Two of Gillingham’s opponents in the group stage of the Papa Johns Trophy have been confirmed.

Neil Harris’ men are in Group A of the southern section of this year’s Football Trophy competition alongside Charlton Athletic and Colchester United.

The group will be completed with one of eight top-flight sides in the southern section. Gillingham will play that game at home. The invited under-21 teams are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Tottenham and West Ham.

Gillingham will find out which additional side they face on Thursday, when the draw is made.

The Gills beat Colchester in last season's group stage thanks to Robbie McKenzie's stoppage-time winner but lost out to Ipswich Town and West Ham under-21s in their next two games, finishing bottom of the first round table.

The Carabao Cup, meanwhile, will be regionalised in the opening round and that draw will also take place on Thursday, the same day as league fixtures are announced. Gills will be ball no.14 in the southern section of the cup.

Round one fixtures of the Carabao Cup take place on the week commencing August 8. Premier League clubs not competing in Europe will enter at the second round stage.

The group games in the Papa Johns Trophy will be played on the week of August 31, September 21 and October 19.

The league season kicks off on Saturday, July 30.