Carabao Cup First Round draw ball numbers and Northern / Southern sections revealed

The Carabao Cup First Round draw ball numbers and Northern / Southern sections have been revealed for all to see and keep note of.

As part of the EFL’s fixture release day on Thursday, June 23rd, the round one draws for the Carabao Cup and Papa John’s Trophy group stage will take place live on Sky Sports News.

In an eagerly awaited day for supporters up and down the country, the draws will follow the release of fixture lists across the Championship, League One and League Two, which will also be revealed on Sky Sports at 9am on the same day – with the 2022/23 EFL season beginning the weekend commencing Friday, July 29th.

The Papa John’s Trophy group stage draw will take place live on Sky Sports News at 11.30am on Thursday, June 23rd.

The 16 invited U21 teams will be placed into their respective northern and southern section groups, with the 48 EFL clubs placed into pre-determined groups prior to the draw. You can see pre-determined groups HERE.

Consideration has been given to ensure travel time is minimised and recovery time is maximised for players.

All EFL clubs will play two of their three matches at home in the group stage, with the opening ties to take place in the week commencing August 29th.

The Carabao Cup round one draw will take place live on Sky Sports News at 2.30pm on Thursday, June 23rd.

A total of 35 ties will be drawn for round one, which will include Stockport County and Grimsby Town, who are returning to the EFL after achieving promotion from the National League.

Burnley, Watford and the Premier League clubs that are not competing in Europe will join the competition in round two.

Holders Liverpool, who overcame Chelsea in last season’s final at Wembley, will join in round three, along with the other Premier League teams competing in Europe next season.

Carabao Cup round one fixtures will take place in the week commencing August 8th.

North and South Draw Selections, and Draw Numbers, have been confirmed for the Carabao Cup Round One, as follows:

Northern Section draw numbers in full:
1 Accrington
2 Barnsley
3 Barrow
4 Blackburn
5 Blackpool
6 Bolton
7 Bradford
8 Burton
9 Carlisle
10 Crewe
11 Derby
12 Doncaster
13 Fleetwood
14 Grimsby
15 Hartlepool
16 Harrogate
17 Huddersfield
18 Hull
19 Lincoln
20 Mansfield
21 Middlesbrough
22 Morecambe
23 Port Vale
24 Preston
25 Rochdale
26 Rotherham
27 Salford
28 Sheffield United
29 Sheffield Wednesday
30 Shrewsbury
31 Stockport
32 Stoke
33 Sunderland
34 Tranmere
35 West Brom
36 Wigan

Full numbers for the South Section:
1 AFC Wimbledon
2 Birmingham City
3 Bristol City
4 Bristol Rovers
5 Cambridge United
6 Cardiff City
7 Charlton Athletic
8 Cheltenham Town
9 Colchester United
10 Coventry City
11 Crawley Town
12 Exeter City
13 Forest Green Rovers
14 Gillingham
15 Ipswich Town
16 Leyton Orient
17 Luton Town
18 Millwall
19 Milton Keynes Dons
20 Newport County
21 Northampton Town
22 Norwich City
23 Oxford United
24 Peterborough United
25 Plymouth Argyle
26 Portsmouth
27 Queens Park Rangers
28 Reading
29 Stevenage
30 Sutton United
31 Swansea City
32 Swindon Town
33 Walsall
34 Wycombe Wanderers.

Fans reacted with the Carabao Cup First Round draw ball numbers and Northern / Southern sections revealed…

@bwfc_elliot: Birmingham south and west brom north

@Warren_Stephens: West Bromwich is north of Birmingham. It doesn’t make geographical sense, however, for Walsall to be in the southern section and Albion in the north.

@shineongas: Walsall south WBA north

@Warren_Stephens: Why are West Bromwich Albion in the northern section and Walsall in the southern section?

@thetykester: Just put wba in south like the other midland teams

@AlbzSFC: No new grounds I could realistically do on a Tuesday, just give us a safer home tie

@ChrisLukeJones:
I am, once again, asking for Stoke (a)
Preston (h) incoming #crewealex

@JHancock46 (Replying to @Pompey): QPR away, bet your mortgage on it

@HarryShrubby (Replying to @Pompey): Please be a London Club

@MichaelConnor27 (Replying to @Pompey) It’s qpr for sure

@jh_dcfc: Cmon give us sheffield united away @Carabao_Cup

@gray_nige (Replying to @TheGillsFC): Away to either Cardiff or Forest Green please 🤞

@KaiDow00 (Replying to @dcfcofficial): Stags away 🤞

@dcfctomdcfc (Replying to @dcfcofficial)): Mansfield away be nice

@JackLeagueone (Replying to @shrewsburytown): Stockport away I beg

@LTFC_Dave (Replying to @LutonTown): Sorry but no matter how hard you try you’re not making Crawley away on a Tuesday night sound exciting

@lewis_WBA (Replying to @WBA): Swindon away

@05Jenko (Replying to @Pompey): Colchester at Home 🤣

@ForeverOUFC: really hoping my side get an easy one, would like a cup run