Carabao Cup: Burton v Leicester, Leeds v Shrewsbury & Gillingham v Southampton in first round

22nd Jun 2023 | Source: BBC

Former England striker Jamie Vardy could be among the Leicester players to make the short trip to Burton in the first round

Relegated Premier League side Leicester will travel to League One Burton in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

The Foxes last featured in the first round draw of the competition in 2013, before their move up to the top flight.

Leeds and Southampton, who have both also dropped down to the Championship, will host Shrewsbury and travel to Gillingham respectively.

Wrexham, who are returning to the English Football League after a 15-year absence, will host Wigan.

The ties will take place in the week commencing 7 August, with the final scheduled for Wembley on Sunday, 25 February.

The 12 Premier League teams not in Europe in 2023-24 will enter the competition in round two, with last year's winners Manchester United among the remaining teams joining in the third round.

Ordinarily the side finishing 18th in the Premier League the previous season - in this case Leicester - would receive a bye into the Carabao Cup second round.

But, with West Ham's Europa Conference League triumph guaranteeing eight English sides in Europe next season, Enzo Maresca's Foxes join the competition from the start.

In all there are 11 ties where Championship clubs will take on a League Two team, including Sunderland v Crewe, Hull v Doncaster and a Hertfordshire derby between Stevenage and Watford.

Along with Wrexham, Notts County will also mark their return to the competition after a five-year absence with a home game against League One side Lincoln.

Southern Section

Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient

Forest Green Rovers v Portsmouth

Swansea City v Northampton Town

Exeter City v Crawley Town

Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers

Newport County v Charlton Athletic

Stevenage v Watford

Cheltenham Town v Birmingham City

Sutton United v Cambridge United

MK Dons v Wycombe

Millwall v Reading

AFC Wimbledon v Coventry City

Bristol City v Oxford United

Gillingham v Southampton

Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City

Peterborough United v Swindon Town

Cardiff City v Colchester United

Northern Section

Notts County v Lincoln City

Bolton Wanderers v Barrow

Hull City v Doncaster Rovers

Mansfield Town v Grimsby Town

Stoke City v West Bromwich Albion

Sheffield Wednesday v Stockport County

Leeds United v Shrewsbury Town

Preston North End v Salford City

Rotherham United v Morecambe

Harrogate Town v Carlisle United

Burton Albion v Leicester City

Accrington Stanley v Bradford City

Derby County v Blackpool

Port Vale v Fleetwood Town

Barnsley v Tranmere Rovers

Blackburn Rovers v Walsall

Huddersfield Town v Middlesbrough

Wrexham v Wigan Athletic

Sunderland v Crewe Alexandra

Holders Bolton face Man Utd Under-21s in EFL Trophy

Bolton Wanderers beat Plymouth Argyle 4-0 in this year's EFL Trophy final at Wembley

EFL Trophy holders Bolton Wanderers have an all-Greater Manchester group in next season's competition.

Wanderers, who beat Plymouth Argyle in April's final, have been drawn against Manchester United Under-21s, Salford City and Stockport County.

Newly promoted Wrexham will face Crewe, Port Vale and Newcastle United Under-21s in their group.

Notts County face near neighbours Derby County as well as Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s.

Dates for the group games are yet to be confirmed.

Reading will take on Exeter City, Swindon Town and Arsenal Under-21s as they play in the competition for the first time since 2001-02, following their relegation from the Championship last season.

Leicester City Under-21s, the only non-Premier League side invited to field a youth side, will take on Fleetwood Town, Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, which takes place on a regional basis until the quarter-final stage.

The draw for the 2023-24 Carabao Cup will take place at 14:30 BST on Thursday.

Northern Groups

Group A: Barrow, Blackpool, Morecambe, Liverpool U21.

Group B: Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Wrexham, Newcastle United U21.

Group C: Accrington Stanley, Carlisle United, Harrogate Town, Nottingham Forest U21.

Group D: Fleetwood Town, Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Leicester City U21.

Group E: Bolton Wanderers, Salford City, Stockport County, Manchester United U21.

Group F: Barnsley, Bradford City, Grimsby Town, Manchester City U21.

Group G: Derby County, Lincoln City, Notts County, Wolverhampton Wanderers U21.

Group H: Burton Albion, Doncaster Rovers, Mansfield Town, Everton U21.

Southern groups

Group A: Forest Green Rovers, Shrewsbury Town, Walsall, Brighton & Hove Albion U21.