The Carabao Cup is heating up as the third round draw looms. Manchester City and Manchester United, along with other Premier League heavyweights, will be eager to learn their opponents in this exciting stage of the competition.
The draw will take place on Wednesday, August 28th, following the conclusion of the Nottingham Forest-Newcastle United match. A total of 32 teams will participate, including Premier League clubs, EFL Championship sides, and even some League One and League Two teams.
Due to the Champions League format revamp, there is a new rule in place for the Carabao Cup third round. Six of the seven teams competing in Europe cannot be drawn against each other. This means that Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Aston Villa will be drawn first, followed by the remaining 26 teams.
Chelsea, who are currently in the Europa Conference League qualifying round, will not be included in the initial draw. If they manage to progress, they will enter the Carabao Cup in the fourth round.
The Carabao Cup offers a chance for teams to win silverware and gain valuable playing time. With the Premier League title race heating up, clubs will be motivated to perform well in this competition.
As the draw approaches, fans will be eagerly anticipating the potential matchups. Will we see some thrilling derbies or surprising upsets? Only time will tell.