The two EFL teams left in the Carabao Cup were richly rewarded in Thursday’s quarter-final draw, with League Two Colchester United to face Manchester United at Old Trafford and Oxford United of League One at home to Manchester City.
Liverpool are due to play at Aston Villa after their extraordinary win over Arsenal on penalties following a 5-5 draw, and Leicester face a trip to Everton.
Oxford, who won the League Cup in 1986, will aim to become the first team to defeat City in the competition since Manchester United in October 2016, Pep Guardiola team having won the tournament over the past two seasons.
Colchester have played United twice in cups, in 1979 and 1983, and lost on both occasions. They are ninth in League Two but may recall how United were taken to a shootout by League One Rochdale at Old Trafford in the third round.
The draw was made hours after Jürgen Klopp threatened to withdraw Liverpool from the competition should the EFL and Premier League fail to find what he considers “a proper date” for their quarter-final.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for the week commencing December 16th – the same week the European champions will be in Qatar to play in Fifa’s Club World Cup tournament.
The Premier League and Football League have been in talks with clubs over switching a potential quarter-final involving Liverpool to the week commencing January 6th, currently scheduled for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. Klopp insists Liverpool will not play any further part in the Carabao Cup should the eventual date complicate an already demanding workload.
The quarter-finals, aside from the Liverpool fixture, are set to take place the week starting December 16.
Carabao Cup draw
Oxford United v Manchester City; Manchester United v Colchester United; Aston Villa v Liverpool; Everton v Leicester City.
