Newport face early start as cup date confirmed
- Published
Newport County's season will kick off in July after the date of their EFL Cup tie with Barnet was confirmed.
County start the competition in the preliminary round stage following a change to the format.
They will face Barnet, who won the National League last season, for the right to take on Championship Millwall in the first round.
And the date has now been set for the game, with the Exiles heading to the Hive on Tuesday, 29 July (19:30 BST).
Coming four days before the League Two opener against Notts County at Rodney Parade, the cup tie will be Dave Hughes' first competitive match in charge of Newport after he replaced Nelson Jardim this summer.
The EFL Cup preliminary round is a knock-on from the increase in Premier League sides involved in European competition next season.
The format is designed to reduce the number of clubs in rounds one and two, in order to accommodate all Premier League clubs involved in Europe in round three.
That meant the need for a preliminary round, with the two promoted clubs from last season's National League - Barnet and Oldham Athletic - facing the clubs who finished in 21st and 22nd place in League Two - Accrington Stanley and Newport.
Should they win, Newport would host Millwall at Rodney Parade in the week commencing 11 August.