Chelsea and Tottenham are set to learn their Carabao Cup second-round opponents as the draw takes place on Monday August 10, 2026. The draw will be held during the build-up to the Devon derby between Plymouth and Exeter at Home Park, with a start time of approximately 7:20pm BST.
Why are Chelsea and Tottenham entering early?
Both London clubs finished 10th and 17th respectively in the Premier League last season, meaning they have no European football this term. As a result, they enter the competition a round earlier than usual. The rest of the Premier League clubs also come in at this stage, except for the nine competing in European competitions.
Format changes for the first round
This year's Carabao Cup has a different look, with the first round starting before the new EFL campaign and being held predominantly over a weekend rather than the usual midweek slot. This change aims to ease fixture congestion, as clubs previously had to play three times in a week early in the season.
Fourth-tier Walsall kicked off proceedings by beating Championship side Bristol City 1-0 at Ashton Gate on Thursday night. Crawley and Rochdale had earlier come through preliminary round meetings with York and Tranmere respectively.
How to watch the draw
The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Sky Sports subscribers can also stream it via the Sky Go app. A live blog will be available on Standard Sport.
Which clubs are in the second round?
Eleven Premier League clubs will join the 35 first-round winners in the second round. Chelsea and Tottenham are among them, along with Brentford, Fulham, Newcastle, Everton, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, and newly-promoted trio Coventry, Ipswich, and Hull.
The three teams relegated from the Premier League last season - West Ham, Burnley, and Wolves - enter in the first round. Holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool are in the Champions League, while Bournemouth, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace are in the Europa League, with Brighton in the Conference League. Those nine clubs do not join until the third round.
The Carabao Cup remains regionalised through the first and second rounds before opening up thereafter.
Ball numbers and tie dates
Ball numbers for the second-round draw will be confirmed after the bulk of the first-round ties are played this weekend. The second-round games will be played during the week commencing August 24, returning to a more familiar midweek slot.
