The club have confirmed they will put out two different squads for their Carabao Cup game with Aston Villa and their Club World Cup fixture a day later.
In the aftermath of last week’s rip roaring 5-5 draw in the tournament with Arsenal, which Liverpool won on penalties, Jurgen Klopp had suggested that the club may have to withdraw from the competition, such was the intense fixture congestion his team will have to navigate in the month of December.
The Merseyside outfit have confirmed that they will in fact honour their quarter-final match with Aston Villa on December 17 by putting out a completely different squad from the one that will play in the Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar the day after.
“Liverpool Football Club can confirm our Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Aston Villa will take place on Tuesday December 17, 2019,” read a statement on the club website.
Our #CarabaoCup quarter-final tie at @AVFCOfficial will take place on Tuesday 17th December. https://t.co/XyxwTy3wbB
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 5, 2019
“As a result, we will be utilising two playing squads simultaneously, with one squad participating in the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar and another in the Carabao Cup.
“The club would like to take this opportunity to underline that while 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.
“We would like to thank the EFL for their efforts to accommodate us and we can confirm alternative dates were discussed, but ultimately none were considered suitable without compromising the scheduling of the competition itself or placing an undue strain on our playing staff.”
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