Top 7 Premier League Sides Could Miss Next Season's Carabao Cup Due to European Fixture Pile-Up

The Premier League sides who secure a European berth this season could be exempt from the 2020/21 Carabao Cup due to the fixture pile-up that the delaying of next season will bring.

With top flight football going through a lengthy hiatus, the start of the next Premier League season is set for a late start - 18 September - which now could have ramifications for certain clubs' involvement in other competitions.

As per The Times, one such likelihood is that the sides finishing in the top seven spots in the Premier League will not feature in the Carabao Cup, given their overloaded fixture lists.

Champions League and Europa League dates were recently confirmed by UEFA, and two of those rounds will likely clash with the competition, thus ruling out the English sides who are taking part in Europe.

At present, the EFL is exploring the possibilities around integrating the top English sides in the competition, although it looks 'certain' that the Carabao Cup will be played without some of the Premier League's big hitters next term.

A compensation rescue package from the Premier League worth £250m could be secured by the EFL for the sides' non-involvement, while the more drastic measure of scrapping the competition entirely is also being mooted, but unlikely, as it would have serious financial implications for sides across the EFL.

As seen with Liverpool's decision to field a youth team in the FA Cup this season due to their involvement in the Club World Cup, this is also seen as a potential option. However, it may prove controversial as it would question the integrity of the competition entirely.

One of the growing fears among the EFL is a Premier League boycott of the competition from some of the division's biggest clubs, as those competing in Europe may opt to focus their attentions elsewhere.

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