THE new domestic football season will begin with the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday, September 5, although some games will have to move from that date as it falls within an international window.

The EFL revealed details of the schedule for the 2020-21 season yesterday, with the opening round of the League Cup, which will be drawn next Tuesday morning, set to kick-off a hectic September.

The second, third and fourth rounds of the tournament will be staged on successive midweeks from September 15-16 onwards, with the fifth round scheduled for the week before Christmas. Unlike in previous seasons, the semi-finals will be staged over one leg rather than two, with the final due to take place at Wembley on February 28, 2021.

The league seasons in the Championship, League One and League Two will begin on the weekend of September 12, with the fixtures due to be released on Friday, August 21 at 9am. The condensed schedule means there will be a larger number of midweek matches next season, with 13 rounds of Championship games and 11 rounds in Leagues One and Two earmarked for a midweek slot.

As usual, the season will culminate in the divisional play-off finals, which will take place at Wembley over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend of May 29-31, 2021.

The EFL Trophy will also continue as usual, with the first round of matches scheduled for the week beginning September 7 in the run-up to the start of the league season. The competition will be split into Northern and Southern sections, with Newcastle United entering an Under-21s team. The group draw will take place next Tuesday.