A fixture change currently leaves Liverpool at a disadvantage vs Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final later this month. It’s one Jurgen Klopp must be smart about.
The Premier League announced on Saturday that Liverpool’s clash with Luton Town later this month has been rescheduled for Wednesday 21st February. The game was always going to be rescheduled as it was set to be played the weekend of the Carabao Cup final.
Thus both Chelsea and Liverpool needed their fixtures that weekend shifted to new dates. We now know that the Reds will have just four days rest ahead of the final – down from the eight days they were set for.
Strangely, Chelsea’s fixture against Tottenham Hotspur is yet to be rearranged. The fact it hasn’t simply been put on the same week as Liverpool vs Luton suggests it won’t be put that week.
It could be down to European football, with UEFA fixtures happening the week of the 19th. The Premier League don’t like scheduling games up against European competition but Liverpool’s packed fixture list leaves few dates open.
Neither Chelsea nor Spurs are involved in European football this season, however. It could well be that they’ll be placed on a Monday or Friday in a week of European games, keeping them out of the way of UEFA but taking advantage of their open weeks.
What this does all tell us, though, is that Liverpool currently hold a disadvantage going into the Carabao Cup final. They’ll have just four days of rest before the game, compared to Chelsea’s full week.
And while Luton are a team Liverpool will expect to beat, they’re also a team that took a point off the Reds earlier this season. Jurgen Klopp will have to be smart with his rotation, putting out a team that can comfortably beat the Hatters while also resting enough for the final.
