Having missed last season's English FA Cup to take part in the World Club Championship in Brazil, Manchester United were given a tough welcome back to the competition when they were drawn away to the runaway first division leaders Fulham.
Jean Tigana's side have won 14 and lost only one of their matches at Craven Cottage this term, knocking Derby out of the League Cup there last month.
That took to five the number of Premiership clubs they have beaten in the past three seasons, though United saw them off at Old Trafford en route to their FA Cup victory in the 1999 treble season.
Arsenal, second favourites to lift the trophy behind United, face a less daunting visit to Carlisle, currently bottom of the third division. Holders Chelsea begin at home to Peterborough or Oldham, while last season's runners-up Aston Villa face a difficult start at Newcastle United, losing finalists in the two previous years.
Morecambe, 17th in the Nationwide Conference, were rewarded for their second-round defeat of Cambridge United with a home tie against Ipswich.
While none of the other guaranteed non-league survivors was drawn at home, Dagenham and Redbridge were given a lucrative trip to Charlton. Chester visit Blackburn, Kingstonian travel to Southend while Yeovil Town will hope to make Bolton their 21st league scalp.
Potential banana-skins for Premiership sides include Tottenham's visit to either Leyton Orient or Northwich Victoria, and Everton's trip to Watford in a repeat of the 1984 final. That was at Wembley, next year's final is likely to be at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Meanwhile, FIFA, in a pickle over their player of the century award, are set to unveil awards to Pele and Diego Maradona in Rome today to extricate itself from an embarrassing war of words between Brazil and Argentina.
FIFA's president Sepp Blatter said last night that a previously unknown internal survey had been organised in parallel with an internet poll open to the public.
It is believed the web vote was won by the controversial Maradona while FIFA wanted Pele. Blatter said two trophies would therefore be presented at the annual player of the year award gala but declined to say precisely who had voted for Pele in the alternative assessment. Blatter simply said they were FIFA consultants, technical advisers and in-house publication writers.
Last month Maradona said he believed he should be hailed as player of the century rather than Pele who, in turn, responded by saying the owner of the "hand of God" was not even the greatest player from his own country. It remains to be seen which of the two, if either, will show up for the presentation.
Blatter yesterday also predicted a "major breakthrough" to find a solution to the seemingly interminable transfer crisis. He will meet with European Commission officials in Brussels on Wednesday.
