NO REPLAYS FOR FA CUP

fixtures in will have a knock-on effect for the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

The FA have agreed to scrap all replays for one season only, even though third and fourth round replays can be lucrative for lower division clubs, as well as often providing big upsets.

But there is a potential row brewing with the EFL because top clubs have major concerns about the Carabao Cup.

Premier League teams in the Champions League and Europa League have been threatening to pull out of the Carabao Cup if they cannot field under-23 teams in the competition.

They insist there won’t be enough room in the fixture calendar next season for their senior teams to play European games and the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool fielded a largely under-23 team in the Carabao Cup at Aston Villa in December – losing 5-0 – while the first team squad travelled to Qatar to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.

A revolt would cause a major issue over sponsorship and television rights, with much of the Carabao Cup revenue helping to fund the football pyramid.

The new start date on September 12 is also a potential headache for Manchester City, Chelsea, Wolves and Manchester United, who are still in Europe with the Champions League and Europa League finals on August 23 and 21.

The vote on five substitutes cannot be made until the Championship play-offs are resolved, while some Premier League clubs are also pushing for improvements and clarity on VAR for next season.

The Premier League will also ask the FA not to increase the home-grown quota of a maximum of eight squad players during their negotiations over Brexit.