’Pool facing fixtures nightmare

AS Liverpool await their Champions League fate, the prospect of a nightmare fixture pile-up before the season has even started faces the European Cup winners.

And it could see them playing the prestigious European Super Cup final and the second leg of a Champions League third qualifying round tie inside four days.

It has emerged that the English FA are not pressing UEFA to allow Liverpool into the group stages of next season’s Champions League, and are only concerned with getting the Anfield club back into the competition as holders.