The Carabao Cup third-round draw is almost upon us as the Premier League’s heavyweight clubs prepare to enter the competition at this stage.
Holders Liverpool are poised to begin their trophy defence after a record ninth triumph at Wembley in May, with last year’s losing finalists Chelsea also coming in along with the rest of the League’s top seven clubs from 2021-22 who are involved in European competition this term - that’s champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham.
The other 13 Premier League outfits came in at the second-round stage, looking to avoid falling victim to headline upsets as they try to book their spots in this week’s draw.
Round one was certainly not kind on Championship clubs, with no fewer than 12 eliminated at the hands of lower-league opposition - many on penalties - amid the usual sweeping personnel changes and renewed debate regarding the continued viability of England’s second-tier cup competition.
And basement strugglers Crawley sprung the biggest second-round shock on Tuesday, knocking out Premier League Fulham to spark a pitch invasion at the Broadfield Stadium.
Here is all you need to know about the Carabao Cup third-round draw...
When is the Carabao Cup third-round draw?
The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup will take place tonight, on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
It is set to be conducted after the conclusion of the televised fixture between Tranmere and Newcastle at Prenton Park. Provided that match does not go to penalties, we should be underway at just after 9:45pm BST.
The draw will be done by former England star John Barnes and fellow Liverpool legend John Aldridge, alongside host Mark Chapman.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup third-round draw?
TV channel: The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with Sky Sports News also likely to have coverage.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also watch the draw live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: Follow the draw as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.
When will the Carabao Cup third-round fixtures be played?
The Carabao Cup third-round matches will be contested during the week commencing November 7, 2022. That’s only a matter of days before the Premier League and Championship both pause proceedings for the inaugural winter World Cup in Qatar.
Carabao Cup third-round ball numbers
1 AFC Bournemouth
2 Arsenal
3 Aston Villa
4 Blackburn Rovers
5 Brentford
6 Burnley
7 Charlton Athletic
8 Chelsea
9 Crawley Town
10 Crystal Palace
11 Derby County
12 Everton
13 Gillingham
14 Leicester City
15 Lincoln City
16 Liverpool
17 Manchester City
18 Manchester United
19 Milton Keynes Dons
20 Morecambe
21 Newport County
22 Nottingham Forest
23 Sheffield Wednesday
24 Southampton
25 Stevenage
26 Tottenham Hotspur
27 West Ham United
28 Wolverhampton Wanderers
29 Forest Green Rovers or Brighton & Hove Albion
30 Leeds United or Barnsley
31 Tranmere Rovers or Newcastle United
32 Wycombe Wanderers or Bristol City