Palace face four games in eight days

Crystal Palace are set to play four matches in eight days because of a fixture pile-up caused by reaching the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Palace won 3-0 at Liverpool on Wednesday to earn a place in the last eight, where they have been drawn away to Arsenal in the week beginning 15 December.

Palace host Manchester City in the Premier League on 14 December, play KuPS at home in the Conference League on 18 December and travel to Leeds in the Premier League on 21 December.

They will most likely play the EFL Cup tie on 16 December.

The EFL is in discussions with stakeholders and clubs, but there is no other midweek slot for the match.

Arsenal will get an additional day's rest, as their Premier League game at home to Wolves is set for 13 December.

Oliver Glasner's Palace, who lost 1-0 at Arsenal on Sunday, have commitments in the Premier League and the Conference League every midweek until Christmas, and January also has no empty slots.

There is a midweek round of Premier League fixtures until 6 January, with the first legs of the EFL Cup semi-finals taking place during the week of 13 January.

They are followed by the final two rounds of the Champions League, with the second legs of the EFL Cup ties in the week beginning 2 February.

The fixture congestion is complicated by Palace drawing Arsenal, who will be playing in the Champions League on those midweek evenings in January.

There is little chance the Premier League would move two matches to facilitate the EFL Cup tie being played on a weekend.

In 2019 Liverpool fielded different teams in the EFL Cup and the Club World Cup within 24 hours.

A young side lost 5-0 to Aston Villa before a senior team beat Monterrey 2-1 to reach the final of the Club World Cup.

In 2020 Spurs were due to play Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup and Shkendija in a Europa League qualifier within 48 hours.

However, Spurs were given an EFL Cup walkover after several Orient players tested positive for Covid-19 and the game was called off.