When Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and their Premier League cohorts mark out their run for the annual assault on fixture congestion, the EFL Cup prepares to take cover.
The competition, currently sponsored by the energy drink Carabao, is the smallest, least-loved and most vulnerable of the major trophies.
When its existence is brought into question, however, lower league clubs fight back with robust arguments about financial lifelines, national exposure and opportunity.
Pep Guardiola (left) and Jurgen Klopp (right) have both complained about fixture congestion
It is 60 years old and counting, and each year there are ties to thrill and excite under the lights on autumn nights.