Tottenham Faces Injury Crisis Ahead of Anfield Cup Clash
Tottenham head to Anfield tonight chasing a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup – and a first win away to Liverpool in 15 years – with a squad patched together and a key forward still frozen out.
Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro have both been ruled out of the trip, stripping Roberto De Zerbi of two starters on a night when Spurs badly need a jolt after back-to-back 0-0 draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton.
Those stalemates have stalled the early-season optimism. A cup tie under the lights on Merseyside should offer the perfect stage to reset the mood. Instead, it arrives with yet another injury bulletin.
Tonali and Porro sidelined, Udogie returns
De Zerbi confirmed Tonali had taken a minor knock in the draw with Everton and will not be risked, while Porro is still battling the muscular problem that kept him out at the weekend.
“Pedro is still not available,” the Spurs head coach said in his pre-match press conference, adding that Tonali had also dropped out after feeling the issue late on.
There is at least one piece of good news. Destiny Udogie is back in contention after missing the Everton game as a precaution, and is expected to come straight into the side at left-back.
Even with Udogie returning, the picture is far from ideal. A disrupted pre-season has left De Zerbi juggling minutes and managing fatigue across his squad. The latest setbacks only deepen the strain.
Richarlison still in exile
Richarlison’s situation remains unchanged – and stark. Eligible to play in the Carabao Cup, but not selected. Left out of the Premier League squad. Stuck in limbo.
The Brazilian made it clear he wanted to leave in the summer, and Spurs were open to a deal. Player and club worked on an exit in the final days of the window, but nothing materialised. The former Everton striker now watches from the outside as his team-mates head back to his old hunting ground.
“Richarlison, you already know everything, nothing changed for the Carabao Cup or Premier League. The situation is the same,” De Zerbi said. He also confirmed long-term absentee Dejan Kulusevski is still not ready to return: “No, Kulusevski not available.”
For a squad already stretched, it is a bold stance. For Richarlison, it is another night at home while Spurs go into battle without him.
Rotation, kids, and tired legs
Spurs are expected to rotate at Anfield, but De Zerbi’s options are complicated by a string of players short of full sharpness. The Italian admitted Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus are all still building up to peak condition.
That opens the door, at least slightly, for youth.
Academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett could be handed his first real taste of senior football, with De Zerbi hinting at minutes from the bench.
“I don't know, Luca. We have to see because many players need to play,” he said. “Maybe not 90 minutes, but 30 minutes a real game is important.”
The balancing act is obvious: respect the competition, protect key players, and still find a way to punch through at a ground where Tottenham have not won since 2011.
Predicted Tottenham XI
De Zerbi must decide how strong to go, but Spurs are expected to line up close to full strength, with some managed minutes around the edges:
Dubravka; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Solanke, Marmoush.
The injury list remains hefty: Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Kulusevski, Tonali, Porro and Mykhailo Mudryk are all sidelined. Richarlison stays unavailable by choice, not by fitness.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST at Anfield, live on Sky Sports and ITV4. For Tottenham, it is more than just a cup tie. It is a test of depth, resolve and whether this squad can ride out an early-season storm and still land a statement result on one of the hardest nights of the English calendar.
