The Blues have been unseeded for Monday’s regionalised first-round draw. It means they are likely to face Championship opposition at the first hurdle in the 2013/14 competition. Their unseeded status is a consequence of their lowly finish in League One last season, with only six teams from the division being seeded.
They are Crewe, Tranmere, Notts County, Sheffield United Walsall and Wolves, with the other 12 seeded teams coming from the second tier. That means the Blues could face the likes of Blackburn, Leeds, Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday in the opening round.
Last season Carlisle were seeded, meaning they were handed an opening-day tie with Accrington Stanley, before subsequent games against Ipswich and Tottenham. The latter game in the third round drew the biggest crowd of the season to Brunton Park – 12,625 – as Andre Villas-Boas’ team won 3-0. The first round draw will be revealed at 9.30am on Monday, with the full programme of League One fixtures published two days later.