Liverpool have discussed the possibility of playing two games in one day as the club’s congested fixture list continues to cause a headache.
The Reds have been drawn against Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup - set to be played on December 17 or 18 - but the game clashes with their participation at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Determined to compete in the global tournament after winning the Champions League last season, Liverpool are assessing the possibility of playing the two games.
Though don’t worry Reds supporters, Mo Salah and the rest of the team won’t be leaving the pitch and boarding a plane for the UK in the space of 24 hours.
No, instead, Jurgen Klopp and his team are considering fielding two XIs in two countries.
While the strongest first-team is expected to take to the field in Doha, Liverpool’s youngsters, who performed so well in beating Arsenal on penalties following an epic 5-5 draw in the previous round, are expected to be given the nod again at Villa Park.
The Merseyside club are determined to come up with a solution to help ease the strain, as they look to cope with the burden of potentially playing 19 matches from the beginning of January until the second week of January.
Klopp has been frank that if the authorities could not find a workable solution around the clash, that the club would be prepared to forfeit their place in the League Cup, prioritising the Club World Cup over the domestic competition.
“I'm not concerned,” he told the press. “Somebody else has to be concerned because we didn't make the fixture list, we didn't make the schedule. I've said it already, FIFA told us the Club World Cup will be there and we have to come there. We will do.
“The Premier League tells us we have to play in the Premier League, which we do obviously. The Carabao Cup, what we did against Arsenal, if they don't find an appropriate place for us – not 3am on Christmas Day – then we don't play it. They have to make that decision.”
Some reports suggest Liverpool could play their quarter-final fixture at Villa on Wednesday, January 8 - the date the first leg of the semi-finals is due to take place. However, this would of course mean more backlog for the other clubs participating.
Having performed so well this week, the Reds faithful can rely on the likes of young Harvey Elliott, Rhian Brewster and Neco Williams to put up a fight and get a result against Villa.
Liverpool are waiting to see who they will face in the Club World Cup but other teams to feature include Mexican side Monterrey, winners of the CONCACAF Champions League and Espérance de Tunis, winners of the African Champions League.
