The Liverpool manager is frustrated with the way in which the movement of his side’s tie with Capital One Cup finalists Swansea City has been handled

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has blasted the Premier League for their “bemusing” handling of their fixture with Swansea City on Sunday.

The Swans’ participation in the Capital One Cup final on February 24 against Bradford City clashed with the initial date for the fixture and the game has been brought forward as a result.

However, Rodgers, who has seen his side take on both West Brom and Zenit St Petersburg in the space of four days, feels that a third fixture within a week is too much for his players.

“I was very disappointed with the Premier League to be honest,” the Reds boss told reporters.

“To put it in on a week when we have played on a Monday and played on a Thursday in an away trip to Russia, and put it in between that and another important European game on Thursday … I think it is another example of the Premier League in this country not helping teams whatsoever.

“I think every other country in Europe will always try to help their teams – some of them will play on a Friday before a European game – so for us to have it thrown in there when there were other free weeks was bemusing to say the least.”

Liverpool are 12 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the race for Champions League qualification and Rodgers admitted that his side “may not be good enough” to close the gap and return to the top four for the first time since 2008-09.

“We may not be just good enough at the end of the day,” the Northern Irishman conceded. “We have some top players here and some world-class players but it might not be this year for us that we can make that jump.

“But certainly, what we will do in every game is give everything and like we have seen in the last two games, in terms of the work rate, intensity and effort the players are putting in, I can’t ask for any more.”