The draw for the Carabao Cup second round has been announced, setting up several notable fixtures. Among them, five-time winners Chelsea are scheduled to host League One Luton at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Tottenham will play against Championship side Charlton.
The draw, which was regionalised into Northern and Southern sections, also includes a significant all-Premier League tie. Four-time winners Nottingham Forest are set to face Leeds in this round. The second round matches are scheduled to take place during the midweek of the week commencing Monday, 24 August.
Northern and Southern Section Fixtures
In the Northern section, several teams from different leagues will compete. Newcastle is drawn against second-tier West Bromwich Albion. Other fixtures include Stoke versus Hull, and Blackburn facing Sheffield United. David Moyes will return to Deepdale as Everton visits Preston North End, where he began his managerial career. Additionally, Fleetwood will play Shrewsbury, Bradford will host Burnley, and Sheffield Wednesday is set to meet Wolves. Blackpool will play Lincoln, Barnsley will face Crewe, and Doncaster will take on Middlesbrough.
The Southern section also features a range of matchups. Fulham will play AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage. Brentford has an away trip to Birmingham City, while Ipswich will play League One Leicester. West Ham, who defeated Portsmouth in the first round, will travel to fellow Championship side Southampton. Other games include Stevenage against Reading, Cardiff versus Norwich, and Walsall hosting Leyton Orient. Cambridge will play Millwall, and Watford is drawn against Peterborough. The winner of the Plymouth/Exeter match will face Coventry.
Fixture Complications for Chelsea and Fulham
The scheduling of the Carabao Cup second-round ties has created potential complications, particularly for Chelsea and Fulham. Both clubs were drawn at home in the competition. This situation poses a challenge as they are not typically allowed to play at home on the same day, which may require intervention from the police or the EFL to resolve.
Further compounding the issue, a Premier League match between Fulham and Chelsea was selected for live broadcast on Monday, 24 August. As neither team is involved in European competitions, they enter the Carabao Cup in the second round, meaning both faced the prospect of playing two games in the midweek. Ordinarily, EFL Cup ties would be moved to Thursday to allow for 72 hours of rest, which would then impact the Premier League weekend schedule.
Initially, Fulham’s match at Sunderland was switched to Sunday, and Chelsea’s game against Brighton was also chosen for Sunday broadcast. However, the home draws for both teams in the Carabao Cup introduce new complexities. The opponents of Fulham and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Wimbledon and Luton respectively, have League One fixtures scheduled for the Saturday following the cup ties. If the Carabao Cup matches are moved to Thursday, these Saturday games would typically be rescheduled for Sunday.
There is also an additional complication for several EFL clubs. The following Tuesday, there is a full programme of League One games. This could affect four matches, potentially requiring them to be moved to Wednesday. This scenario could lead to teams playing two games within 48 hours or supporters facing displaced games after making travel arrangements. The games potentially impacted on Saturday, 29 August, include Wimbledon versus Wigan and Mansfield against Luton. For Tuesday, 1 September, the affected matches could be Burton versus Wimbledon, Wigan against MK Dons, Luton versus Stockport, and Reading against Mansfield.
Draw Details and Participants
The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup was broadcast live during the build-up to the Plymouth Argyle versus Exeter City match. Sky Sports presenter David Prutton hosted the draw, joined by pundits Jobi McAnuff and Jamie Mackie. This round marks the entry of the 11 Premier League Clubs that are not participating in European competitions this season. The nine English clubs involved in Europe will join the competition in the third round. Leeds United was ball 11 in the draw for this round.
Source: bbc.co.uk