Jurgen Klopp Threatens Carabao Cup Forfeit Amid Liverpool Fixture Congestion

Jurgen Klopp has threatened to pull Liverpool from the Carabao Cup if an appropriate date is not found for their quarter-final fixture in December. 

Liverpool advanced to the last eight with a penalty-shootout victory over Arsenal on Wednesday after an entertaining 5-5 draw at Anfield:

They were drawn away to Aston Villa:

Already, though, a fixture clash seems inevitable, as the next round of the Carabao Cup is scheduled for the week commencing December 16, but Liverpool's FIFA Club World Cup semi-final is set to take place in Qatar on December 18.

The Christmas period is notoriously busy, and the Reds are already scheduled to face Leicester City on Boxing Day, Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 29 and Sheffield United on January 2 in the Premier League. 

Klopp has made it clear that if an appropriate date is not found for Liverpool's Carabao Cup tie, they will forfeit the competition, per the Daily Mail's Dominic King:

"I'm not concerned—somebody else has to be concerned because we didn't make the fixture list, we didn't make the schedule. I've said it already, FIFA told us the Club World Cup will be there, and we have to come there. We will do.

"The Premier League tells us we have to play in the Premier League, which we do obviously. The Carabao Cup, what we did against Arsenal, if they don't find an appropriate place for us—not 3 a.m. on Christmas Day—then we don't play it. They have to make that decision.

"You have to think about these things. If you have a fixture list where one team cannot be part of all the games, then you have to think about the fixture list. Hopefully it starts now. I really think that's fair and this problem is obvious now."

Klopp made 11 changes from Sunday's Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur for Wednesday's visit of Arsenal.

Liverpool looked to be heading out of the tournament when they were 5-4 down after 90 minutes, but Divock Origi's stoppage-time equaliser forced penalties:

James Milner, Adam Lallana, Rhian Brewster, Origi and Curtis Jones all found the net from the spot for the hosts, and Dani Ceballos' miss meant Arsenal were knocked out of the competition.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk should all return to the side for Saturday's visit to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

League-leading Liverpool are six points clear of second-place Manchester City, whom they play on November 10.