EFL Cup

Reading handed home tie in League Cup first round

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 16 June 2017

Beaten Championship playoff finalists Reading are handed a home tie against League One side Gillingham in the first round of the 2017-18 League Cup.

Beaten Championship playoff finalists Reading have been handed a home tie against Gillingham in the first round of the 2017-18 League Cup.

The Royals were only denied a place in the Premier League next season by a penalty shootout at Wembley last month, but they will begin their cup campaign at home to League One Gillingham in the week commencing August 7.

Reading, who reached the last 16 of the competition in 2016-17 before being eliminated by Arsenal, are one of a number of Championship teams to have been handed a home tie, alongside the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Birmingham City.

Newly-promoted Millwall will host Stevenage at The Den, while Aston Villa and Fulham have been handed away ties against Colchester United and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.

In the Northern Section, two relegated teams will go head to head as League Two side Coventry City host League One's Blackburn Rovers, while there are home ties for Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United.

Recently-relegated Sunderland face a trip to League One side Bury and Bradford City will take on fellow League One outfit Doncaster Rovers in a Yorkshire derby.

League Cup first round draw in full:

Northern Section

Coventry City vs. Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest vs. Shrewsbury Town
Bradford City vs. Doncaster Rovers
Mansfield Town vs. Rochdale
Grimsby Town vs. Derby County
Barnsley vs. Morecambe
Crewe Alexandra vs. Bolton Wanderers
Oldham Athletic vs. Burton Albion
Wigan Athletic vs. Blackpool
Bury vs. Sunderland
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Chesterfield
Accrington Stanley vs. Preston North End
Fleetwood Town vs. Carlisle United
Sheffield United vs. Walsall
Scunthorpe United vs. Notts County
Rotherham United vs. Lincoln City
Leeds United vs. Port Vale