The Carabao Cup Round Three draw is set to take place live on Sky Sports Football on Wednesday, August 26, shortly after Preston North End's tie with Everton concludes. But this is no ordinary draw — there are two separate processes, a pre-draw and a main draw, each serving a specific purpose.

Why two draws instead of one?

The complexity stems from UEFA's expanded European competition calendar. Eight Premier League clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are placed in Pot 1, while the remaining 24 eligible sides fill Pot 2.

Before the main draw begins, a pre-draw determines whether each of the eight Pot 1 clubs will play their third-round tie at home or away. Only then does the main draw proceed.

How the main draw works

The first eight ties are settled by pairing each Pot 1 club — with home or away status already decided — against a side drawn from Pot 2. The final eight ties are drawn exclusively from the 16 Pot 2 teams that remain after those first matchups are confirmed.

Why are European clubs seeded?

Round Three of the Carabao Cup is played across two separate midweek blocks in September, timed around Champions League Matchday 1 and Europa League Matchday 1 — which fall on alternate weeks. If a Champions League side were drawn against a Europa League side, both clubs would face conflicting UEFA commitments on those alternating midweeks, and because UEFA fixture dates are non-negotiable, scheduling a Carabao Cup tie between them would be impossible.

By placing all eight UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League clubs in Pot 1 and guaranteeing they only face non-European opponents from Pot 2, the EFL can slot each tie into whichever midweek block that specific European club is free. It is a logistical solution, not a competitive one.

Is the draw seeded or regionalised?

The draw is seeded at the Round Three stage — a policy the EFL introduced purely for logistical reasons related to the expanded European calendar. There is no north-south regional split at this stage; all clubs are drawn together regardless of geography.

Premier League sides entered the Carabao Cup at Round Two, meaning the remaining top-flight clubs not already in the competition join the draw for Round Three, giving the tournament its full complement of Premier League involvement from this point onwards.