Somewhat surprisingly, it is now 12 years since Chelsea last won the League Cup, with José Mourinho's side beating Tottenham 2-0 at Wembley back in 2015. Since then, the Blues have been beaten in three EFL Cup Finals, as well as being dumped out in last season's semi-finals by Arsenal.
Well, this time round, with Xabi Alonso at the helm, and no European football to contend with, Chelsea have to be among the favourites to go all the way. In a quirk of the fixtures, the Blues will learn their potential round three opponents before playing their round two tie.
On Thursday night, they will welcome Luton Town to Stamford Bridge. However, at kick off, everyone in attendance will know what is on offer for the winners, so here is what fans need to know about the draw.
When is the Carabao Cup third round draw?
The Carabao Cup third round draw takes place at around 10:15 on Wednesday 26 August. It is scheduled to take place at around 10:15pm, following Sky Sports' live coverage of Preston North End vs Everton.
When do Carabao Cup third round matches take place?
The EFL Cup third round ties are split across two midweeks, specifically the weeks commencing 7 and 14 August. This is due to scheduling conflicts with the expanded UEFA competitions. The first of those weeks is an exclusive week for the Champions League, followed by the same for the Europa League. Thus, Chelsea's opponents could determine when their tie takes place.
Which teams will be kept apart in the Carabao Cup third round draw?
Due to the aforementioned Champions League and Europa League league phases, England's representatives in those two tournaments cannot be drawn against each other. Thus, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace will all be kept apart.
From a Chelsea point of view, this exponentially increases their chances of facing one of these teams.
Who can Chelsea face in the Carabao Cup third round?
As already noted, this is not a completely open draw. However, as a non-European club, Chelsea are not afforded such a luxury so, in the first part of the draw, fans will surely be hoping they avoid the big hitters. If they do, the Blues will come up against Conference League representatives Brighton or one of the other 23 round two winners, as documented below.
Chelsea's possible EFL Cup round 3 opponents:
- European representatives: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland & Crystal Palace.
- Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City, Leeds United, Ipswich Town, Coventry City & Brentford.
- EFL Championship: Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Lincoln City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich City, Millwall & West Ham United.
- EFL League One: Barnsley, Reading, Leyton Orient & Peterborough United.
- EFL League Two: Fleetwood Town.
Ties still to be played
- Wednesday: Bradford City vs Burnley, Newcastle United vs West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End vs Everton and Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic.
- Thursday: Chelsea vs Luton Town and Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon.
How can I watch Chelsea in the Carabao Cup?
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, all 92 Carabao Cup matches are broadcast by Sky Sports. A minimum of one tie per round is also live on free-to-air channel ITV; depending on who Spurs face, there is a decent change their match will be on the terrestrial channel.
In the United States, CBS Sports Golazo and Paramount+ has the exclusive rights to the Carabao Cup games. Other broadcasters around the world include DAZN in Canada, beIN SPORTS in Australia, France, New Zealand and most Arab speaking countries, as well as Disney+ in South America and Startimes World in Africa.
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