Carabao Cup Fourth Round Draw Details

The Carabao Cup is tightening fast. The field has been cut again, the early clutter gone, and just 16 clubs now stand between here and Wembley dreams as the competition heads for the fourth round.

With the Premier League’s European contenders entering the fray, the third round was stretched across the week, split to accommodate those extra fixtures. That staggered schedule now gives way to something cleaner: one block of games, 16 sides, and a straight fight for a place in the quarter-finals.

No seeding. No regional split. No safety net. The draw is completely open, which means heavyweight clashes are firmly on the table as England’s second cup competition starts to boil.

Here’s how the next step unfolds.

When is the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw?

All eyes turn to Old Trafford on Wednesday 16 September.

The fourth-round draw will take place straight after the Round Three tie between Manchester United and Brighton. That match kicks off at 8pm BST, so the draw is expected to follow some time after 10pm BST, once the final whistle and post-match formalities are done.

As soon as that tie is settled, the names for the last 16 will go into the hat.

How can you watch it?

The draw will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Pien Meulensteen will front the coverage, with Jamie Redknapp and Ashley Young overseeing the draw itself as the numbers are pulled and the route to the quarter-finals begins to take shape.

What are the ball numbers?

The EFL will confirm the ball numbers on Wednesday morning.

Those details will be published across the EFL’s official channels before the evening’s action, setting up the draw once Manchester United and Brighton have decided the final place in the last 16.

When will the fourth round be played?

Fourth-round ties are scheduled for the week commencing 26 October.

Each fixture will be a single-legged affair, no replays, adding a sharp edge to every mistake and every moment. One game to get it right, or one game to fall out of the competition.