TV broadcasters are facing a scheduling headache in the wake of the FA Cup quarter-final draw.
Following the fifth-round clashes – which saw the likes of Man City and Aston Villa proceed to the next round – the draw was made on Sunday afternoon.
However, all four of the quarter-final matches are due to be shown live on the weekend of Saturday, March 29 – with the FA unable to schedule them on Sunday.
This is due to the packed Premier League fixture schedule which will see teams in action on Tuesday, April 1, Wednesday, April 2, Thursday, April 3.
The English top-flight fixtures for April were recently confirmed by the Premier League, however they left no room for movement in regard to the FA Cup draw.
As it stands, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Fulham are all scheduled to play in the league on Tuesday night – despite featuring in the FA Cup ties on Saturday afternoon.
Broadcasters are facing a scheduling headache in the wake of the FA Cup quarter-final draw
Aston Villa are among three teams set to play twice in the space of just four days in April
The current situation marks a logistical nightmare for Premier League fixture-makers and TV bosses – with both Sky and TNT Sports set to show the midweek games.
Should the FA or the Premier League look to rearrange any of the fixtures, it could leave the broadcasters in a difficult situation – with their TV ratings needing to be considered.
The draw took place after an extra-time clash between Man United and Fulham at Old Trafford, where penalty shootout misses from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee led to the Red Devils’ exit from the tournament.
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Brighton are also through after an astonishing showdown against Newcastle at St James Park, which included all elements fans adore, such as red cards, stoppage-time and late winners.
Danny Welbeck scored a dramatic winner in the 114th minute after he appeared as a substitute just before the start of the extra-time.
The fifth round will also be remembered for several controversies in Bournemouth’s victory over Wolves, which included Matheus Cunha’s dismissal and the Cherries’ goal being ruled out after an eight-minute VAR check.
Additionally, Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Millwall on Saturday was overshadowed by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s horror challenge on Liam Roberts, which left the striker requiring stitches after a trip to the hospital.
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