Carabao Cup draw LIVE: Everton, West Ham, Newcastle and Leeds set to learn fixtures

Champions Manchester City are favourites to retain their Carabao Cup crown after beating Arsenal in last season’s showpiece.

Pep Guardiola’s City, along with the six other Premier League sides who qualified for Europe, will come into the competition for the third round.

However, other Premier League teams including Everton, Newcastle, West Ham and Fulham who are not competing in Europe will be included in tonight’s second-round draw.

And Express Sport is on hand to bring you LIVE coverage of the Carabao Cup draw as it unfolds.

THE DRAW…

19:25: And now for the northern half of the draw. Everton, Newcastle and Wolves still to come. Standby…

LEICESTER vs FLEETWOOD

LEEDS vs PRESTON

SUNDERLAND or SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY vs WOLVES

NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs NEWCASTLE

DONCASTER vs BLACKPOOL

BURTON vs ASTON VILLA

HULL vs DERBY

MIDDLESBROUGH vs ROCHDALE

EVERTON vs ROTHERHAM

BLACKBURN vs LINCOLN

WEST BROM vs MANSFIELD

WALSALL vs MACCLESFIELD

STOKE vs HUDDERSFIELD

THE DRAW…

19:15: And we’re underway folks. We start with the southern section. 

Mick McCarthy and Chris Waddle are pulling the numbers out. Charisma all over the place…

BRIGHTON vs SOUTHAMPTON

QPR vs BRISTOL CITY

WIMBLEDON vs WEST HAM

FULHAM vs EXETER

WYCOMBE vs FOREST GREEN ROVERS

CARDIFF vs NORWICH

MILLWALL vs PLYMOUTH

BRENTFORD vs COLCHESTER

SWANSEA vs CRYSTAL PALACE

NEWPORT vs OXFORD

BOURNEMOUTH vs MK DONS

READING vs WATFORD

REGIONAL…

19:10: Who cares about the advertised time of things anymore, eh? It’s been ten minutes and we’re still no closer to the draw.

The draw is split into two sections North and South. A team can only play one the 25 opponents in the regional groups.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Billy: A reminder that the Carabao Cup 2nd round draw is being drawn on Mars on Thursday at 4am on North Norfolk Digital.

Paul: Have we got another infamous Carabao Cup draw to look forward to?

Gibbs: I don’t care about Danny Cipriani or the cricket, show us the Carabao Cup draw!!!

THE DELAY…

19:05: Come on, we all knew there would be a delay. Sky Sports are currently making the whole Carabao nation (me included) wait for the second-round draw.

Personally I think Jim White is just enjoying the attention…

ABSENT…

19:00: Where are the big boys?

Premier League sides enter the tournament at round two apart from Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

These seven all have received byes to the third round due to their participation in European competitions.

Stoke and Swansea also received byes into the second round as two of the highest-placed side relegated to the Championship last season. They will enter the draw today.

THE DRAW…

18:55: So the draw is taking place LIVE on Sky Sports tonight at 7pm. That’s 45 minutes before Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday play for a place in the second round.

I wonder if these sides will be psychologically affected knowing who their opponent could be in the next round.

Will they give a bit extra for a Premier League side?

CARABAO…

18:50: Now I can’t vouch for the taste of Carabao, but I can tell you what appears when you type ‘Carabao official’ into Google.

This is the first sentence underneath the link to their official website.

“WHEN YOU NEED A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL BOOST, CARABAO GIVES YOU THE ENERGY TO FACE THE BATTLE AHEAD.”

If that doesn’t connive you to buy a can, I don’t know what else will.

EVENING…

18:45: Hello everyone, and welcome to a very special bonus blog from yours truly.

Actually there was nobody available in the office and the pleasure of accompanying you through tonight’s Carabao Cup second-round draw fell to me.

I was about to say that the draw begins at seven, but the organisational skills of this competition have been found wanting in recent years.

We could be here until midnight…