December 23, (THEWILL) – English Premier League Managers will meet with the Premier League on Thursday to discuss ongoing COVID-19 issues, particularly player welfare, according to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Some games have been postponed on a regular basis due to positive coronavirus testing, but England’s top flight has confirmed that the current festive schedule will not be altered.
On Wednesday, Liverpool won the Carabao Cup on penalties against Leicester, and they have league games on the 26th and 28th of December. In 2022, their schedule will be even more jam-packed, with two semi-final EFL matches against Arsenal on the horizon.
“I don’t just speak about player welfare this year, I have been speaking about it for six years or maybe longer,” Klopp said after the Leicester victory.
“If the things I say would help more, I would say it much more often. But it doesn’t help. The only thing I do with these messages is I create headlines. They never arrive at the right places.
“Tomorrow we have a meeting by 4pm but it’s with the Premier League and not with the EFL, I’m not sure if they are involved or not. I said it before, I would prefer only one semi-final. But I can’t see any kind of changes actually.”
The Carabao Cup semi-finals could be reduced to one leg, as they were last year. In the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup, there will be no replays, and Klopp said that he would rather play one match than two.
“I think it would be better with one game absolutely, but obviously what I say is not too important,” Klopp added.
“If there are two games, then we will play two games. But it would be helpful if there was only one, true. If the draw has us at Arsenal, I’m fine with that – we play there and see who is better and go for it.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
