ARSENAL’S League Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool has been postponed after a significant Covid outbreak at the Merseyside club.
Jurgen Klopp’s side yesterday appealed to the EFL for the match to be called off following a surge in cases.
The German is currently self-isolating and missed Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
Klopp’s No2 Pep Lijnders was on the touchline at Stamford Bridge.
But he will now also be missing after testing positive himself.
And as many as FOURTEEN new cases are understood to have emerged within the club.
Liverpool confirmed earlier today that the club’s training ground at Kirkby had been closed for the next 48 hours as a result of the outbreak which saw more players and assistant boss Lijnders joining Klopp, Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino on the ‘positive’ list.
That confirmed the expected EFL decision to call off the game after Liverpool asked for a postponement yesterday.
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But while the two legs have now both been pushed back a week, Arsenal fans who had already bought travel and hotel accommodation for next Thursday’s planned game will NOT be out of pocket.
Both clubs have agreed to a reversal of the fixtures as they were drawn.
It means the first leg will be played at Anfield next Thursday – the scheduled date and venue for the second match – while the return will go ahead at the Emirates on January 20.
An EFL spokesperson confirmed: “The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool scheduled for Thursday 6 January 2022 has been postponed following a formal request by Liverpool due to a severe outbreak of COVID infections amongst their management and playing staff.
“The EFL has been in regular dialogue with the Club over the past 48 hours in an attempt to understand whether the tie could proceed but significant developments over this period have resulted in the Club reporting an ever-increasing number of COVID cases.
“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.
“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 7.45pm.
“The rearranged game (now the 2nd leg) is scheduled to be played at the Emirates on 20 January 2022 at 7.45pm.”
A Liverpool club statement from yesterday read: “The Reds have formally requested to the EFL that the fixture is rescheduled after further suspected positive tests were registered among players and staff, allied to other factors impacting selection, including illness and injury.
“Among the considerations which led to today’s application to the EFL is the need for travelling supporters to be given as much notice as possible of any potential postponement.
“With no prospect of the current situation improving ahead of Thursday’s fixture and the potential for it to worsen, the club considers it both prudent and reasonable to ask for the fixture to be rescheduled.”
Liverpool’s FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury on Sunday is also in severe doubt.
As well as Klopp, Mikel Arteta also missed his side’s weekend fixture due to Covid-19.
Although the Spaniard has since recovered and was in line to return to the touchline against the Reds.
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