Carabao Cup first-round draw set for August 7-9

The first-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup was conducted on Thursday, setting the stage for the season's opening competitive fixtures. The draw, which involved 70 clubs from the Championship, League One, and League Two, produced several notable ties, including a high-profile match for West Ham United.

West Ham, competing at this stage for the first time in 15 years following their relegation from the Premier League, will host Portsmouth at London Stadium. Other recently relegated Premier League sides, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers, also received home draws, facing Notts County and Port Vale respectively. The draw featured two local derbies, with Queens Park Rangers set to play Millwall and Plymouth Argyle facing Exeter City.

The competition is split into Northern and Southern sections for the initial rounds. In the Northern section, a key tie will see Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough take on Wrexham. Other notable Northern fixtures include Sheffield Wednesday versus Bolton Wanderers and Derby County against Lincoln City.

Four clubs-Tranmere Rovers, Rochdale, York City, and Crawley Town-must first contest a preliminary round to reach the first round...