The English Football League and participating Championship, League One and League Two clubs
Thursday
The EFL Cup will begin before the league season, with 33 of its 34 first-round ties scheduled between Friday and Monday. Bristol City’s match against Walsall starts the competition on Thursday, creating the first full weekend round this century.
The EFL consulted its clubs and moved the round forward to provide players with more recovery time. Previously, opening cup fixtures were usually placed between two league matches, sometimes forcing teams to play three times within a short period.