2017–18 EFL Trophy
| Country |
 England Wales
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|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 64 | ||
| Defending champions | Coventry City | ||
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The 2017–18 EFL Trophy, known as the Checkatrade Trophy for sponsorship reasons, will be the 34th season in the history of the competition, a knock-out tournament for English football clubs in League One and League Two of the English football system, and also including 16 Premier League and Championship "B Teams" with Category One status after the previous season's trial format was extended.
Following the new format introduced in 2016–17, 64 teams will enter the competition, including first time entries from the academy teams of Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, who all declined to enter in the previous season.Coventry City are the reigning champions.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United declined to participate.
Category One teams Relegated to League One will not have academies participating in the following tournament but clubs promoted to the Championship will.
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