Liverpool play six games in just 18 days following their trip to Wembley, but an early kick-off time in the Europa League comes as a welcome positive.
The Reds discovered their opponent for the last 16 of the Europa League on Friday, with Sparta Prague now standing between them and a place in the quarter-final.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side will contest the two-legged tie next month, and the date and time of the fixtures have now been confirmed.
Liverpool will make the short trip to the Czech Republic on March 7, with kick-off scheduled for the early time of 5.45pm (GMT).
Anfield will then host the second leg a week later on March 14, with the usual start time of 8pm.
The European tie sits between the trip to Nottingham Forest (March 2) and the visit of Man City (March 10), and thus the early start in Czech Republic is one Klopp and Co. will appreciate:
- Southampton (H) – FA Cup 5th Round – Wed, Feb 28, 8pm
- Forest (A) – Premier League – Sat, Mar 2, 3pm
- Sparta Prague (A) – EL Last 16 First Leg – Thu, Mar 7, 5.45pm
- Man City (H) – Premier League – Sun, Mar 10, 3.45pm
- Sparta Prague (H) – EL Last 16 Second Leg – Thu, Mar 14, 8pm
- Everton (H) / FA Cup Quarter-Final – Sun, Mar 17
With less than three days between the first leg of their last 16 tie and the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side, every hour counts for recovery and preparation for the huge league clash.
Man City themselves will be in action on March 6 as they host the second leg of their Champions League tie against Copenhagen, though a 3-1 advantage could allow Guardiola to look ahead to their Anfield visit.
Klopp will hopefully have a number of players back from injury during this run of fixtures and he will need to manage them accordingly, which he has done so effectively when given the chance.
Avoiding further injuries is paramount as Liverpool look to successfully compete in three different competitions beyond Sunday’s League Cup final and before the March international break.
Notably, Liverpool could also do with progressing in the FA Cup as it would push the clash against Everton to a later date and thus allow for more players to return from the treatment room.
Currently, Klopp has a total of 11 players on the injury list or considered a doubt due to various fitness issues, leaving him to rely on a small group of senior players and a host of youngsters.