The Carabao Cup will undergo a format change for the upcoming season as a result of nine Premier League teams securing European football. The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed that four League Two clubs will compete in a preliminary round to accommodate the increased number of top-flight sides in continental competitions.
Nine Premier League Teams in Europe
Crystal Palace became the ninth English club to qualify for Europe next season after defeating Rayo Vallecano in the Europa Conference League final. They join Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, and Brighton in securing European spots.
The knock-on effect of this success will be felt by lower-league teams, particularly in the early stages of the Carabao Cup, which is the first domestic cup competition of the season. BBC Sport has confirmed the impact on the tournament's structure, which may cause logistical challenges for some clubs.
Preliminary Round Details
York City and Rochdale, the two promoted teams from the National League, along with Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers, will face off in a preliminary round. The winners will determine which two teams from League Two advance to the first round proper.
The first two rounds of the Carabao Cup are regionalised, with teams grouped into northern and southern sections. However, the winner of the preliminary round involving Crawley Town will move into the southern section, even though the other three teams would typically be placed in the northern half of the draw.
Draw Adjustments
The draw will be adjusted before Round Two, with the most southerly team in the northern section swapping if necessary to rebalance the regions. A total of 70 teams will enter Round One, with 35 progressing to Round Two. They will be joined by the 11 Premier League clubs that have no European commitments.
The Premier League teams competing in European competitions will enter the tournament in Round Three, as usual, with 32 teams needed at that stage.
Preliminary Round Draw
The draw for the provisional round fixtures will take place on Wednesday, June 3, at 4 PM.
