Rovers have been drawn with Chelsea, Derby County and Reading in the group stage of the Under-18s Premier League Cup.

Rovers' campaign gets underway this weekend as Ryan Kidd takes the youngsters south to take on Chelsea at the Blues' training ground on Saturday 18th September, kick-off 11am.

The youngsters will then host Derby on Saturday 16th October at the Rovers Academy, kick-off 12.30pm.

The group stage campaign will conclude in Berkshire when Rovers travel to Reading's Bearwood Park Training Facility in Wokingham on Saturday 27th November, kick-off 11am.

Introduced from the 2017-18 season, the Under-18 Premier League Cup adds the extra competitive edge of knockout football to compliment the Under-18s Premier League schedule.

The Under-18s Premier League Cup is split into six groups of four teams, with clubs playing each other once in the group stage, either home or away.

The six group winners and the two best runners-up, decided by total points and then goal difference followed by the head-to-head record, will advance to the quarter-finals.

Knockout ties are all one-off matches, decided by extra-time if level after 90 minutes and then penalties if required.

Under-18s Premier League Cup group stage fixtures revealed