Liverpool and the English football league have discussed the possibility of Jurgen Klopp fielding two different teams, in two different competitions, in two different time zones on the same night to resolve the club’s fixture chaos.

The most likely night for Liverpool to travel to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-final is January 8, when the first leg of the semi-finals are scheduled to be played. Liverpool are happy to use that date, recognising there is little alternative without serious compromise to the quality of the squad in the last eight.

But during talks with the competition organisers, the possibility of Liverpool playing a team of youngsters at Villa Park on either December 17 or 18 was raised. That would create history as Klopp and his senior team will be in Qatar, where they play the semi-final of the Fifa World Club championships on December 18.

A Liverpool team would have to play a senior fixture either on the same day, or within 24 hours of each other, in different continents.

Klopp made eleven changes to his line-up for the round four victory over Arsenal, but he still included senior stars such as Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita in his line-up. Teenagers Rhian Brewster and Harvey Elliott have also been regular squad members this season and would most likely be part of the travelling party in Qatar.