(Reuters) -The Premier League has agreed to rejig the calendar to avoid league leaders Arsenal and Crystal Palace playing two games in three days including their League Cup quarter-final clash.
With both London clubs also juggling European commitments -- Arsenal in the Champions League and Palace in the Conference League -- fixture congestion created a player welfare headache.
Last week, the English Football League said the League Cup was being undermined by fixture congestion due to expanded European cup competitions when they confirmed Palace's quarter-final with Arsenal would be played on December 23.
The Premier League then announced on Tuesday that the Everton v Arsenal and Leeds United v Palace fixtures have been moved from December 21 to December 20 (Saturday), giving both teams breathing room before their cup meeting.
"Player welfare is a priority for the Premier League, and we have therefore granted requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their respective fixtures," the Premier League said in a statement.
"This comes after the scheduling of matches from other competitions around Premier League fixtures without adequate player recovery time.
"This is also further evidence of the impact the expanded UEFA competitions have on the domestic fixture calendar. The League would like to thank Leeds United and Everton for their cooperation in accommodating these changes."
MINIMUM OF 72 HOURS' REST
Arsenal had argued that playing two games within a 48-hour period would have contravened FIFA's recommendations, which advocate for a minimum of 72 hours' rest between games.
"This recommendation is in place to protect player health and fitness. Recovery time between matches is especially important during busy periods of the season, such as December," Arsenal said.
Arsenal rejected the chance to play the quarter-final on Christmas Eve as it would have affected their fans and workforce.
That option had also been ruled out after talks with the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London, who cited limited public transport services.
ARSENAL FIXTURES
December 20: Everton (away) - Premier League
December 23: Crystal Palace (home) - League Cup
December 27: Brighton & Hove Albion (home) - Premier League
December 30: Aston Villa (home) - Premier League
CRYSTAL PALACE FIXTURES
December 20: Leeds United (away) - Premier League
December 23: Arsenal (away) - League Cup
December 28: Tottenham Hotspur (home) - Premier League
January 1: Fulham (home) - Premier League
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
