EFL Cup Preview: Aston Villa travel to Luton Town, QPR host Swindon Town

It hardly feels like we’ve had a break from football this summer! No longer has Euro 2016 finished that we’re back with the newly named EFL [English Football League] Cup and there’s some cracking ties in the first round.

Freshly relegated and five-times League Cup winners Aston Villa will travel to Luton Town, 1988 winners, with new boss Roberto Di Matteo looking to get Villa’s season off to a fast start.

Villa boss Di Matteo – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The Villains haven’t much to shout about in recent times and apart from the appointment of Di Matteo, who is somewhere lacking in credentials himself, it hasn’t really been a summer to get the fans shouting, meaning this game could be crucial to the reception and reaction of the Villa fans going forward for the rest of the year.

Championship side Queens Park Rangers will host League One side Swindon Town at Loftus Road and the Robins boss Luke Williams is full of optimism ahead of the tie.

Speaking to BBC Wiltshire, Williams said, “A game like that can turn your fortunes for you and give people that extra bit of belief and confidence.

“It is a good situation to be in. You’re not really expected to win, but you can certainly give everything.”

Elsewhere, Grimsby Town will travel to Nigel Pearson’s Derby County in their first cup tie since returning to the Football League, whilst it’ll be a short trip across the North West for Wigan Athletic as they take on Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City, 8th August 2015.Owls Tom Lees 15 celebrates after scoring 1st goal Picture Steve Parkin

It’s an exciting tie for Cambridge United who will welcome last season’s Championship play-off finalists Sheffield Wednesday to Abbey Stadium. Also in the East of England, Ipswich will take on Stevenage at Portman Road for the second successive season.

Cardiff City will head to the Memorial Stadium to face newly promoted League One side Bristol Rovers, who will be hoping a positive result here can get their exciting season off to a positive start.

Having finished higher than Villa last season, fellow Championship outfits Newcastle United and Norwich City will enter the EFL Cup in the second round.

Round One Fixture List:

Carlisle United vs Port Vale

Rotherham United vs Morecambe

Accrington Stanley vs Bradford City

Rochdale vs Chesterfield

Mansfield Town vs Blackburn Rovers

Barnsley vs Northampton Town

Cambridge United vs Sheffield Wednesday

Derby County vs Grimsby Town

Oldham Athletic vs Wigan Athletic

Scunthorpe United vs Notts County

Doncaster Rovers vs Nottingham Forest

Burton Albion vs Bury

Fleetwood Town vs Leeds United

Sheffield United vs Crewe Alexandra

Shrewsbury Town vs Huddersfield Town

Preston North End vs Hartlepool United

Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers

Peterborough United vs AFC Wimbledon

Bristol Rovers vs Cardiff City

Coventry City vs Portsmouth

Luton Town vs Aston Villa

Brighton vs Colchester United

Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic

Birmingham City vs Oxford United

Southend United vs Gillingham

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Crawley Town

Leyton Orient vs Fulham

Ipswich Town vs Stevenage

Wycombe Wanderers vs Bristol City

Walsall vs Yeovil Town

Exeter City vs Brentford

Queens Park Rangers vs Swindon Town

Barnet vs Millwall

Reading vs Plymouth Argyle

Newport County vs Milton Keynes Dons