Carabao Cup third round draw: When is it and what is the new process?
Chelsea is getting ready for the Carabao Cup this week as we get to know who we will be facing in the third round. We will show you how to keep track of the draw and discuss why this year's process is unique compared to before.
The Blues have won the competition five times and made it to the final last year. Our most recent victory was in 2015.
This year, the third round draw will have a new style, and we aim to address any important questions you might have about it.
The raffle will happen on Wednesday 28 August around 10.15pm UK time.
Where To Watch The Carabao Cup Draw?
The blog will be available to watch on Sky Sports following the match between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Understanding The Draw Process
There has been a modification to the usual draw process this year due to the higher number of Champions League and Europa League group stage matches.
Two more weeks of matches have been scheduled for both of those tournaments. However, these dates overlap with the Carabao Cup, which will have matches spread out over the weeks starting on September 16th and September 23rd.
In order to prevent any scheduling conflicts for the six English teams participating in these tournaments, two separate draws will be conducted. One draw will include the teams competing in the Champions League and Europa League, while the other draw will consist of the remaining 26 clubs, like Chelsea.
The six teams in Bowl One will be randomly chosen before the Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle game to decide if they will play at home or away in the third round. They will be spread out in the first six matches. This means that Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham will not be matched up against each other in the third round.
When the main tournament starts on Wednesday, teams from the second tier will play the first six matches. The other ten matches will feature teams from the remaining teams in the second tier.
This will only happen in the third round, as the rest of the competition will stick to the traditional format of drawing randomly.
When Is The Carabao Cup Third Round?
Matches will take place during the week starting on either September 16th or September 23rd.
You can discover our upcoming opponent by checking out the Chelsea website, official Chelsea app, and our social media pages once the draw has been completed. The date for our match will be announced at a later time.
