EFL Cup third-round draw to be held in Beijing

The draw for the third round of the EFL Cup will take place in Beijing on Thursday at 4.15am.

Competition holders Manchester United will be among the clubs present in the draw, which will not be televised, with details to be released on social media.

An EFL spokesman said in a statement: "We understand that not everyone will agree on the timing of this week's round three draw, but in staging in this way it will give the competition both the maximum exposure in the UK, Chinese and South-East Asian markets.

"This is not only an important factor for the EFL but also our new sponsors Carabao, who, like ourselves, plan to use the growing global appeal of the competition to reach new audiences."

The 16 fixtures will take place in the week of September 18.