Aston Villa's Carabao Cup quarter-final with Liverpool confirmed for original December date

The EFL yesterday announced the tie will take place on Tuesday, December 17 – following speculation it would be moved to the New Year due to the Reds’ participation in the Club World Cup.

Liverpool are due to play the semi-final of that competition in Qatar less than 24 hours later and boss Jurgen Klopp last week claimed they would pull out of the Carabao Cup if a new date could not be found.

But following extended discussions with the league, Liverpool have now requested the Villa match remains on the original date, meaning they will play two competitive matches - on two different continents - in the space of two days.

In a statement, the EFL claimed to have sought assurances the Reds will field a team ‘largely consistent’ with those named in earlier rounds but it appears inevitable a seriously weakened Liverpool team will travel to Villa Park.

The league insists the decision was taken in the best interests of the competition.

A Liverpool statement said: “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.

“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.”

Dave Cookson, the EFL's football services director, said: “The EFL is very aware of the challenges clubs face when participating across numerous competitions at home and abroad, and whilst we will always look to work with clubs our overwhelming priority has to be to protect the integrity of the Carabao Cup and ensure any decisions taken are in the best interests of the competition.

“The EFL has long-acknowledged that this competition provides those clubs with large resources with the opportunity to rotate their squads knowing that teams who wish to be successful have to be prepared to play a large amount of matches over the course of the season.

“Therefore, in these exceptional circumstances the decision was taken having received clear assurances from the club that there will be a level of consistency in team selection, a feature which is key to ensuring integrity is maintained.

“We recognise the challenges Liverpool face in this matter and appreciate the efforts made to find a practical solution. Finally, I would like to wish the club well in representing the English game at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.”