Sunderland AFC will discover their Carabao Cup Round Three opponents on the evening of Wednesday 26 August. The draw, involving 32 clubs, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and sets the stage for the Black Cats' next cup fixture as they balance domestic commitments with their Premier League campaign, where they currently sit 13th with one goal from one game.
According to a report on the club's official website and social media channels, a pre-draw will take place before the 8pm BST kick-off between Preston North End and Everton. This initial procedure will determine whether each of the eight Premier League clubs involved in UEFA Champions League or Europa League competition this season will be drawn at home or away in the third round. Those eight sides cannot be paired against each other at this stage.
How will the Carabao Cup draw work?
The main draw will be conducted live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the Preston versus Everton match. It involves the 24 winners from Round Two and the eight European-qualified Premier League teams. The eight UEFA competition clubs will be drawn from one bowl against opponents from a separate pool containing the remaining 24 clubs. Once those eight specific ties are set, the final eight fixtures will be drawn from the remaining teams in the standard manner.
A significant change from earlier rounds is that the draw will no longer be split into Northern and Southern sections from Round Three onwards. This opens up the possibility of longer-distance ties. The special conditions for the draw are designed to accommodate busy fixture schedules, ensuring each match can be played in one of the two allocated weeks in September.
When will the third round matches be played?
Round Three fixtures are scheduled across the weeks commencing 7 September and 14 September. The first of those weeks sees clashes with UEFA Champions League group stage matches, while the second coincides with UEFA Europa League fixtures. Because UEFA match dates cannot be moved, the Carabao Cup draw mechanics ensure every tie can be scheduled without conflict. These conditions are only required for this round.
Brighton & Hove Albion's potential qualification for the UEFA Conference League does not affect this schedule, as that competition does not begin until October. For Sunderland, the cup draw adds another key date to a busy period. Their next Premier League assignment is a home match against Fulham on 30 August, a game you can find on our fixtures page.
What is Sunderland's current form?
Michael Beale's side head into this cup draw period looking to build momentum after a narrow opening-day defeat. They currently occupy 13th place in the Premier League table, a position you can track on our standings page, with zero points from one match. Their solitary goal so far this season was scored by N. Angulo, who leads the team's scoring charts with one goal in one appearance. The team has a goal difference of minus one, having conceded twice.
That leaves them three points behind early leaders Brighton in the title race. Integrating cup success with league improvement is the immediate challenge. The draw presents an opportunity for a positive cup run, which could boost confidence within a squad detailed on our squad page. The third round tie will be a welcome distraction as they seek their first points of the Premier League season.
