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Walsall vs Chelsea U21s - preview: Saddlers with an eye on progression in the EFL Trophy

Walsall will be on course to reach the knockout stages if they beat Chelsea under-21s in their final EFL Trophy group fixture at Bescot on Tuesday.

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By George Bennett
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The Saddlers started the competition with a 3-1 success at Shrewsbury Town, before falling to a 1-0 home defeat against group leaders Northampton Town.

State of play in the EFL Trophy

Walsall sit second in Group C of the EFL Trophy southern section ahead of their final group game. (Image by Owen Russell)
Walsall sit second in Group C of the EFL Trophy southern section ahead of their final group game. (Image by Owen Russell)

That has left Walsall in second place, three points behind Northampton, and locked on points with local rivals Shrewsbury in third. 

Maximum points would all but book the Saddlers' place in the next round, barring a remarkable swing in the goal difference when Shrewsbury travel to Northampton on November 11.

Defeat, or anything less than all three points, would open the door for Shrewsbury to overtake Walsall in a fortnight's time.

If progression is secured then it will be the first time Walsall have featured in the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy in back-to-back seasons since 2020.