Mansfield Town and Chesterfield to face off in EFL Trophy as group stage opponents confirmed
Mansfield Town will meet with bitter rivals Chesterfield in the upcoming 2026/27 EFL Trophy.
Stags have been placed into Group D in the Northern Section of the tournament, ahead of the EFL Trophy draw later this week.
Nigel Clough’s side will take on League Two clubs Chesterfield and Port Vale in the group stages, along with an unconfirmed Premier League U21 side.
Mansfield will learn their final opponent on Thursday, 25 June when the draw takes place on Fixture Release Day.
Stags did not progress beyond the group stage of last season’s EFL Trophy after finishing bottom of Group F with just one point on the board. The point came from a 2-2 draw against Newcastle U21, who earned the extra point after winning the penalty shootout. Mansfield’s other results were defeats against Harrogate Town and Huddersfield.
The last time Mansfield Town faced Chesterfield was last August, when Stags knocked them out of the Carabao Cup. Goals from Rhys Oates and Will Evans stamped a big victory over their arch rivals at the SMH Group Stadium. The result meant Spireites recorded a new record for Carabao Cup losses, with 13 consecutive defeats.
Port Vale will be familiar faces, having been relegated from League One last season after finishing 22nd in the table.
The ball numbers for the potential Premier League U21 sides to join Stags, Chesterfield and Port Vale in Group D are as follows:
- 1. Aston Villa U21
- 2. Everton U21
- 3. Leeds United U21
- 4. Liverpool U21
- 5. Man City U21
- 6. Newcastle United U21
- 7. Nottingham Forest U21
- 8. Sunderland U21
Fixture Release Day will also confirm Mansfield Town’s running order of fixtures for the 2026/27 League One season. Matches will be confirmed at 12pm this Thursday. The EFL Trophy draw will take place from 2.30pm live on Sky Sports News.
The EFL Trophy group stages will get underway in September, with dates to be confirmed following Fixture Release Day.