Road to Wembley? Sheffield Wednesday discover next possible Carabao Cup opponents

The winners of the tie, which will take place at Craven Cottage next Wednesday, will play away at either West Brom or Brentford for a place in the quarter-final.

Neither side present unusual opposition for Garry Monk’s men, with both outfits having played in the Championship last season. West Brom were promoted to the Premier League as runners-up, while Brentford lost out in the playoff final to Fulham.

Should they qualify, it would be only the second time the Owls have progressed to the fourth round in 20 years, having beaten two top tier sides on their way to the quarter-finals in the 2015/16 season.

Asked whether the Carabao Cup was proving to be a help or a hindrance this season, Owls boss Monk said: “It’s a competitive game, whether that’s the league or cup. We know the priority is the league, but I’ve said it all along, our mentality is to try and win games, that breeds confidence.

“The other side to it is that it’s been a much shorter pre-season than normal, this our fifth week and normally we’d still be in pre-season gaining minutes, so I guess in a way more games and being able to use the whole first team squad and getting them as prepared as possible for the rest of the season.

“That’s what you’d be doing normally at this stage of a season.

“Winning games is what we’re here to do and what’s we’re trying to do. Having another cup game is another game to put minutes in the legs but another to try to win as well.”

The draw extends Monk’s remarkable record of away matches in domestic cup competitions. In 15 League Cup ties, he will have managed only four from a home dugout while only one of his nine FA Cup ties as manager have come on home soil.

Wednesday won the competition with a famous 1-0 victory over Manchester United in 1991.

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