Liverpool’s preparations for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Accrington Stanley have been disrupted as a result of the wintry weather affecting north-west England.
The reds were in action at the The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur in north London on Wednesday night and hopped on what was expected to be a quick flight back.
The plan was for the players and staff to arrive home that evening, rather than staying in the capital or going on the road and being dropped off in the early hours of Thursday.
But conditions ensured it was not safe to land at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Instead, the flight ended up being diverted to Birmingham, and the party grounds moved back to Merseyside. So it actually ended up being the early hours when the players and staff managed to get home.
The Times has reported that, in light of the travel chaos, Liverpool opted to cancel Thursday’s scheduled practice session, which was expected to be mostly a warm-up. Arne Slot’s team will pick things up again on Friday and hope there will be no lasting effects from the disruption.
Things haven’t gone well for Accrington either, forced to temporarily abandon their training ground this week due to the weather and hold sessions in an indoor facility.
Slot went with a mostly full line-up against Tottenham, making the 1-0 defeat of the Premier League leaders somewhat surprising given the mixed form of the Premier League this season. But now you would expect Slot to spin a lot for the FA Cup draw against League Two opposition.
Accrington’s league form has picked up in 2025, winning both league games since the turn of the calendar year to climb to 19th in the table. They have knocked out sixth-tier Rushall Olympic and Swindon Town from League Two in the FA Cup to reach this stage.
