Breaking: Carabao Cup semi-final postponed

Breaking: Carabao Cup semi-final postponed.

BREAKING NEWS – The Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Arsenal has been postponed. The announcement comes hours after Liverpool looked set to be without a manager on the touchline following assistant manager Pep Lijnders’ positive Covid test.
The tie was due to take place on Thursday, January 6, however, due to a Covid outbreak at the Anfield club, the fixture has been cancelled and will now be switched to January 13.
Liverpool FC confirmed the news, writing: “Our Carabao Cup semi-final, first-leg fixture with Arsenal on Thursday has been postponed.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to the EFL and Arsenal for their understanding, as well as supporters of both clubs, as we continue to navigate through this challenging period.”
The EFL accepted Liverpool’s request and agreed to switch the order of the ties.
“Having now fully reviewed the circumstances involved, the League has accepted Liverpool’s request after determining, albeit reluctantly, that a postponement was the only option as the club looks to mitigate against the further risk of infection amongst its squad and staff alongside ensuring public health was protected by not travelling from Liverpool to London,” read the EFL’s statement.
“As a result of the postponement, the order of the ties has now changed with the first of the two legs to take place at Anfield on 13 January 2022 at 7.45 pm.
“The rearranged game (now the 2nd leg) is scheduled to be played at the Emirates on 20 January 2022 at 7.45 pm.”
The latest round of testing at the Merseyside club on Tuesday, January 4 returned a significant number of positives, including Pepijn Lijnders, who was due to take charge of the Reds at Emirates Stadium.
The outbreak has left Liverpool without a sufficient number of players and staff to fulfil the contest as originally scheduled.
This latest Covid outbreak at the Premier League club forced Alisson, Firmino and Joel Matip to self-isolate after registering positive tests. The club were already without Thiago Alcantara, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Nat Phillips and Harvey Elliott through injury while Naby Keita, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah flew out to Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations following Liverpool’s game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, January 2.

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