Liverpool are reported to be pinning the blame on the FA for the administrative error that led to an ineligible player being fielded in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over MK Dons, as they fight to avoid being thrown out of the competition.
The Reds fielded a wildly changed side that saw Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella emerge from the bench for a rare half-hour cameo, and went on to win the tie 2-0 thanks to strikes from James Milner and Ki-Jana Hoever.
Chirivella's involvement was minimal, but may now prove costly for the Premier League leaders, as it became clear in the wake of the victory that the proper paperwork had not been filed for one of the players who featured - and that is now understood to be the 22-year-old.
Having spent the tail end of last season on loan in the Spanish second tier with Extremadura, Liverpool required an international transfer certificate to field him in competitive matches, and applied for one in July according to the Mail.
They hadn't received clearance on time, but after making the mistake of assuming they were all clear and bringing him off the bench, they now face the standard punishment of elimination from the tournament - although that could be downgraded to a fine or just a written warning depending on the results of an investigation by the EFL and the FA.
In an effort to minimise the consequences, they have pinned the blame on the latter, their stance being that two months should have been enough time for the paperwork to have gone through.
The FA, however, will argue that it is the responsibility of the clubs to ensure that all their players are clear to play, and as it stands will accept no responsibility for the error.
Liverpool's official position is that that they are working with authorities to get to the root of the issue, and aren't likely to comment further until a verdict is reached.
"We are working with the relevant authorities in order to establish the facts of the matter and will be making no further comment until this process is complete," a club statement reads.
The Anfield giants are due to host Arsenal in the round of 16 at the end next month, so a decision will have to be reached before that one.
Source :
90min
