Tottenham Faces Liverpool in Carabao Cup Amid Injury Woes

Tottenham travel to Anfield for their Carabao Cup third‑round tie stripped of several big names, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming Sandro Tonali will not feature after picking up a knock.

The 26-year-old midfielder joins a growing absentee list for Tuesday night’s clash with Liverpool, depriving Spurs of one of their key summer arrivals just as the schedule begins to bite.

De Zerbi’s selection headache

Facing the media at Hotspur Way on Monday, De Zerbi ran through a team sheet marked more by who is missing than who is available. Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro are both out, though there was at least one positive update.

“Kulusevski not available, Pedro still not available, Udogie yes. No Sandro Tonali, he felt a knock,” the Spurs head coach said, via football.london, confirming Destiny Udogie’s long-awaited return to the squad.

The list did not stop there. Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons, and Wilson Odobert will also sit out the trip to Merseyside, trimming De Zerbi’s attacking options just as the domestic cup campaign begins.

Then came the inevitable question about Richarlison.

Richarlison situation rumbles on

The Brazilian’s future has hung over Tottenham since the summer, when he made clear his desire to leave. Technically, he could play in the Carabao Cup despite not being registered for Premier League duty. De Zerbi made it clear that theory will not become reality.

“Richarlison, you already know everything, so nothing changes with the Carabao Cup or Premier League,” the Italian said.

He then drew a firm line under the issue.

“I said last press conference. I know what happened in the last 45 days. It’s not right if I explained. It’s not my behavior, the relationship. The problem is between the player and the club. I stay within the club. It’s coach and club together.

“At the start of this season, I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay, and he didn’t want to. I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay.”

So, no Tonali. No Kulusevski. No Porro. No Richarlison. And a cup tie at Anfield looming.

New protagonists up front

With so many absences, De Zerbi turned the spotlight on those who remain. Dominic Solanke is one of them, a striker the manager clearly believes can grow into the role.

“[Dominic] Solanke is a good player. He needs to improve his physical condition and stay positive because he can score many goals with us,” De Zerbi said.

He also pointed to Omar Marmoush and Savio as players who now have a chance to become central figures.

“[Omar] Marmoush and Savio were not the protagonist but that is different here.”

The message was clear: the hierarchy up front is open, and the Carabao Cup could accelerate that reshuffle.

Iraola juggling Liverpool’s load

On the other side, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is fighting a different kind of problem – fatigue. His side are staring at a third game in seven days, and the Spaniard did not hide his frustration with the calendar.

“It’s the third game (in seven days) it’s the worst scenario in terms of schedule, we haven’t been lucky,” he told reporters, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

“After this one we have a little bit more before we play Bournemouth and you noticed the gap between Ipswich and Atletico and Atletico and Fulham. It’s a big difference.”

Iraola knows he cannot simply roll out the same XI every time without consequences.

“We have to get used to it. You can put the same players in every game. The problem is there will be a moment they are really tired, and there is more risk of injury.

“There are players who play every three days and have no issues; they can accept it, and performances don’t change too much. Then there are players where the risk is bigger and the performances are different.

“And we are in a position where I have to learn who is ready to play and who is ready to rest, so their performance level doesn’t drop. I had an idea with some of them, but for some of them it is new as they haven’t played as many games before.”

So Anfield will stage a tie shaped as much by who can stand up to the schedule as by pure talent. Tottenham arrive patched up and without several headline names. Liverpool arrive stretched by the calendar.

The Carabao Cup rarely defines a season, but with so many moving parts, it might reveal exactly how deep – and how resilient – these two squads really are.