Carabao Cup Second Round Fixtures Announced
The draw for the Carabao Cup second round has been completed, setting up several notable matches. Among the fixtures, Chelsea, five-time winners of the competition, are set to host League One Luton at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Tottenham will welcome Championship side Charlton.
In other key matchups, four-time winners Nottingham Forest will play Leeds in the only all-Premier League tie of this round. Newcastle is scheduled to face second-tier West Brom, and Fulham will compete against AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage.
Brentford has been drawn to play against Championship side Birmingham City away from home. Keith Andrews’ team will travel to St Andrew’s. Birmingham City advanced to this round after defeating Swansea City 1-0.
The second-round draw was divided into northern and southern sections. All matches are scheduled to take place during the midweek of the week commencing Monday, 24 August. The nine English clubs participating in European competitions this season will join the Carabao Cup in the third round.
Potential Fixture Complications
A scheduling conflict has emerged due to the selection of the Fulham versus Chelsea Premier League match for live broadcast on Monday, 24 August. Both teams are not involved in European competitions, meaning they enter the Carabao Cup in the second round and could face two matches in the same midweek period.
Normally, EFL Cup ties would be moved to the Thursday, allowing for 72 hours’ rest. This adjustment could also affect the Premier League’s weekend schedule. For instance, Fulham’s match at Sunderland was moved to Sunday, and Chelsea’s game against Brighton was also chosen for Sunday broadcast.
Further complications arose when both Fulham and Chelsea were drawn to play their Carabao Cup matches at home. Regulations typically prevent two teams from playing at home on the same day, which may require concessions from the police or creative solutions from the EFL.
This situation could also impact eight EFL clubs at short notice. The opponents of Fulham and Chelsea—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 ordinarily shift to Sunday.
An additional complication involves a full programme of League One games on the following Tuesday, 1 September. This could potentially affect four more matches, which might need to be moved to Wednesday. This scenario could lead to teams playing two games within 48 hours or supporters having their travel plans disrupted.
The games potentially impacted include Wimbledon versus Wigan and Mansfield versus Luton on Saturday, 29 August. On Tuesday, 1 September, the affected matches could be Burton versus Wimbledon, Wigan versus MK Dons, Luton versus Stockport, and Reading versus Mansfield.
Northern Section Draw Overview
- Stoke v Hull
- Newcastle v West Bromwich Albion
- Blackburn v Sheffield United
- Nottingham Forest v Leeds
- Fleetwood v Shrewsbury
- Bradford v Burnley
- Sheffield Wednesday v Wolves
- Blackpool v Lincoln
- Preston v Everton
- Barnsley v Crewe
- Doncaster v Middlesbrough
Southern Section Draw Overview
- Stevenage v Reading
- Cardiff v Norwich
- Ipswich v Leicester
- Walsall v Leyton Orient
- Cambridge v Millwall
- Birmingham v Brentford
- Southampton v West Ham
- Watford v Peterborough
- Fulham v AFC Wimbledon
- Plymouth/Exeter v Coventry
- Chelsea v Luton
- Tottenham v Charlton
David Moyes is set to return to Deepdale as Everton visits Preston North End, where he began his managerial career. West Ham, who defeated Portsmouth in the first round, will travel to fellow Championship side Southampton. Ipswich will play League One Leicester in another southern section fixture.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Ama Serwah
Yaw Appiah
Kwame Ofori