Former defender Stephen Warnock has warned Liverpool could come to rue its Premier League meeting against Everton being rearranged.

The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was originally scheduled to be played at the beginning of December but had to be postponed due to the adverse weather conditions created by Storm Darragh.

As a result, Liverpool will now squeeze the fixture in next week in between the FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle on 9 February and the home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 16 February.

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The rearranged derby - now taking place on 12 February - adds another fixture to the Reds’ condensed calendar and removes one of the two free weeks Arne Slot’s side earned from avoiding the Champions League play-offs.

Everton was also struggling at the time of the original fixture and didn’t win any of its Premier League matches between mid-December and early January, resulting in Sean Dyche’s sacking. Now, things look very different and the Toffees’ season has been transformed under David Moyes.

Everton lost its first game following the Scotsman’s return but has since won the last three matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City. The Toffees won the latter 4-0 and now sit nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Therefore, Warnock thinks Liverpool could come to regret the timing of the game.

“Liverpool will now look back and wish they had played that game against Everton previously,” the former full-back told BBC Sport. “Now, they have to face David Moyes. He knows how to set his team up for a derby and they are in good form now.”

The Reds’ February schedule could be increased further this week should it beat Spurs in the Carabao Cup semi-final, which would mean the Premier League trip to Aston Villa - originally scheduled for 15 March - would be moved to 19 February.

As for the derby, Liverpool has tended to enjoy its trips across Stanley Park in recent years but was beaten last season when Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in a 2-0 win for Everton. Prior to that, it had to go back to 2010 for its last home win over Liverpool.

Another defeat would impact Liverpool’s title hopes, even if it moved nine points clear at the top of the table thanks to a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. It looks like only injuries or fatigue could impact Liverpool’s chances at this stage, something which will only increase with the intense fixture pile-up.