Tottenham Faces Anfield Challenge Without Tonali and Porro
Tottenham head to Anfield tonight chasing both a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and a spark to jolt their season into life. They will have to do it without Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro.
Already short of rhythm after a stuttering, injury-affected pre-season, Spurs have now lost two more key pieces on the eve of one of the most demanding away trips in English football. They have not won at Anfield for 15 years. That run hangs over this tie like a cloud.
Tonali and Porro sidelined
Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Tonali had picked up a minor knock in the draw with Everton, ruling the Italy midfielder out of the cup clash. Porro, meanwhile, is still battling the muscular problem that kept him out at the weekend.
No, Kulusevski not available. Pedro is still not available. Udogie yes. Richarlison, you already know everything, nothing changed for the Carabao Cup or Premier League. The situation is the same,” De Zerbi said on Monday.
The one bright note: Destiny Udogie is back. The left-back was left out against Everton as a precaution but has been passed fit to return, a timely boost for a defence that will be stretched by Liverpool’s pace and movement.
Dejan Kulusevski, though, remains a long-term absentee and will not feature.
Richarlison frozen out
If injuries are hurting Spurs, the Richarlison situation is simply awkward.
The Brazilian is eligible to play in the Carabao Cup but remains completely out of the picture. Having pushed to leave throughout the summer and then failed to secure a move before the window closed, he finds himself in limbo: omitted from the Premier League squad and not considered for cup duty either.
Despite Spurs and Richarlison working on an exit in the final days of the window, no deal materialised. De Zerbi has now made it clear the stance has not shifted. The forward will not travel to Merseyside and, for now, has no route back into the fold.
De Zerbi juggling fitness and rotation
The trip to Anfield comes at a tricky moment. Tottenham have just ground out back-to-back 0-0 draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton, results that did little for confidence or momentum. They badly need a result, but De Zerbi also has to protect tired legs.
He admitted several important players are still short of full match sharpness, including Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus. That reality points to rotation, but not wholesale changes.
Spurs are expected to field a side that blends regular starters with those needing minutes. De Zerbi even floated the possibility of a debut taste of senior action in this competition for academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett.
I don't know, Luca. We have to see because many players need to play. Maybe not 90 minutes, 90 minutes, but 30 minutes a real game is important. Yes, there is not Sandro Tonali. I forgot to say because he felt a knock,” the head coach said, underlining just how many moving parts he is dealing with.
Predicted Tottenham XI
With Tonali and Porro out and Richarlison unavailable, De Zerbi’s options are narrowed but still strong enough to field a competitive side against Liverpool.
Predicted Tottenham XI: Dubravka; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Solanke, Marmoush.
Injured: Simons, Odobert, Kulusevski, Tonali, Porro, Mudryk Unavailable: Richarlison
Kick-off is at 8pm BST tonight at Anfield. The stage is familiar, the odds steep, the squad patched together again. This is exactly the kind of night Tottenham have spent years shrinking from.
Under De Zerbi, are they finally ready to confront it?
