Inside Elland Road: Defensive solidity is vital for Leeds Utd
The Premier League has cited the impact of expanded European competitions on player welfare after granting a request to move one of Leeds United’s December fixtures.
In a statement the league confirmed Crystal Palace’s request to move their game against the Whites had been granted. The Elland Road clash was due to take place on Sunday December 21 at 2pm. It will now take place a day earlier and kick off at 8pm, giving Palace more time to recover before their Tuesday December 23 Carabao Cup meeting with Arsenal.
But a Premier League spokesperson pointed at the Eagles’ European schedule. They will take on KuPS Kuopio in the Europa Conference League on the Thursday prior to their meeting with Leeds. A statement said: “This confirms the movement of the Everton v Arsenal and Leeds United v Crystal Palace fixtures from 14:00 on Sunday 21 December, to 20:00 on Saturday 20 December. 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.
“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 co-operation in accommodating these changes. Both matches will remain live on Sky Sports.”
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