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Carabao Cup 2026-27 preliminary round draw pairs York City with Crawley Town

The Carabao Cup preliminary round draw for 2026-27 has been made, with York City hosting Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers facing Rochdale. The early-round ties are required because nine Premier League clubs have qualified for European competition.

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Carabao Cup 2026-27 preliminary round draw pairs York City with Crawley Town
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The Carabao Cup’s 2026-27 preliminary round draw has been completed, producing two ties: York City vs Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers vs Rochdale.

Only four clubs entered the preliminary round, and the reason lies in the composition of next season’s Premier League contingent in Europe. Nine top-flight sides — Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace — have qualified for European competition, which means they receive automatic byes into the third round of the League Cup.

With those nine clubs skipping the earlier stages, a preliminary round is required to ensure the main draw still contains a full complement of 32 teams. The two winners from these ties will advance to join the rest of the first-round entrants when the 2026-27 domestic season gets underway.

The draw being completed roughly three months before the new campaign begins reflects the logistical planning needed around the 2026 World Cup, which is now taking over the international football calendar. England face New Zealand in a pre-tournament warm-up friendly this Saturday as attention shifts to the summer tournament.

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