Manchester City's Under-21s will play six pre-season fixtures this summer as they ramp up preparations for the new Premier League 2 campaign.
New Leadership for the Academy
The youngsters, along with their Under-18 counterparts, are back in pre-season training ahead of the new campaign and there will be a fresh look to the academy with new bosses at Under-21 and Under-18 level.
The departure of Ben Wilkinson to the first team staff at Derby County means Oliver Reiss has stepped up from City's Under-18s to take the Under-21 job. Lauris Coggin has replaced the German having previously served as his assistant.
Recent Success and Upcoming Schedule
City's Under-18s won the FA Youth Cup last term with a derby day success against Manchester United and also lifted the Under-18 Premier League North title.
Reiss will take charge of the Under-21s for the first time next week with the Blues youngsters, who finished third in PL2 last season to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs where they beat Arsenal and Aston Villa before losing 4-3 to United in the semi-finals, kicking off their summer schedule with a game at home to Grimsby Town on Tuesday, July 21 (2pm).
Fixtures Against Senior Sides
The young Blues will play five matches against senior Football League sides with Stockport the visitors on Saturday, July 25 (1pm). City then visit Wycombe on Saturday, August 1 (11am) and Fleetwood on Tuesday, August 4 with a kick-off time to be confirmed.
The U21s will play the losers of the Carabao Cup Preliminary Round fixture between Rochdale and Tranmere on Saturday, August 8, with a kick-off time to be confirmed. Those two teams face off on August 1 in the League Cup.
International Clash and Behind Closed Doors
The final friendly brings a trip to France to play PSG Under-21s on Saturday, August 15, with a 2pm kick-off. All six fixtures are behind closed doors with fans not permitted to attend.
Looking Ahead to the PL2 Season
The Blues are still awaiting the fixture list for the 2026-27 Premier League 2 campaign but the new season gets underway over the weekend of August 22-23.
