The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup is set to be made as the remaining Premier League clubs enter the competition.
Those top flight sides involved in European competition this season join the 25 second-round winners for a draw that has been revamped this season.
This is due to the expansion of the Champions League and Europa League, which now have two extra matchweeks — to avoid these clashing with Carabao Cup rounds, the six Premier League sides involved in the top two tiers of European competition will be drawn separately from Chelsea and the 25 sides who progress from the second round.
It means that Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham cannot face each other in the third round.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the Carabao Cup third round draw?
The third round draw for the Carabao Cup will be conducted at about 10.15pm BST on Wednesday 28 August following the conclusion of Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Football. A livestream will be available via Sky Go.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
How will the draw work?
To ensure there is no clash of fixture dates for the six English teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League, two bowls will be used. Bowl One will contain Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United, which will be pre-drawn ahead of the evening fixtures – the six clubs will be spread across six ties, with the draw also deciding if they will be at home or away in the third round. This means that the sextet cannot meet one another at this stage.
The main draw will follow later. The first six teams out of Bowl Two will complete the first six ties, before the remaining ten are drawn from the remaining 20 teams.
Which teams are in the third round draw?
Manchester City
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Liverpool
Manchester United
Tottenham
Chelsea
Stoke City
Barnsley
Barrow
Blackpool
Brighton & Hove Albion
Coventry City
Everton
Fleetwood Town
Sheffield Wednesday
Preston North End
Leicester City
Leyton Orient
QPR
Bolton Wanderers
Walsall
Watford
Fulham
Crystal Palace
Wolves or Burnley
Wimbledon or Ipswich Town
Cardiff City or Southampton
Colchester United or Brentford
Swansea City or Wycombe Wanderers
West Ham United or Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest or Newcastle United
When will the third round fixtures be played?
The third round ties will be played in the weeks commencing 16 September or 23 September.
