Carabao Cup Third-Round Draw: Premier League Giants Ready

The Carabao Cup is about to change gear. The early rounds are nearly done, the upsets have whetted the appetite, and now the Premier League giants are ready to walk through the door.

Chelsea and Tottenham still have work to do this week in the second round if they want their names in the hat. Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, though, are already safely through, handed byes thanks to their European schedules.

That European congestion shapes everything. With clubs juggling the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, the third round will be stretched across two midweeks and the continent’s representatives will be kept apart at this stage. No early blockbuster ties between the elite – not yet.

When is the Carabao Cup third-round draw?

The exact date and time remain unconfirmed, but the draw is expected to take place after Preston vs Everton, which kicks off at 8pm BST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Once the final whistle goes at Deepdale, attention will quickly swing from the pitch to the pot.

Details on who will host and conduct the draw are still to come and will be revealed closer to the night itself.

Sky Sports subscribers can watch it unfold live via the Sky Go app, while Standard Sport will run a live blog for every ball, every tie, and every potential banana skin.

Who will be in the hat?

Ball numbers for the third round will be released on the morning of the draw, setting the stage for the 32-club line-up.

That field will be made up of:

• The 23 winners from the second round
• The nine Premier League sides involved in UEFA competitions this season: those in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League

It’s the moment when lower-league hopefuls start dreaming of a night under the lights against one of the country’s true heavyweights.

When will the third-round ties be played?

Once the draw is done, the countdown begins. Third-round fixtures are scheduled across back-to-back weeks, starting from September 7 and then continuing from September 14.

Two weeks, 16 ties, and the first real chance to see how seriously the big boys are taking this season’s Carabao Cup.