With Liverpool through to the FA Cup quarter-finals, they will now face Man United on March 17, the date originally meant for the Merseyside Derby.
The need to reschedule opens up the possibility of a title-deciding derby in the last week of the season. However, another date is more likely to be selected.
Everton vs. Liverpool will have to move to accommodate the Reds’ FA Cup trip to Old Trafford, and Liverpool’s continued involvement in three competitions has given organisers a fixture headache.
If the Reds were to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, it would mean that they would play on the weekend of April 20, therefore also postponing Liverpool’s Premier League match against Fulham.
As it stands, if the Reds were to play in the Europa League semi-finals, they would have the midweeks of April 23 and May 14, the last week of the season.
This means that, in all likelihood, Liverpool’s match against Everton will move to April 23 or 24, in order to provide clarity for the clubs and supporters.
Though the potentially postponed Fulham match could be played on those dates, the Premier League won’t find out if they will have to move the fixture until March 16, when Liverpool play Man United in the FA Cup.
That would leave less time for preparation.
The Fulham match would then be moved to May 14 or 15, the final week of the season, between matches against Aston Villa and Wolves.
Of course, there exists the possibility that the league decide to put Everton vs. Liverpool in the final week of the season, which creates the potential for a title-deciding derby.
All this becomes far less complicated if Liverpool lose against Man United or fail to reach the Europa League semi-finals, as it would open up extra midweeks to play the rearranged Everton and Fulham games.
I think we all hope, though, that the fixtures continue to come thick and fast as the Reds push for a quadruple.
Liverpool have already ticked off the League Cup this season, and face Sparta Prague in the last 16 of the Europa League.
While they are expected to progress past the Czech champions, several strong sides remain in the competition, who could pose Liverpool real problems if injuries issues don’t begin to clear up quickly.
This is how March currently looks for Liverpool:
Forest (A) – Premier League – Sat, Mar 2, 3pm
Sparta Prague (A) – EL Last 16 First Leg – Thu, Mar 7, 5.45pm
Man City (H) – Premier League – Sun, Mar 10, 3.45pm
Sparta Prague (H) – EL Last 16 Second Leg – Thu, Mar 14, 8pm
Man United (A) – FA Cup Quarter-Final – Sun, Mar 17
International break
Brighton (H) – Premier League – Sun, Mar 31, 2pm
