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Liverpool's Under-21s look set to enter a team into next season’s English Football League Trophy.

The decision to allow Academy and second string sides into the competition has been made by officials today at their annual summer conference.

The newly rebranded English Football League are trialing the move for one season and it will now include a total of 64 teams made up from League One, League Two and 16 category one Premier League Academy/u-21 sides.

Changes to the competition also sees the introduction of a group stage, made up of 16 regional groups of four teams.

The top two sides then qualify for the knockout stages with the final once again being held at Wembley in April.

Barnsley won last season’s Trophy final, defeating Oxford United in the final.

It is understood that the Premier League have provided £1m of the £1.9m prize fund on offer.

The EFL Trophy is due to start in late August.