liverpool face the bizarre scenario of having to wait a month for their fa cup quarter final replay with blackburn rovers following sunday's goalless draw at anfield uefa regulations preventing domestic games from clashing with champions league or europa league fixtures have ruled out any chance of staging it in the next fortnight, and that is followed by an international break cup replays no longer take priority over league fixtures so liverpool’s game at swansea next monday – which is being televised live on sky – will go ahead as planned, and the fa have agreed with the premier league and football league for brendan rodgers’ side to meet blackburn at ewood park on april 7 or 8 liverpool manager brendan rodgers is relieved to be playing their fa cup replay blackburn in april  raheem sterling leaps over the challenge during the goalless draw in the fa cup quarter final at anfield  bradford ad reading also fought out a 0 0 draw on saturday but have been forced to replay 48hours later  the unusual situation follows complaints from reading manager steve clarke and bradford’s phil parkinson on saturday about having to stage their replay at the madejski stadium next monday – 48 hours after both clubs are in league action – as they chase a place at wembley in the semi finals liverpool boss rodgers admitted that he would rather wait a month than be in their shoes ‘i believe the replay is early april, the 7th or 8th,’ said rodgers ‘it is certainly not what it is for reading and bradford that is unbelievable i feel for them, having to play saturday and again on monday it is incredible it’s unfair for both clubs with so much at stake i feel sorry for parky and for steve and for the players’ blackburn are already scheduled to play leeds on easter saturday and millwall on bank holiday monday, but it is understood that the second of those games is likely to be postponed so the championship side can play liverpool on the tuesday or wednesday steven gerrard (left) watched from the stands with ex team mate and sportsmail columnist jamie carragher  gerrard did not play for liverpool due to injury but the supporters are desperate to get him to wembley  manager gary bowyer is not concerned over the one month wait, saying: ‘our lads will need that long to recover, the amount they have run they worked ever so hard and every one of them put a shift in ‘our chances will be the same in the replay we might have one or two bac because we’re down to the bare bones’ bowyer warned liverpool that they will face a very different playing surface at ewood, adding: ‘our players were pleasantly delighted to see so much grass on the pitch at anfield ‘brendan was complaining about the pitch here wait until he sees ewood it makes this look like wembley’ martin skrtel was knocked unconscious after falling awkwardly following a challenge with rudy gestede  kolo toure replaced skrtel and could have won the game but for his header being denied by the post  liverpool suffered an injury scare on sunday when martin skrtel was knocked out after landing awkwardly in the second minute and was carried off following lengthy treatment on the pitch rodgers said: ‘martin skrtel is fine but he will go to the local hospital to make sure if he had his choice, he wouldn’t but we have to follow procedure ‘he could have played on but you have to listen to the medical team and the experts and he is fine in the changing room he was walking and talking after the game but as a precaution we need to make sure he is okay’ liverpool had a goal ruled out by skrtel’s replacement kolo toure, who also hit a post in the second half, as they struggled to break down stubborn opponents who went close through craig conway and alex baptiste blackburn manager gary bowyer doesn't think liverpool are going to enjoy playing on the ewood park pitch  misfiring mario balotelli was branded a waste of space by former liverpool defender mark lawreson  former liverpool defender and bbc pundit mark lawrenson launched a fierce attack on mario balotelli, who came on as a substitute for lazar markovic speaking on radio 5live, lawrenson said: ‘forget about mario balotelli he is an absolute waste of time he shouldn’t be anywhere near this team ‘i can see why brendan rodgers threw him on today as he might just create something, but 99 times out of 100 he will let you down’
liverpool blackburn fa cup quarter anfield april 7 uefa bradford 48hours later mario balotelli mark lawrenson
liverpool drew 0 0 with blackburn in fa cup quarter final at anfield . replay has been scheduled for april 7 or 8 to meet uefa regulations . reading and bradford have been forced to stage their replay 48hours later . mario balotelli has been branded a 'waste of space' by mark lawrenson . click here for all the latest liverpool news 