Walsall's season to begin with Carabao Cup on September 5
Walsall's 2020/21 campaign is likely begin on September 5 with a Carabao Cup tie after the EFL announced the start dates of their competitions.
Round one fixtures, which will be split into northern and southern sections, will take place on that weekend and rounds two, three and four will all take place in mid-week during September.
The fixture could be brought back to late August if Walsall draw a Championship side with a number of international players – with September 5/6 an international break.
The League Two season will start on September 12, as previously agreed, while the EFL Trophy campaign will get underway on September 8 or 9.
This means Walsall will play three games within a week at the beginning of the season, one game in each of the Carabao Cup, EFL Trophy and League Two.
If Walsall progress to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup they will have to play eight games in just four weeks during September – following six months off with due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Depending on cup progression and League Two fixtures, Walsall could be faced with six or seven home games in September without fans – as it is unlikely they will return until October at the earliest.
Due to fixture congestion, there will also be 11 mid-week matches in League Two for every club next season.
The draw for round one of the Carabao Cup will take place on Sky Sports News on Tuesday August 18, with a time yet to be decided.
The draw for the group stage of the EFL Trophy will take place on the same day at 1.30pm on TalkSport 2.
Fixtures for the League Two season will be released on Friday August 21 at 9am.
