Everton have been forced to move their Carabao Cup third-round match against Wolves just nine days before it was due to take place. The fixture, initially set for 9 September, had to be postponed by a week.
The initial date was chosen to avoid overlapping with a Liverpool home tie, but UEFA subsequently scheduled Liverpool's Champions League match against Atletico Madrid at Anfield for the exact same night. Merseyside Police prohibit both Everton and Liverpool from playing home matches on the same evening.
Although the EFL appealed to UEFA to alter the European fixture date, the request was rejected because UEFA matches take precedence. Consequently, the Everton versus Wolves game was shifted to 16 September.
This alteration created a cascading effect on other fixtures, including Wolverhampton Wanderers' Championship match against Portsmouth. The EFL apologised for the short notice, citing frustration over UEFA's lack of cooperation.
