Carabao Cup Fourth-Round Draw: Date and Viewing Details

The Carabao Cup is beginning to tighten. The early clutter has gone, the field is thinning, and 16 clubs are now one step from the quarter-finals.

With the Premier League’s European contenders entering in the third round, the schedule had to be split to squeeze everyone in. That staggered list now gives way to a simpler picture: one clean fourth-round draw, one clear route towards Wembley starting to emerge.

No regional seeding. No safety net. Just names in a bowl and the chance of some heavyweight ties as English football’s secondary cup competition starts to crackle.

Here’s how the next chapter unfolds.

When is the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw?

The draw will be made on Wednesday 16 September, immediately after the Round Three meeting between Manchester United and Brighton.

That game kicks off at 8pm BST, so expect the draw to follow some time after 10pm BST, once the action at Old Trafford is wrapped up.

How can you watch it?

Sky Sports will show the draw live.

Pien Meulensteen will front the coverage, with Jamie Redknapp and Ashley Young taking charge of pulling the numbers that could define the next few weeks of the competition.

What are the ball numbers?

The EFL will confirm the ball numbers on Wednesday morning across its official channels, setting the stage for the evening’s draw.

When will the fourth round be played?

Fourth-round ties are scheduled for the week commencing 26 October and will be decided over a single leg.

One game. One shot at the quarter-finals.