Carabao Cup Third Round: Premier League Heavyweights Join
The early rounds are almost done. The Carabao Cup is about to change gear.
With the third round looming, the Premier League heavyweights are ready to step in. Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have all skipped the second round thanks to their European schedules, waiting in the wings while others fight for the right to join them.
Chelsea and Tottenham are not so fortunate. They must first negotiate second-round ties this week to book their spot, adding another layer of jeopardy to an already congested start to the season.
When is the draw?
The exact date and time for the Carabao Cup third round draw has not yet been confirmed.
The plan is for it to take place after Preston vs Everton, which kicks off at 8pm BST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Once that tie is done, attention turns straight to the balls and the bracket.
Details on who will host the draw and which guests will be alongside them are still to come and will be revealed closer to the night itself.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the draw live via the Sky Go app, while Standard Sport will run a live blog for every twist, turn and plum tie as it drops.
Who’s in the hat?
There will be 32 clubs in the third-round draw.
They will be made up of:
- The 23 winners from the second round
- The nine Premier League sides involved in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season
Ball numbers for all of those teams will be confirmed on the morning of the draw, once the second-round picture is complete.
Because of European commitments, the third round will be spread across two midweeks, with fixtures set to be played on the weeks beginning September 7 and September 14. The calendar is tight, the games are stacking up, and the domestic cup is about to collide head-on with Europe.
The elite are back in the mix. Now it’s a question of who they’ll meet first.
