When is the Carabao Cup second-round draw? Start time, ball numbers and how to watch
When is the Carabao Cup second-round draw? Start time, ball numbers and how to watch
Will Castle Thu, August 6, 2026 at 3:01 PM UTC
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The Carabao Cup will welcome Chelsea, Tottenham and other Premier League teams into the competition in the second round after the competition kicks off over the weekend.
The Blues are the headline act entering the fold after their failure to qualify for Europe last term, with Xabi Alonso hoping to set the tone in his bid for debut-season silverware. After only just avoiding relegation in 2025/26, London rivals Spurs are also in the draw.
Before the draw, 68 EFL sides will seek to come through the first round unscathed - though it isn’t the maiden Carabao Cup outing of the season for all, with Rochdale and Crawley Town already having to go through a preliminary round to reach this opening stage.
Featured ties of the first round, taking place from Thursday to Monday, include West Ham’s meeting with Portsmouth, a Devon derby between Plymouth and Exeter, while a battle of Championship promotion-chasers will go down at the Riverside Stadium when Middlesbrough host Wrexham.
The second round will remain regionalised with the draw split into southern and northern sections.
Here’s everything you about the Carabao Cup second-round draw:
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When is the Carabao Cup second-round draw?
The Carabao Cup second-round draw will take place on Monday 10 August live on Sky Sports Main Event, during the broadcast of Plymouth vs Exeter - the last game of the first round.
It will take place during the build-up of the match at approximately 7:20pm BST.
Which Premier League sides enter the competition?
There are eight top-flight teams entering the Carabao Cup in the second round:
Brentford
Chelsea
Fulham
Newcastle
Everton
Leeds
Nottingham Forest
Tottenham
What is the first-round draw?
Northern section
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham
Rotherham vs West Brom
Barnsley vs Wigan
Mansfield vs Sheffield United
Stockport vs Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton
Fleetwood vs Chesterfield
Crewe vs Accrington
Stoke vs Oldham
Wolves vs Port Vale
Burnley vs Notts County
Derby vs Lincoln
Bradford vs Rochdale
Burton vs Blackburn
Salford vs Shrewsbury
Grimsby vs Blackpool
Preston vs Huddersfield
Southern section
QPR vs Millwall
Cheltenham vs Charlton
Gillingham vs Luton Town
Cardiff vs Swindon
Bristol City vs Walsall
Plymouth vs Exeter City
Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough
Watford vs Crawley
Cambridge vs Barnet
Norwich vs MK Dons
Colchester vs Southampton
Leyton Orient vs Oxford
Wycombe vs Stevenage
Bromley vs Reading
Swansea City vs Birmingham
West Ham vs Portsmouth
AFC Wimbledon vs Newport
Leicester vs Northampton
What are the ball numbers?
Ball numbers have not been confirmed and will be revealed in due course.
When are the Carabao Cup fixtures being played?
The round dates for the Carabao Cup have been confirmed as the following:
Round One: Weekend of 7-9 August 2026
Round Two: w/c 24 August 2026
Round Three: w/c 7 September and w/c 14 September 2026
Round Four: w/c 26 October 2026
Round Five: w/c 14 December 2026
Semi-Final first leg: w/c 11 January 2027
Semi-Final second leg: w/c 1 February 2027
Final: Sunday 21 March 2027
Source: “AOL Sports”
