EFL player says ‘I didn’t know’ after seeing new rule used in England for the first time
Middlesbrough striker Will Lankshear recently admitted he had no idea about the EFL’s new rule during the opening round of the Carabao Cup.
With less than a week until the English Football League kicks off the new season, several clubs are already battling it out in the Carabao Cup first round this weekend. Teams from the Championship, League One, and League Two are all taking part.
Some big names like West Ham, Burnley, and Leicester City are in action, too. The first result of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup came on Thursday night when Walsall beat Bristol City 1-0.
On Friday, Middlesbrough hosted Wrexham at Riverside Stadium in a Championship clash fans were excited about. Middlesbrough won 1-0, thanks to a goal from summer signing Lankshear, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur for an initial £10 million, which could rise to a club-record £20 million.
Before scoring the winner, Lankshear got caught out by a new EFL rule aimed at stopping time-wasting. This rule, which some saw during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, limits how long players can take when coming off the pitch after being substituted.
Lankshear was enjoying the moment and thanking fans after being subbed off in the 81st minute, but he took too long. His replacement, Fin Cartwright, was ready to come on, but Middlesbrough had to play with 10 men for a short time because of the delay.
Boro’s manager, Kim Hellberg, was seen asking him to hurry up, but it was too late. After the game, Lankshear laughed, “I didn’t know! I haven’t been to the referee meetings yet because I just came from Tottenham. I’ll make sure to get off the pitch faster next time!”
Luckily, Middlesbrough held onto their lead and moved on to the second round.
The second-round draw will happen on Monday evening around 7:20 pm BST, live on Sky Sports, before the last first-round match between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.
This round will include 11 Premier League clubs joining the 35 winners from the first round, with nine more Premier League teams joining in the third round.
Teams like Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham, Newcastle, Everton, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Coventry, Ipswich, and Hull will enter in round two. Like before, the matches will be split into northern and southern groups and will be played during the week starting Monday, August 24.