders PSV facing Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers from Premier League 2 (PL2) as well as Sparta Praha, Hertha Berlin and Nice in their group.
The Premier League International Cup features 12 of England's best Academy sides facing 12 of the top development squads in the rest of Europe.
The tournament was introduced from 2014/15 to give homegrown talent the chance to test themselves against the best young players on the Continent and adapt to the demands and different styles of domestic and European football.
This is something they will have to cope with if they play UEFA club competition matches later in their careers.
Competition format
The 24 teams are split into three groups of eight. Each PL2 club will play each of the four international clubs in their group.
The PL2 teams do not face each other, neither do the international teams play one another in the group stage.
The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams advance to the quarter-finals.
In the knockout stages, the ties are decided in one-off matches, with extra-time and then penalties required if the match is level after 90 minutes.
All matches are played in England.
Team make-up
Teams competing in the Premier League International Cup will be made up of Under-23 players, aside from a maximum of three outfield players and the goalkeeper.
Group A
| PL2 | International |
|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers | Sparta Praha |
| Leeds United | Hertha BSC |
| Nott'm Forest | Nice |
| Wolves | PSV Eindhoven |
Group B
| PL2 | International |
|---|---|
| Brighton | Celtic |
| Chelsea | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Southampton | Olympique Lyonnais |
| West Ham | Valencia |
Group C
| PL2 | International |
|---|---|
| Crystal Palace | Monaco |
| Everton | Athletic Club |
| Fulham | Feyenoord |
| Liverpool | Benfica |