Without even playing last night, Bolton made it through to the second round of the EFL Trophy after neither Bradford or Rochdale could surpass Wanderers in Group F.
That means Keith Hill’s side will find themselves in this weekend’s draw for the second round, unlike in the FA Cup.
The draw is scheduled to take place at 2pm on Saturday, November 16 on Sky’s Soccer Saturday broadcast as well as streamed via Twitter but how does the EFL Trophy work from this point forward?
This season marks Wanderers’ second foray into the EFL Trophy in the past four seasons but during the 2016/17 campaign, Phil Parkinson’s Bolton side fell at the group stage.
Keith Hill’s Wanderers, however, have secured a spot in the second round. Just like the group stage, the second and third rounds of the EFL Trophy are both regionalised, meaning Bolton will only be drawn against teams from what the EFL classes as the North.
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For the fourth round, which is the EFL Trophy’s quarter-final stage, the tournament becomes a more traditional national affair, before concluding with a single-leg semi-final and the final itself at Wembley.
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In the upcoming second round draw, which doesn’t allow teams from the same group to meet, group winners are drawn against group runners-up meaning Bolton could find themselves playing against any of the following.
Leicester City U21s, Accrington Stanley, Salford City, Port Vale, Everton U21s, Blackpool, Manchester United U21s.
The second round fixtures are expected to take place during the week commencing December 2.