Carabao Cup third round draw explained as 8 balls pulled out and then other 24 couple hours later

The Carabao Cup third round draw will take place tonight.

Hopefully Newcastle United fans will still have an active interest after playing West Brom at St James’ Park.

I say Carabao Cup third round draw BUT it is in effect Carabao Cup third round draws.

A draw happening before we find out if Newcastle United have qualified for the third round, then another draw once we know the result at St James’ Park.

Whilst all Carabao Cup matches can be watched on Sky Sports, Preston v Everton is the main one tonight.

Ahead of the coverage of that 8pm kick-off, eight balls will be drawn out of the hat, these are the eight clubs involved in the Champions League and Europa League this season – Arsenal, Man City, Man U, Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Palace and Sunderland.

Before the Preston v Everton match, these eight clubs/balls will be pulled out and none of them can face each other, this (first) draw will decide whether these eight clubs will be playing home or away, against whoever they are drawn against later (after the Preston v Everton match).

The EFL explaining: ‘As a result of the expanded European competition calendar and the fixture clashes it presents, additional conditions will be required for the draw. Round Three fixtures will take place across two weeks (week beginning 7 and 14 September), with fixtures in the UEFA Champions League (week beginning 7 September) and UEFA Europa League (week beginning 14 September) also scheduled during this period. As UEFA competition fixtures cannot be rescheduled, and to enable the Carabao Cup to proceed within its agreed schedule without disrupting other League or domestic cup fixtures, the additional conditions will ensure that the eight Clubs participating in the Champions League or Europa League cannot meet each other in Round Three of the Carabao Cup. This will mean that the teams drawn in each tie will be able to fulfil the fixture in one of the allocated weeks. No draw conditions will be required for the Round Four draw.’

Brighton are in the UEFA Conference League but that competition does not begin until October, so it does not affect the Round Three schedule.

So the main/second draw will be made on Sky Sports at some time after the conclusion of the Preston v Everton game.

The 24 balls that will be drawn out after that match will be 21 clubs that have won their second round ties, Brighton who get a free pass in the second round because they are in European competition this season, whilst two second round ties are to be played on Thursday and so those four clubs will all be in the draw as well.

The EFL explaining how the second and final part of the draw will proceed tonight: ‘In the main draw, to be conducted after the [Preston v Everton] Round Two tie, the first eight ties will involve those Champions League and Europa League Clubs, with their home or away position already having been decided, and each will be drawn against a club from a separate bowl containing the remaining teams. Once those eight ties have been drawn, the final eight ties will be drawn as normal.’

What this means for Newcastle United fans, is that if NUFC defeat West Brom, we will have a one in two (50%) chance of playing a team that is either in the Champions League or Europa League this season, instead of a one in four (25%) chance if it was a free draw.

It also means of course that if Newcastle United win against the Baggies and are in tonight’s draw, we have a one in 16 chance (just over 6%) of facing Sunderland, instead of a one in 31 chance (just over 3%).

Newcastle United of course had these benefits only last season, Champions League involvement meaning a free pass in the Carabao Cup second round, then not able to face a Champions League or Europa League club in the third round, NUFC got Bradford at home and won 4-1.

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