Soap fans will have to wait a little longer for their next trip to the Dales and the cobbles, as Emmerdale and Coronation Street are both missing from ITV’s schedule this Wednesday (12 August). The soaps have once again been pushed aside to make room for live football, with ITV broadcasting a pre-season friendly game between Manchester United and Leeds United.
The latest schedule change comes after an already disruptive summer for soaps and their viewers, with football coverage causing several alterations to ITV’s usual evening line-up. Both Emmerdale and Coronation Street have been affected by sporting events at various points this year, including changes prompted by the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Thankfully, this latest interruption is only a one-night affair, with both soaps quickly returning to their regular weekday slots. But what is replacing the soaps this Wednesday and when can viewers catch up with their latest storylines?
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ITV
Who is playing and how do I watch the match?
Preparations for the Premier League are ramping up as this Wednesday sees a confrontation that is only friendly in name. Manchester United and Leeds United will come face-to-face, reigniting a long-standing rivalry.
ITV is showing a live pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Leeds United from Dublin’s Croke Park. The match is part of both clubs’ preparations for the 2026/2027 campaign, with the new Premier League season approaching later this month.
Coverage begins on ITV1 at 7pm, with kick-off scheduled for 7.30pm. The match occupies the evening period in which viewers would normally watch Emmerdale at 8pm, followed by Coronation Street at 8.30pm.
The fixture has attracted attention from football fans due to the long-standing rivalry between both clubs. But it also marks the first time Croke Park, which has a total capacity of over 80,000 spectators, opens its doors for a non-Gaelic game.
The match will also be available through ITV’s streaming service, ITVX, for viewers watching online.
ITV
When will Emmerdale and Coronation Street return?
Fans won’t have to wait long for their next soap fix. Both Emmerdale and Coronation Street will return to ITV on Thursday, 13 August, with the usual weekday schedule – and ITV’s soap hour – back in place.
Emmerdale will air at 8pm, followed by Corrie, thirty minutes later. ITV’s new soap schedule, introduced at the start of 2026, sees the two shows share a 60-minute “power hour” from Monday to Friday, while episodes are also released on ITVX from 7am on their day of broadcast.
When Emmerdale returns, viewers will be able to continue following the fallout from the death of Dr Caitlin Todd. The storyline has left several characters with serious questions to answer after Sarah Sugden pushed Caitlin, causing the doctor’s fatal fall.
Although both Sarah and Charity were arrested, Charity ultimately took responsibility for the accident, leaving her future in the village uncertain and raising the prospect of serious consequences for the Woolpack landlady.
Over on the cobbles, Coronation Street is continuing its own major storyline, with Sarah Platt facing the consequences of the investigation into Theo Silverton’s murder. Sarah remains behind bars, while Gary Windass appeared ready to confess in recent scenes, leaving viewers with plenty of questions ahead of the soap’s comeback to screens.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX. Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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