Well, that could have been kinder. Southampton came out of Monday's second-round draw with West Ham at home, and neither manager will have been punching the air at that news.
No exact date yet. Pencil in Tuesday the 25th or the Wednesday, once the TV cameras have chosen their night.
Getting here was no thing of beauty. Cyle Larin nudged Southampton ahead off the bench at Colchester, and young Romeo Akachukwu poked in a stoppage-time second, his first for the seniors.
Why Saints won't love this Hammers draw
West Ham are not your typical second-round opponent. Nuno Espirito Santo's side dropped into the Championship too, so they arrive as fellow promotion chasers.
That relegation has not stripped their squad bare, though. Taty Castellanos and Jarrod Bowen still carry top-flight class into this division.
Both clubs sit among the early promotion favourites. That makes this a useful yardstick but not one either side wanted so soon.
How did West Ham get here? They saw off Portsmouth in round one, a 3-1 drubbing that Saints fans can enjoy for the Pompey defeat alone.
That is one silver lining, at least. Their old rivals are out, and West Ham did the dirty work.
Even a rotated West Ham carries serious quality up front, so Eckert can't treat this as a free hit.
A night for the fringe players
Promotion is what counts. Southampton open the league at Vicarage Road on Sunday, a Sky Sports lunchtime kick-off that dwarfs anything the cup offers.
A packed calendar means Eckert will probably rotate hard for the cup, a chance to rest key men and hand minutes to the squad players. Expect wholesale changes.
Cyle Larin is the one striker Eckert will want to protect through a busy week. Divin Mubama is reportedly close to a loan from Manchester City and could feature if it lands.
Romeo Akachukwu will fancy building on his cameo at Colchester. The academy kids who caught the eye there should get a look too.
In goal, Eckert sticks with a senior option, either Daniel Peretz or George Long. Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu are likelier to be sold this month than handed a cup run.
Saints Marching picked over the five things learnt from that Colchester win. The fringe players were front and centre.
A home cup run would lift the mood, with that four-point deduction still to claw back. Beat a promotion rival at St Mary's and belief builds fast.
Simple as that.
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