Carabao Cup Fourth-Round Draw Details

The Carabao Cup is beginning to tighten. The early clutter has gone, the European clubs are in, and just 16 sides will soon be fighting over eight quarter-final tickets.

No regional protection. No seeding tricks. Just a straight draw, with the potential for some heavyweight clashes as England’s secondary cup competition starts to crackle.

Here’s how the fourth-round draw will unfold.

When is the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw?

All eyes turn to Old Trafford on Wednesday 16 September.

The draw will be made straight after the Round Three tie between Manchester United and Brighton. That match kicks off at 8pm BST, so expect the draw to follow at some point after 10pm BST, once the final whistle and post-match formalities are out of the way.

One game, then the balls go in the pot.

How can fans watch the draw?

Sky Sports will carry the draw live.

Pien Meulensteen will front the coverage, with Jamie Redknapp and Ashley Young taking charge of pulling the balls and deciding who faces whom in the last 16.

No studio gimmicks, just the tension of names coming out one by one.

What about the ball numbers?

The EFL will confirm the ball numbers on Wednesday morning.

Those details will be released across the EFL’s official channels, setting up the evening’s drama as clubs and supporters work out who they want – and who they’d rather avoid.

When will the fourth round be played?

Once the draw is done, attention flips quickly to the pitch again.

All Round Four ties are scheduled as single-legged fixtures in the week commencing 26 October, with teams now just two wins from Wembley talk starting to feel a little less fanciful.