Carabao Cup: Liverpool and Arsenal Thursday semi-final fixture postponed.
Liverpool’s request to postpone the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal has been granted but Jurgen Klopp’s team will lose the advantage of concluding the tie in front of their own fans at Anfield.
A worsening outbreak of Covid-19 at Liverpool, which has forced coach Jurgen Klopp, his assistant Pep Lijnders and a number of players into isolation, prompted the Reds to ask for the game to be called off.
That request has now been granted, with the first leg now to take place on January 13, with the second leg a week later. Lijnders joins Klopp in isolation as Liverpool push for Arsenal postponement.
Earlier in the day, the Reds confirmed their AXA Training Centre had been shut down due to more positive cases.
Their earlier statement read: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm the first-team training facilities at AXA Training Centre have been temporarily closed due to a rapidly growing number of suspected positive COVID-19 cases.
“The Reds acted to suspend operations within the facility today after the latest round of testing revealed multiple new suspected positives.
“The decision was made after consultation with the relevant Public Health authority.
“The new cases are in addition to those recorded on Monday and Tuesday morning.
“Among the multiple players and staff who tested positive in the latest round was Pepijn Lijnders, resulting in the cancellation of the pre-Arsenal press conference he had been due to host this morning.”
Liverpool’s next fixture against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Sunday could also be in doubt, though Klopp should be out of isolation in time if the game goes ahead.
