• Klopp will split squad to cope with fixture pile-up next month• Manager says club came under pressure from authoritiesLiverpool will play two cup competitions on two continents in less than 24 hours next month after the EFL agreed to their request to stage the Carabao Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa as originally scheduled. Jürgen Klopp indicated the decision was made under pressure but was the least problematic solution available.
Klopp had threatened to withdraw
Liverpool from the competition over a fixture clash with the Club
World Cup and dismissed the idea of playing different teams in the competitions only on Friday. Liverpool have since requested the game at Villa Park takes place as planned on Tuesday 17 December – the day before their first game of the Club World Cup in Qatar. The EFL announced on Tuesday it had agreed to the proposal to avoid disruption to the semi-final stages, the FA Cup and future
Premier League matches.