Newcastle get favourable Carabao Cup draw

Newcastle United were given two favourable League Cup ties after the Round 2 and Round 3 draw was made this afternoon.

United will be at home in Round 2, with a game against Blackburn Rovers their opening challenge.

Blackburn finished 11th in the Championship last season, with 17 wins, 12 draws and 17 losses to their name. Former Magpie Adam Armstrong was, of course, their top goalscorer with 15 league goals. Indeed the striker had been linked to a return to St James Park in some quarters this summer.

Should they manage to overcome Rovers, their prize in the 3rd Round is a trip to the winner of Morecambe and Oldham Athletic. The real benefit here being that the Magpies managed to miss all of the big guns as they also came out the hat for Round 3.

The pick of the ties in Round 3 almost certainly Leicester v Arsenal, with City v Palace and West Ham v newly promoted Leeds United the only other two potential all Premier League clashes.