Liverpool will now have to fit a Goodison derby into their hectic schedule this season

Local bragging rights will have to remain unclaimed for a while. And now the focus will be on when Liverpool’s final Goodison League derby can be squeezed into an already hectic schedule.

Storm Darragh scuppered the scheduled 245th staging of the game on Saturday lunchtime as it would be the Reds’ 120th and, barring an FA Cup tie between the teams, their final trip through Stanley Park to face their neighbours to compete.

The game was to be the Reds’ fifth in a series of 12 games in 43 days as their League Cup and Champions League hopes took shape and their fight for the Premier League title was put to the test.

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Now the game has to be rearranged, which is set to be a busy season for Liverpool, who unlike Everton have European commitments and are still playing in the League Cup.

There is certainly no chance of the game being played this month as all the slots are filled during the week. And the possibility of Liverpool winning in the League Cup quarter-finals at Southampton on December 18 means it is unlikely that the Goodison clash will be tentatively scheduled for either midweek – the second week in January and the first in February When the two games meet the semi-finals are to be played.

With midweek Premier League games taking place in early January and Liverpool playing their final two Champions League games at home against Lille and away at PSV Eindhoven, February is the earliest month in which travel to Goodison can be arranged.

Even then, there are caveats. Should Liverpool qualify directly for the round of 16 of the Champions League, as is likely, there would be no need to negotiate a play-off round. The weekday dates for the two games in the play-off round – the weeks starting February 10th and February 17th – would then be free for the derby to take place.

But if Liverpool only find out their European fate in the final group game at the end of January, there won’t be much time to plan the game and adequately warn fans. The availability of further midweeks later in the season would depend on how far the Reds progress in the Champions League.

While there is a strong chance that the final Goodison derby will be played in midweek, there is a chance that this will not be the case. Should Liverpool and Everton both exit the FA Cup early, they could face each other over the same weekend, with the fourth round (Saturday 8 February), fifth round (Saturday 1 March) and quarter-finals (Saturday 29). March) all Premier League weekends would be free.

However, given that both teams face lower league opponents at home in the third round, they are both unlikely to be eliminated, making March the earliest of the potentially available weekends.

Regardless, the hectic schedule means it will likely be a long time before Liverpool and Everton can compete again. And with April’s Anfield clash taking place midweek, it means there could be the unusual prospect of two league derbies this season.