The Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Arsenal has been postponed due to rising COVID-19 cases within the Merseyside club.

Assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, who has been filling in for Jurgen Klopp while he is in isolation after contracting COVID, has also returned a suspected positive test, the club said.

Liverpool had requested that the match – originally scheduled for Thursday – be postponed.

The EFL accepted Liverpool’s request and agreed to switch the order of the ties.

“Having now fully reviewed the circumstances involved, the League has accepted Liverpool’s request after determining, albeit reluctantly, that a postponement was the only option as the club looks to mitigate against the further risk of infection amongst its squad and staff alongside ensuring public health was protected by not travelling from Liverpool to London,” read the EFL’s statement.

“As a result of the postponement the order of the ties has now changed with the first of the two legs to take place at Anfield on 13 January 2022 at 7.45pm.

“The rearranged game (now the 2nd leg) is scheduled to be played at the Emirates on 20 January 2022 at 7.45pm.”

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An initial request for a postponement was made on Tuesday after the latest round of testing found more cases among first-team players.

Klopp and three players – Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip – were forced to miss Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea after testing positive.

Liverpool initially cancelled training on Tuesday before making their application to the EFL.

A pre-match press conference with Lijnders was also called off and the club was advised by public health officials to shut down the first-team training centre at their Kirkby base for at least 48 hours.

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