Manchester City will learn their Carabao Cup third round opponent on Wednesday evening, with a modified draw process introduced for the 2026/27 competition.
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Manchester City are one of nine Premier League clubs entering the 2026/27 Carabao Cup at the third round stage, joining the 23 winners from round two to make up a field of 32 sides.
The nine teams comprise the top-eight Premier League clubs from the 2025/26 season alongside Crystal Palace - who qualified through their UEFA Conference League triumph. Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton & Hove Albion complete the group.
Their delayed entry reflects the standard exemption granted to clubs competing in UEFA competitions, though the structure of this season's calendar has forced organisers into a set of arrangements that have not applied in previous years.
The changes will shape not only who Manchester City can face, but whether manager Enzo Maresca's side are drawn at home or away, and which of two possible weeks the tie will be played in.
Draw conditions explained: Why eight clubs cannot meet each other
As confirmed by the EFL, the expanded European competition calendar has required additional conditions to be applied to the round three draw for the first time.
Round three fixtures will be played across two weeks, beginning Monday 7 September and Monday 14 September. Champions League fixtures fall in the first of those weeks, with Europa League fixtures in the second.
Because UEFA fixtures cannot be rescheduled, the eight clubs competing in the Champions League or Europa League have been prevented from drawing each other. That condition guarantees every tie can be fulfilled in one of the two allocated weeks without disrupting league or domestic cup scheduling.
Brighton's potential Conference League participation does not affect matters, with that competition not beginning until October. No draw conditions will apply from round four onwards.
How the pre-draw and main draw will work on Wednesday
The process begins with a pre-draw, staged live on Sky Sports during the build-up to Preston North End's round two tie against Everton at Deepdale, which kicks off at 20:00 BST.
That pre-draw determines whether each of the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs will be at home or away in round three. Manchester City's venue will therefore be settled before their opponent is known.
The main draw follows the conclusion of the Preston tie. The first eight ties will involve the Champions League and Europa League clubs, each paired against a side drawn from a separate bowl containing the remaining teams.
Once those eight ties are complete, the final eight are drawn as normal. From round three onwards, the draw is no longer split into northern and southern sections.
What the draw means for Manchester City
The two-week window introduces a scheduling variable that Maresca and his staff will need to plan around, with the tie landing either side of a Champions League matchweek depending on the outcome of the draw.
The removal of the regional split from this round also widens the range of possible opponents considerably, with lower-league sides from anywhere in the country now able to draw a trip to the Etihad Stadium or a home tie against Manchester City.
For a squad still settling under a new manager, the competition offers Maresca an early opportunity to give minutes to players on the fringes of his plans, including several of the academy prospects who featured during the pre-season tour of east Asia.
Manchester City's opponent, venue and matchweek will all be confirmed by the end of Wednesday evening.