Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal on Thursday has been postponed because of a “severe outbreak of Covid” at Anfield.
The first leg will now be at Anfield on 13 January and the second at Emirates Stadium on 20 January.
Liverpool had requested the postponement on Tuesday after they temporarily closed their first-team training centre after assistant manager Pep Lijnders became the latest to have to isolate. The EFL said in a statement it had been in “regular dialogue” with the club since then “in an attempt to understand whether the tie could proceed”.
The statement continued: “Significant developments over this period have resulted in the club reporting an ever-increasing number of Covid cases.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Liverpool said their training facilities would be closed for at least 48 hours because of a “rapidly growing number” of coronavirus cases.
Lijnders took charge for Sunday’s Premier League draw at Chelsea, with manager Jurgen Klopp already isolating.
Players Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino missed that game too and three other staff members tested positive.
Liverpool are further stretched by the departure of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for the Africa Cup of Nations that kicks off on Sunday
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