The Carabao Cup is into the second round, but several top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, are not featuring this week. They will join the competition in the third round after receiving byes for the second round.
Which Clubs Are Exempt?
The exempt clubs for the 2026/27 season include Manchester City, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion, alongside Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. These teams skip the second round due to their demanding European commitments across UEFA competitions this season.
Why Do They Skip Round Two?
Entering directly into the third round helps authorities prevent severe fixture congestion for teams managing both continental and domestic match schedules. The staggered schedule means the third round will be played across two midweeks, as teams in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League juggle their match schedule, and those teams will not face each other.
Draw and Match Dates
The Carabao Cup third-round draw is expected to take place on Wednesday, August 26 at around 10.30pm, conducted after the second-round tie between Preston North End and Everton. The draw will be shown live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the evening match, with Sky Sports subscribers also able to watch it live online via the Sky Go app across supported devices.
Third-round matches are scheduled to take place across the midweeks commencing September 7 and September 14, with typical kick-off times set for 7.45pm or 8pm.
