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 as they continued to deal with fallout of the Buckingham Group, the initial contractors of the project, going into administration in August.

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, subject to a test event and safety certificate.

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It's understood the club are optimistic around half of the tickets for the upper tier - which will house around 9,000 supporters - will be made available for the visit of bitter North West rivals United on Sunday, December 17.

Liverpool's subsequent three home games - the League Cup quarter-final against West Ham United on December 20, the Premier League visit of Arsenal three days later and the New Year's Day clash with Newcastle United - will also see the new section of the stadium partially used.

The opening is subject to an internal emergency conditions test managed in conjunction with Liverpool City Council along with a public test event, which is expected to take place during the week before the United match. 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