SAINTS have been seeded for the first round draw of the Carling Cup.

Nigel Adkins' men, who are in the hat for the southern section, will find out on Thursday morning who they will play.

The fixtures will take place in the first week of the new season.

Saints will be drawn against one of the unseeded teams in the southern section.

This season's Carling Cup will feature a preliminary round for the first time since 2002/03, following Birmingham's relegation to the Championship.

With the holders being seeded through to round three, courtesy of their participation in the Europa League, the competition requires one less club in the first round draw.

That means the two lowest-placed clubs in the league system last season, Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon, will play each other on Friday, July 29, for the right to get into the first round.

Southern section - Seeded teams

AFC Bournemouth
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bristol City
Cardiff City
Colchester United
Crystal Palace
Exeter City
Ipswich Town
Leyton Orient
Millwall
Milton Keynes Dons
Peterborough United
Portsmouth
Reading
Southampton
Watford
West Ham United

Southern section - Unseeded teams

Aldershot Town
Barnet
Bristol Rovers
Charlton Athletic
Cheltenham Town
Crawley Town/AFC Wimbledon
Dagenham & Redbridge
Gillingham
Hereford United
Northampton Town
Oxford United
Plymouth Argyle
Southend United
Stevenage
Swindon Town
Torquay United
Wycombe
Wanderers Yeovil Town