What is the National League Cup, Man Utd under-21 stars enter new tournament

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Manchester United’s under-21 side have entered the new National League Cup but just what is the competition.

Manchester United’s academy sides have done so well in recent seasons with multiple academy players making the jump from the youth teams to the first team, with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho good examples of this.

United are one of several Premier League 2 sides who are set to take part in the brand-new National League Cup.

However, fans may well be wondering what is the tournament, here is everything you need to know about the competition.

What is the National League Cup?

Alongside the EFL Trophy, which United’s under-21s compete in separately against League One and League Two teams, Travis Binnion’s side will now have a chance to test themselves further in the National League Cup.

32 teams are competing in the midweek tournament, split equally between Premier League 2 and National League sides.

Four groups of eight will lead to the top two clubs progressing into the knockout stages, which begin with the quarter-finals on 5/6 February 2025.

Where will these fixtures in the National League Cup be played?

The fixtures are to be played at the National League stadia rather than Old Trafford, with those clubs keeping all the gate receipts, providing support for this level of the game which certainly needs it at the moment.

When does the National League Cup start?

The National League Cup gets underway next month with United’s academy side hoping to go deep into the competition, particularly the level of talent at Binnion’s disposal.

Who will United’s under-21s play in the National League Cup?

United have been drawn to play in Group B and will play Altrincham, Forest Green Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Rochdale.

United’s opening game of the competition is due to be at Forest Green Rovers which will then be followed by Oldham Athletic.

When can United fans buy tickets for the National League Cup?

The information on when tickets will be available is certainly scarce with the Manchester United website claiming that information about tickets will be made in due course.

With these games set to be held in National League stadia, it certainly seems unlikely that the prices will be outlandish.