When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw and who could Chelsea face?
We are not getting ahead of ourselves. Chelsea face a serious test to continue their quest for Carabao Cup glory, given that they are taking on Liverpool at Anfield in round four. However, if you're feeling optimistic and believe that the Blues will progress, here are all the quarter-final draw details.
When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw?
The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw takes place at around 10:30pm (GMT) after all of the ties on Wednesday 28 October have been played.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw?
The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, following their coverage of Chelsea's clash with Liverpool at Anfield. Fans in the UK can also tune into both the match itself and the subsequent draw free-to-air on ITV1 and ITVX.
In the United States, CBS are the EFL Cup rights holder, so tune into Paramount+ for the draw.
Who is already through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals?
Tuesday night saw one of the biggest upsets in EFL Cup history, as League Two Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal on penalties at Highbury.
Meantime, in a slightly less high-profile fixture, third-tier Bradford City defeated Peterborough United 2-0 at Valley Parade, meaning there are two lower-league clubs in the last eight.
Who else could reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals?
This fourth round concludes with six all-Premier League ties, five on Wednesday night and the final fixture of the round on Thursday:
Wednesday 28 October
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa.
Fulham vs Crystal Palace.
Sunderland vs Brentford.
Liverpool vs Chelsea.
Thursday 29 October
Kick off 7:45pm: Everton vs Newcastle United.
What number ball will Chelsea be in the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw?
Chelsea will be ball number 5 in the draw, if they do indeed overcome Liverpool. All of the ball numbers were confirmed by the EFL on Wednesday lunchtime and are as follows:
Bradford City
Fleetwood Town
AFC Bournemouth or Aston Villa
Fulham or Crystal Palace
Liverpool or Chelsea
Manchester City or Brighton & Hove Albion
Sunderland or Brentford
Everton or Newcastle United
When will the Carabao Cup quarter-final ties be played?
The Carabao Cup quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on the week commencing 14 December. The falls between a Premier League trip to Manchester City and a home game against Aston Villa for Xabi Alonso's side. Given that those matches take place on 12 and 21 December respectively, the Blues' potential League Cup tie could be played on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, depending on opponents.
Were Chelsea to draw Brighton & Hove Albion, there would be a scheduling conflict, given that the Seagulls face Panathinaikos in the UEFA Conference League on 17 December. We'll cross the bridge if and when we come to it!
