Liverpool To Play In Two Different Continents Within 24 Hours

Liverpool will play two games on two different continents in 24 hours after the date for their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa was confirmed. After a week of discussions with the EFL, Liverpool will travel to Villa Park on December 17 for a fixture and that is 24 hours before The Reds contest the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar on December 18.

Despite Klopp suggesting his team may have to pull out of the EFL Cup, Liverpool has reached a compromise with organisers that will allow it to select a squad for the League Cup quarter-final that will be entirely different to the group of players who will head to Qatar. A statement released by Liverpool read, “This is not an ideal scenario, it is an outcome which was arrived at with the best interests of the competition, our fellow clubs and ourselves as the sole motivating factor”.

Although EFL Cup rules state all clubs must play with “full available strength in and during all Cup Competition matches, unless some satisfactory reason is given”, the EFL has granted Liverpool leave to name separate squads given the “exceptional circumstances” and the fact that Jurgen Klopp fielded a much-changed line-up in the previous round against Arsenal. The Liverpool squad that will stay in England for the clash at Villa Park is expected to be similar to the one used in the thrilling 5-5 draw with Arsenal, a match the Red won on penalties.