Liverpool’s match against Wolves was postponed after the Queen’s death, but with the unforgiving schedule in a World Cup year, when might the game be rescheduled?
The Premier League confirmed on Friday that this weekend’s games will not take place as “a mark of respect” to Queen Elizabeth II.
The decision comes at a cost to those working events this weekend and those who have already spent money to travel and attend games, all during a cost-of-living crisis.
What it does to the match schedule is create a huge headache since the World Cup in November has already condensed the time between one game and the next.
Liverpool, like other teams in Europe, play every week and weekend until the top flight takes a break for the tournament in mid-November, and they are just as stuffy upon their return.
The only clear gap in the schedule to reschedule this round of Premier League matches as soon as possible, at this stage, is the middle of the week of 17/18 January.
For Liverpool, that comes after a trip to Brighton on January 14 and before Chelsea make the trip to Anfield on January 21.
The next free openings without any domestic or European cup games for any Premier League team are the weekdays of February 7/8, April 4/5, May 2/3 and May 23/24.
Participation, or lack thereof, in domestic and European cups could open the door for other weekends and turn-of-the-year weekends to open across the league.
However, Premier League games will also need to be rescheduled for those that reach the League Cup final, quarter-final and FA Cup semi-final.
That doesn’t even cover any other unforeseen circumstances, such as weather forcing other match changes, all leaving the Premier League with serious scheduling problems.
