Pompey await news of cup opponents

The draw for the first round of the newly-named Capital One Cup was scheduled to take place at 9.30am.

Formerly the Carling Cup, the opening round is split regionally, with the Blues among 18 seeds in the southern section.

Matches are to be played on August 14/15 – days before the Football League season kicks off on Saturday, August 18.

The league campaign itself is later this time in an attempt to avoid a clash between football and the London Olympics.

And that means whoever Pompey draw today will be their first opponents of their campaign.

All Championship clubs except Blackburn and Bolton will be in the draw, along with teams from League One and League Two.

The relegated duo will come in at round two, along with 13 Premier League clubs.

The remaining seven top-flight sides involved in European football enter at round three.

Also seeded in the southern section are Cardiff, Leicester, Brighton, Watford, Ipswich, Millwall, Crystal Palace, Peterborough, Bristol City, Coventry, Charlton, Milton Keynes Dons, Stevenage, Brentford, Colchester, Bournemouth and Yeovil.

That ensures Michael Appleton’s side avoid them all for the opening round of cup matches.

Last season Pompey lost to Barnet 1-0 in the first round of the Carling Cup.

Mark Hughes scored the only goal of the game for the Bees, who included Blues-target Izale McLeod in their starting line-up.

The previous year they started their Carling Cup campaign at Stevenage with a 2-1 victory.

Steve Cotterill’s men went on to reach the third round, losing 2-1 to Leicester.

Back in the 2009/10 campaign they reached the quarter-finals.

A 4-2 home defeat by Aston Villa ended that run.