Everton’s Carabao Cup tie with Wolves moved from 9 September to 16 September at short notice

Everton have been forced to reschedule their Carabao Cup third-round tie against Wolves, originally due on Wednesday 9 September, to the following week on 16 September after late fixture changes. The decision was announced nine days before the match and follows the release of UEFA’s Champions League schedule.

Everton reached the third round after a 4-0 victory over Preston in the EFL Cup second round. The 9 September date had been chosen to avoid a clash with Liverpool’s home cup tie, which was scheduled for 16 September after being selected for a Sky Sports broadcast slot.

Wolves’ league calendar showed Championship fixtures on 13 and 20 September while Everton have Premier League matches on 12 and 19 September, prompting the EFL to seek the week before as the most convenient date for the cup meeting. That arrangement was intended to minimise overlap between the clubs’ domestic commitments.

When UEFA published its Champions League fixtures on Saturday it confirmed Liverpool would start their European campaign against Atletico Madrid at Anfield on 9 September. Merseyside Police do not allow both Liverpool and Everton to play at home on the same night, creating a direct scheduling conflict for the weekend in question.

The EFL appealed to UEFA to move the Liverpool game but the appeal was rejected because European fixtures take precedence. As a result, the Everton v Wolves Carabao Cup tie will now take place on 16 September and Liverpool’s third-round tie with Tottenham has been shifted from Wednesday to Tuesday.

The rearrangement has produced a further knock-on effect: Wolves’ Championship match against Portsmouth has been moved to after the first international break, to 20 October, instead of taking place in September. The EFL apologised for the late changes, saying it had been left with "no option" and describing UEFA's "unwillingness to co-operate" as "frustrating".

The rescheduled last-32 tie between Everton and Wolves is now confirmed for 16 September, with the associated changes to Liverpool and Wolves’ fixtures reflected in the updated EFL calendar.