Preston North End set to host Liverpool friendly with potential impact on their Championship schedule

According to reports from the Daily Mail, Jurgen Klopp’s side have asked the Lilywhites to use their ground to stage a pre-season friendly, meaning PNE have requested that the EFL begin their Championship campaign on the road.

The Lancashire Post approached North End for comment on the reports but at this stage did not want to.

The date for the friendly is suggested to be Monday August 7, just two days after the Championship is due to get underway on the Saturday. Whilst two games in a matter of days is not ideal, it is not impossible that North End could deal with the quickfire doubling up of games. The issue then however is the first round of the Carabao Cup, which takes place that midweek.

It could be, if Preston are at home to open the Championship and host the friendly, that there are three games played on the Deepdale surface in just four days.

The Reds are currently unable to play home games in Merseyside due to construction and renovation work currently underway at Anfield, adding in 7,000 extra seats, costing £80m.

It is not uncommon for clubs to make certain requests to the EFL leading up to the release of the fixtures later this month and it is understood that North End have done so to try to alleviate the heavy footfall on their home pitch.

From a PNE point of view however, it could be seen as a way to generate funds that could then be reinvested into the football side of the club.

Speaking before the end of the season, boss Ryan Lowe spoke about the club’s intent to secure further funding to help them push for the play-offs next season.

He said: “No player is for sale. None at all. Generating funds will be in a different way, that's what Peter Ridsdale (director) and the gang will look to try and do. But we will try and generate, try and get as much as we can.

"Down to small things like sponsorship and things like that, everything that can help us get what we want and those are the conversations we've already started having.”