Dalglish hits out at 'disgraceful' fixture list ahead of Liverpool's Chelsea and City tests

By Dominic King for the Daily Mail Updated: 16:43 EST, 10 November 2011

Kenny Dalgish says scheduling Liverpool’s Carling Cup quarter-final at Chelsea 48 hours after they play Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League is ‘disgraceful’.

The Liverpool manager is so furious with the demands being placed on his squad that he has threatened to field a team full of youngsters at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool face City at Anfield at 4pm on Sunday, November 27 but the commitments Chelsea have in the Champions League means there is no room for manoeuvre in what is an already overcrowded calendar.

City must also play their Carling Cup tie with Arsenal on the same night.

Do your duty: Kenny Dalglish wants the League to change Liverpool's fixtures

‘It is disgraceful in this day and age that players are being asked to play a key Premier League game and then a League Cup Quarter-final in London just 48 hours later,’ said Dalglish.  

‘It’s understandable with the Spurs v PAOK Salonika match and the TUC rally that the Met Police have said our game cannot be played on the Wednesday. But it’s surely the duty of the football authorities to think of other solutions which consider the welfare of the players?

‘This clearly hasn’t happened. The one thing I will say to our fans is to think carefully before buying tickets for the League Cup game because we do not want them spending their money and then we decide there is no other option but to use only young players.’

Given how much importance the Carling Cup has taken on for the club this year, it is unlikely Dalglish would jeopardise their chances of a trip to Wembley – Liverpool have not played at the national stadium since 1996 – by fielding a weakened team.

At full stretch: Dalglish admits Liverpool's squad will be tested by the two games

But Dalglish has attacked the Premier League and Football League for what he perceives to be damaging inflexibility.

‘It seems totally irresponsible that the quarter-finals are scheduled in the same week as Europa League games,’ he said. ‘If Stoke had beaten us in the last round and were through to face Chelsea then the tie gets rescheduled for another date – it’s as simple as that. 

‘When we ask the Football League to move our game, we’re told it’s impossible.  Where’s the logic in that? If the Football League want to devalue their own competition, that’s up to them.  

‘Both ourselves and Manchester City were happy for the league game to be moved back to the Saturday so we had time to prepare but we were told by the Premier League that this is not possible for TV reasons and just to get on with it.’

Tough 48 hours: Liverpool face Manchester City before travelling to Chelsea

Football League chiefs have defended the scheduling of the tie, insisting there were no alternatives which would not have created other issues.

'The Football League has been engaged in lengthy discussions with clubs, the Premier League and the Metropolitan police regarding the scheduling of the two Carling Cup quarter-final ties due to be played in London in the week commencing November 26,' said a spokesman.

'This followed confirmation that the matches could not be scheduled on the night of Wednesday, November 30 due to the TUC rally taking place in central London that day.

'Despite extensive efforts, no alternative solution could be found that was acceptable to all parties.

'Therefore the only remaining option was to schedule the match during the week reserved for the competition on the only available day.'