The Blues begin this season's Carabao Cup campaign in the second round, when we host the Hatters at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, with kick-off at 7.30pm.

Before we take to the pitch for that game, the opponents awaiting the winner in the next round will already be known...

When is the Carabao Cup third-round draw?

The draw for the third round will take place on Wednesday 26 August, following the conclusion of Preston North End's second-round match against Everton.

How can I watch the Carabao Cup draw?

The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK. We will bring you news of the draw on the Chelsea Official App and website as soon as it is known.

What ball number are Chelsea?

The ball numbers for the Carabao Cup third-round draw will be announced on Wednesday 26 August.

Who can Chelsea play in the Carabao Cup third round?

With the first of the second-round ties not to be played until Tuesday evening, all 44 of the other sides in the northern and southern section of the draw remain potential opponents for the third round. The nine Premier League teams competing in Europe will also enter the competition at the third-round stage.

There is no north-south split to the draw from the third round on. The only restrictions to the draw are the eight teams competing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League being seeded, meaning they cannot face each other, but are not guaranteed a home or away game.

That leaves Chelsea with 53 possible Carabao Cup opponents in the third round, ahead of Tuesday's matches:

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Barnsley/Crewe Alexandra
Birmingham City/Brentford
Blackburn Rovers/Sheffield United
Blackpool/Lincoln City
Bournemouth
Bradford City/Burnley
Brighton & Hove Albion
Cardiff City/Norwich City
Cambridge United/Millwall
Crystal Palace
Doncaster Rovers/Middlesbrough
Fleetwood Town/Shrewsbury Town
Fulham/Wimbledon
Ipswich Town/Leicester City
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United/West Bromwich Albion
Nottingham Forest/Leeds United
Plymouth Argyle/Coventry City
Preston North End/Everton
Sheffield Wednesday/Wolverhampton Wanderers
Southampton/West Ham United
Stevenage/Reading
Stoke City/Hull City
Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur/Charlton Athletic
Walsall/Leyton Orient
Watford/Peterborough United

When will Chelsea's third-round tie be played?

Third-round ties will be split across two midweek slots to accommodate European fixture commitments, with games played on the weeks beginning 7 September and 14 September.