Forest to host Leeds in EFL Cup second round

Omari Hutchinson and Morgan Gibbs-White hug in celebrationImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Nottingham Forest also host Leeds in their opening Premier League game on 22 August

By
Football issues correspondent
  • Published

Four-time winners Nottingham Forest will face Leeds in the Carabao Cup in the only all-Premier League tie in the second round of the competition.

Chelsea, who have won the competition five times, will welcome League One Luton to Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham will host Championship side Charlton.

David Moyes will return to Deepdale as Everton visit Preston North End, where he began his managerial career.

Meanwhile, Newcastle will take on second-tier West Brom and Fulham will play AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage.

Brentford have a potentially tricky away trip to Birmingham City while Ipswich will play League One Leicester.

Also in the southern section West Ham, who beat Portsmouth in Saturday's first round, travel to fellow Championship side Southampton.

The draw for the second round of the EFL Cup was split across northern and southern sections.

All matches are due to take place in the midweek of the week commencing Monday, 24 August.

The nine English clubs involved in Europe this season will enter the competition in the third round.

The draw in full

Northern section draw

Stoke v Hull

Newcastle v West Bromwich Albion

Blackburn v Sheffield United

Nottingham Forest v Leeds

Fleetwood v Shrewsbury

Bradford v Burnley

Sheffield Wednesday v Wolves

Blackpool v Lincoln

Preston v Everton

Barnsley v Crewe

Doncaster v Middlesbrough

Southern section draw

Stevenage v Reading

Cardiff v Norwich

Ipswich v Leicester

Walsall v Leyton Orient

Cambridge v Millwall

Birmingham v Brentford

Southampton v West Ham

Watford v Peterborough

Fulham v AFC Wimbledon

Plymouth/Exeter v Coventry

Chelsea v Luton

Tottenham v Charlton

Fulham v Chelsea league match causes fixture headache

After Sky Sports chose Fulham v Chelsea for live Premier League broadcast on Monday, 24 August, the potential for a knock-on impact was clear.

With the two teams not in Europe, and thus entering the Carabao Cup in the second round, both faced playing two games in the midweek.

Ordinarily, that should mean the EFL Cup ties would be played on the Thursday, with 72 hours' rest.

That, too, would impact the Premier League's weekend schedule.

Fulham's match at Sunderland, which was not selected for TV broadcast, was switched to the Sunday.

Chelsea v Brighton, meanwhile, was chosen by Sky for the Sunday.

All good so far.

That was until both Fulham and Chelsea were drawn at home in the Carabao Cup - and they are not supposed to play at home on the same day. The police will have to make a concession, or the EFL will have to get creative.

But there is another knock-on effect - at very short notice for eight EFL clubs.

The opponents of Fulham and Chelsea - Wimbledon and Luton respectively - are in League One action on the Saturday after the ties.

If one or both Carabao Cup ties are scheduled for the Thursday, then the Saturday games would ordinarily move to the Sunday.

And there's another complication.

The following Tuesday there is a full programme of League One games - and that could impact a further four matches with the potential they might have to move to Wednesday.

Either teams will have to play two games within 48 hours, or supporters who have made travel arrangements are going to find games displaced.

The games potentially impacted are as follows.

Saturday, 29 August

Wimbledon v Wigan

Mansfield v Luton

Tuesday, 1 September

Burton v Wimbledon

Wigan v MK Dons

Luton v Stockport

Reading v Mansfield

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