Carabao Cup first-round draw confirmed as Greater Manchester clubs learn their opponents

The Carabao Cup first-round draw has been made, with EFL clubs across the north of England — including Bolton Wanderers, Salford City, Oldham Athletic and Stockport County — now knowing their opponents for the opening stage of the 2026-27 competition.

Neither Manchester City nor Manchester United feature in the first round. As Champions League participants, both clubs are exempt until the third round, which is scheduled for the weeks of 7 and 14 September 2026.

Before the main draw, two preliminary ties must be resolved. Tranmere Rovers host newly promoted Rochdale on 1 August, while Crawley Town travel to York City. The winners of those fixtures join the remaining 68 EFL clubs in the regionalised Northern and Southern sections of the first-round draw.

The full list of northern-section clubs in the draw includes Accrington Stanley, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, Burnley, Burton Albion, Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra, Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Middlesbrough, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Port Vale, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Salford City, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Shrewsbury Town, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Wolves, Wrexham, and the winner of Tranmere Rovers vs Rochdale.

First-round ties are scheduled for the weekend of 7-9 August 2026. The competition then progresses through five further rounds before the semi-finals in January and February 2027, with the final set for Sunday 21 March 2027.

Full schedule

• Round One: Weekend of 7-9 August 2026
• Round Two: w/c 24 August 2026
• Round Three: w/c 7 September and w/c 14 September 2026
• Round Four: w/c 26 October 2026
• Round Five: w/c 14 December 2026
• Semi-Final First Leg: w/c 11 January 2027
• Semi-Final Second Leg: w/c 1 February 2027
• Final: Sunday 21 March 2027