Rovers Under-21s get their 2023-24 Premier League 2 campaign underway this evening when Mike Sheron takes his team to do battle with Chelsea Under-21s.
Kingsmeadow will be the venue for the beginning of the journey for Sheron’s side, who will be hoping to improve on a 10th-place finish last term, with a change of format to the division this time around.
A new-look PL2 will now consist of one single division containing 26 teams – the current number of Category One Academy clubs – who will be divided into five seeded pots based on previous performances over the past three years.
There will be 20 match rounds, with teams playing each club in their own pot, as well as three to five teams in all other pots either home or away.
Results will then generate a table that determines play-off positions, with the top 16 teams qualifying for the single knockout phase, with the higher-seeded team playing at home.
Additionally, the top 12 teams at the end of the regular season will be invited to take part in next year’s Premier League International Cup competition.
Some stars of the future could be involved tonight, with the likes of Harley O’Grady-Macken, Pat Gamble, Tom Bloxham and James Edmondson all expected to travel south for the season opener.
Opportunities could knock for the likes of Zak Gilsenan and Jake Batty, who both featured for the first-team in the Carabao Cup victory against Walsall in midweek, but Jon Dahl Tomasson will have the final say on the duo, who could equally be named in the squad to take on Rotherham United on Saturday.
Jordan Eastham is expected to start in goal, but there’ll be no Jared Harlock in the squad following his loan switch to TNS on Wednesday.
As for the hosts, they could include some of their highly-rated youngsters who all played first-team football with the Blues or out on loan last term.
Lucas Bergstrom is likely to be in goal for the home team, whilst Cesare Casadei, who scored against Rovers for Reading last season, could also feature, despite being linked with a loan switch to Leicester City this week.
On the wing, Harvey Vale is another who was at a Championship club last season in the form of Hull City, and he could start on the left flank this evening, whilst Lewis Hall, who appeared 11 times for the Blues first-team in 2022-23, looks set to play at left-back.
Rovers will be after revenge after Chelsea earned a double over Sheron’s men last term, with the last meeting in February seeing Omari Hutchinson hit a brace as Mark Robinson’s side earned a 2-1 win at Leyland.
Supporters who’d like to attend this evening’s match should note that tickets are available online now by clicking here, priced at £7 for adults and £5 for juniors and seniors.
Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Kingsmeadow box office from 5pm on matchday, via card payments only and subject to availability.
Any person attending matches under the age of 16 must be accompanied by somebody over 18 years old.
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