When is Carabao Cup draw? Start time, ball numbers and TV channel for third round

The Carabao Cup third round is almost here, and with it the arrival of the Premier League’s biggest names.

While the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham face second-round ties this week to earn their place in the next stages, the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool got a bye due to their European commitments.

It also means both that the third round will be played across two midweeks, as the teams in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League juggle their match schedule, and also those teams will not face each other.

Here is everything you need to know about the Carabao Cup third round draw.

The Carabao Cup third round draw be held at the conclusion of Preston vs Everton, which kicks off at 8pm BST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

As such, provided the match at Deepdale finishes without the need for a penalty shootout, the draw should begin at around 10pm BST.

Further details on the presenters and guests conducting the draw will also be announced closer to the time.

TV channel: The Carabao Cup third-round draw will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will also be able to watch the draw live online via the Sky Go app.

Live blog: You can follow the draw as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.

The Carabao Cup third round draw will be made slightly more complicated by the scheduling conflicts created by UEFA competitions.

The EFL have imposed conditions on the draw which will ensure no two clubs competing in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League can be drawn against each other in the third round.

Those teams are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Sunderland. Brighton will also be added to the list should they qualify for the Conference League.

The eight teams playing in Europe will have their balls drawn in a pre-draw, which will decide whether they play home or away.

The main draw will follow immediately thereafter, first determining the eight European sides’ opponents, before the remainder of the draw follows as usual.

The fourth round draw will not require such conditions.

Ball numbers for the third-round draw will be confirmed on the morning of the draw.

The 32 clubs in the draw will include the 23 winners from the second round, along with the nine Premier League teams competing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season.

The third-round matches are scheduled to take place across back to back weeks, from September 7 and then September 14.

The ties will be played as single-leg fixtures, with the winners progressing to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.