Norwich City will not be competing in the Checkatrade Trophy next season after the 16 invited club were confirmed.
The Canaries competed last season due to several Premier League clubs not taking up their invitations, allowing some Championship clubs with category one status to be involved.
However, newcomers Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Fulham have accepted their invitations this time around, leaving the Canaries without an invitation.
The 16 invited clubs – including Championship clubs Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Reading – will compete against clubs from League One and League Two, after those 48 clubs voted to keep the format.
That is despite a controversial season which saw low attendances and criticism of the rules, which have been tweaked to allow more selection flexibility for the lower league clubs.
Last season the Canaries comfortably beat Barnet, Peterborough and MK Dons to go through to the knockout stages as the only team with a 100 per cent record, before slipping to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Swansea’s U21s at Carrow Road in the last 16.
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