Liverpool new £80m Anfield Road stand expansion to be open for Manchester United visit

Liverpool will have part of their new Anfield Road upper tier open for the visit of Manchester United next month after an acceleration in the £80million redevelopment.

The Reds had taken the decision last month to keep the new section of the stadium closed until next year

Work on the construction resumed in September under new contractors Raynor Rowen, and has continued at such a rate that Liverpool are now in a position to confirm a phased opening of the new stand

It's understood the club are optimistic around half of the tickets for the upper tier - which will house around 9,500 supporters - will be made available for the visit of United

The opening is subject to an internal emergency conditions test managed in conjunction with Liverpool City Council

Around 3,000 people will be asked to test the upper tier before it can be officially opened and a safety certificate granted.

Tickets will only be put on sale after a successful test event, with Liverpool set to prioritise supporters who had their tickets for the upper tier cancelled last month

In the meantime, work will continue on the Anfield Road stand before the new-look stadium can operate at full capacity, which will be bumped up to 61,000