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Boro must travel away to Championship rivals Preston in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

After beating League Two Notts County on penalties after a 3-3 draw and then seeing off League One Rochdale 2-1 this week the trip to Deepdale represents a step up in the level of competition.

Preston won 2-0 at form side Leeds to make progress in the knockout.

Up until this stage manager Tony Pulis has been using a lot of the Academy side in League Cup games with eight making debuts in the competition so far.

But with a couple of the kids who have played so far now out on loan and his senior squad beefed up it remains to be seen if the boss sticks by that policy.

It will be an interesting trip for Boro new boy Jordan Hugill who was a first team fixture at Preston until a reported £10m switch to West Ham in January.

Hugill notched his first goal for Boro in the midweek clash against Dale. The last time he played in this fixture and in this competition he scored for Preston at the Riverside but finished up on the losing side.

(Image: Action Images)

The match will take place in the week commencing September 24 and ticket information will be announced in due course.

Boro are unbeaten in 11 games against Preston in all competitions going back to a 1-0 FA Cup reverse at Ayresome Park in 1987.

Last season Boro came storming from behind to win 3-2 in a spirited second half fightback on New Year's Day in the first away game of the Tony Pulis regime.

Boro last played Preston in the League Cup in August 2014 when Aitor Karanka's side won 3-1 at the Riverside, the game in which Hugill scored.

In the last League Cup clash at Deepdale Boro won by the same scoreline in August 2012 when Tony Mowbray was in charge.

Elsewhere in the draw, eight-time winners Liverpool have been drawn at home to Chelsea in the plum tie of the round.

Holders Manchester City face a trip to League One Oxford while Manchester United are at home to Derby.

Arsenal, runners-up last season, take on London rivals Brentford and Spurs host Watford - although it may have to be played at a neutral ground as Wembley is not available that week.

League Two Macclesfield, the lowest ranked side left in the competition, are away at West Ham.

The draw: West Brom v Crystal Palace; Arsenal v Brentford; Burton v Burnley; Wycombe v Norwich; Oxford v Man City; West Ham v Macclesfield; Millwall v Fulham; Liverpool v Chelsea; Bournemouth v Blackburn; Preston v BORO; Wolves v Leicester; Spurs v Watford;

Blackpool v QPR; Everton v Southampton; Man Utd v Derby; Nottingham Forest v Stoke.