Rochdale has been drawn against Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup preliminary round. The match will take place at the home of Tranmere Rovers. This is the first fixture of the 2026-27 season. The draw for the preliminary round was made by former Derby, Nottingham Forest, and Birmingham goalkeeper Lee Camp. York City and Crawley Town also joined the draw, with the teams who finished 21st and 22nd in League Two last season. The winner of the tie between York City and Crawley Town will proceed to the Southern section of the round one draw. The regionalised sections of the draw will be re-adjusted ahead of round two of the competition. The dates and times for the preliminary round matches are yet to be confirmed, but they are expected to take place during the weekend of 1-2 August.