The draw for the second round of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will be held on Monday, 10 August, at approximately 19:20 BST, live on Sky Sports.
The draw will take place before the final first-round tie is completed, a local derby in Devon pitting League One outfit Plymouth Argyle against League Two rivals Exeter City.
Eleven Premier League clubs, who received byes into this stage of the competition, will discover their opponents on Monday evening. Those top-flight sides are Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle United, Everton, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City.
They will be joined in the draw by the 35 clubs who progress from the first round, drawn from across the English Football League pyramid.
As has been the format in previous seasons, the opening two rounds of the competition are split regionally, with clubs divided into northern and southern groups for the draw. This geographical separation is designed to reduce travel demands early in the competition and keep local rivalries alive where possible, while also easing fixture congestion for clubs balancing domestic cup runs with league commitments.
Once the second-round pairings are confirmed, the matches themselves are scheduled to be played during the week commencing Monday, 24 August. Clubs will have a short turnaround to prepare for their next Carabao Cup assignment as the domestic football calendar continues to build momentum heading into the early autumn period.
The involvement of 11 Premier League sides at this stage reflects the competition's long-standing structure, which grants top-flight clubs entry once the earlier rounds have thinned out the field. Clubs such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United will be eager to use the tournament as an opportunity to rotate their squads and give fringe players valuable minutes, while promoted or newly established Premier League clubs like Leeds United, Sunderland-adjacent rivals and others in the top flight will see the competition as a chance to build early-season confidence.
Meanwhile, EFL clubs progressing from the first round will view Monday's draw as a significant opportunity. A favourable pairing against Premier League opposition can offer smaller clubs a shot at an upset, a financial boost through gate receipts, and a morale-lifting cup run early in the season.
The first-round fixtures across League One, League Two and the Championship have been narrowing down the 2026-27 field, with 35 winners emerging to join the Premier League contingent. The Devon derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City stands as the last of those first-round ties to be completed, adding a local flavour to the build-up of Monday's draw show.
As always, the Carabao Cup draw generates significant interest among fans hoping for standout ties between Premier League heavyweights and lower-league underdogs. With the second-round matches set to be played in the week of 24 August, clubs across the divisions will have limited time to adjust before returning to cup action.
Fans and pundits alike will be watching closely when the balls are drawn live on Sky Sports, eager to see which Premier League giants might be paired against ambitious EFL clubs looking to cause an early shock in this season's competition.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.