The draw for the third round of this season’s Carabao Cup is set to take place on Wednesday and it will feature a format that is slightly different from what fans are used to.
The change comes as a result of the participation of several English clubs in European competitions this season. With teams competing in the Champions League and the Europa League, the English Football League has decided to ensure that these clubs do not play against each other at this stage of the competition.
In a statement released ahead of the draw, the EFL confirmed that eight Premier League clubs will be kept apart in the third round. These clubs are Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham Hotspur. According to the EFL, the decision was made to protect the schedules of teams with heavy fixture commitments due to their involvement in European tournaments.
To implement this, the draw will be conducted using two separate pots. One pot will contain the eight teams competing in the Champions League and Europa League while the other pot will include the remaining 24 teams in the competition. The clubs in European tournaments will be drawn first before the remaining fixtures are completed.
The third-round fixtures will also be played over a two-week period. This adjustment has been made to accommodate the busy calendars of teams participating in European football and to avoid potential fixture congestion.
Fans across the country will be eager to see how the draw unfolds, as this round often produces thrilling matchups and opportunities for lower league sides to test themselves against top-flight opposition. However, supporters hoping for big all-Premier League clashes between the giants of English football will have to wait until later stages of the competition when restrictions are lifted.
The Carabao Cup remains one of the most competitive domestic cup tournaments in England and this year’s edition promises another exciting chapter despite the new measures in place for the third round.
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