Tottenham Faces Liverpool in Carabao Cup Clash
Tottenham head to Anfield tonight patched up, short on rhythm and still searching for a spark in a season that has yet to properly ignite.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side arrive in the Carabao Cup on the back of successive 0-0 stalemates against Nottingham Forest and Everton, and with a 15-year winless run at Liverpool hanging over them. The competition offers a clean break from their Premier League frustrations, but the build-up has brought more problems than solutions.
Tonali and Porro ruled out
The headline setback is a double one. Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro will both miss the third-round tie, stripping Spurs of two of their most influential figures in possession.
Tonali picked up a minor knock in the draw with Everton, De Zerbi confirmed, a late issue that has ruled him out of the trip. Porro, meanwhile, continues to struggle with the muscular problem that already kept him out at the weekend. For a squad that endured a disrupted pre-season and has been playing catch-up with fitness ever since, it is another unwelcome twist.
There is at least a sliver of good news. Destiny Udogie is back in contention after sitting out the Everton game as a precaution. De Zerbi name-checked the full-back when running through his options, underlining his importance to the way Spurs build from the back.
Richarlison frozen out
If the injuries are straightforward, the Richarlison situation is anything but.
The Brazilian remains fully eligible to play in the Carabao Cup, yet he will not travel to Merseyside. De Zerbi was blunt: “Richarlison, you already know everything, nothing changed for the Carabao Cup or Premier League. The situation is the same.”
That situation is stark. Having repeatedly pushed to leave Spurs in the summer, Richarlison found himself omitted from the club’s Premier League squad. Player and club tried to engineer a late-window exit, but no move materialised. The former Everton forward is now stuck in limbo, training but not trusted, available but unused.
For a team short of goals and sharpness in the final third, leaving such an experienced striker at home is a clear statement of where the relationship stands.
De Zerbi juggling tired legs
De Zerbi’s selection puzzle goes beyond the headline absentees. He admitted several key players are still short of full match fitness, with Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus among those being carefully managed.
Spurs are expected to rotate at Anfield, but not to the point of fielding a second-string side. The Italian must walk a tightrope: strong enough to compete with Liverpool away, cautious enough to avoid overloading players who are not yet at peak condition.
That balance could open the door for academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett. De Zerbi floated the possibility of giving the youngster some minutes, stressing that even a 30-minute spell in a “real game” could be valuable. The message was clear: this is a night for squad depth to prove it can be trusted.
Predicted XI and the task ahead
Against that backdrop, Spurs are tipped to line up with Martin Dubravka in goal, a back four of Gray, Tosin, Marcos Senesi and Udogie, and a midfield anchored by Rodrigo Bentancur alongside Lucas Bergvall and Gallagher. Kudus and Omar Marmoush are expected to support Dominic Solanke in attack.
They travel without Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Tonali, Porro and Mykhailo Mudryk, all on the injury list, while Richarlison remains unavailable by choice rather than condition.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST at Anfield, under the lights and under pressure. For De Zerbi, this tie is more than a route to the fourth round. It is a chance to snap a barren run, restore belief and prove that, even with a depleted squad and a marquee forward in exile, Tottenham can still turn up at one of English football’s most unforgiving venues and leave with something that changes the mood.
