Tottenham's Carabao Cup Challenge at Anfield
Tottenham travel to Anfield on Tuesday with their Carabao Cup hopes already bruised before a ball has been kicked.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side will be without Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro for the third-round tie against Liverpool, stripping even more experience from a squad already short of rhythm and sharpness after a disrupted pre-season. Richarlison, meanwhile, remains in exile.
Double blow for De Zerbi
Spurs arrive on Merseyside desperate. Back-to-back 0-0 draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton have stalled early optimism, and they have not won at Anfield in 15 years. This was always going to be a test. Now it feels like a trial.
Tonali, signed to anchor the midfield in nights exactly like this, will play no part. De Zerbi confirmed the Italian picked up a minor knock in the goalless draw with Everton and has not recovered in time.
On the right, Porro is again missing. A muscular problem kept him out at the weekend and continues to trouble him, robbing Spurs of one of their main attacking outlets from deep.
There is at least one sliver of good news. Destiny Udogie is back in contention after being left out against Everton as a precaution, and should return to the starting XI to give Spurs some thrust on the left.
Richarlison frozen out
If injuries are hurting De Zerbi, the Richarlison saga is simply awkward.
The Brazilian is eligible to play in the Carabao Cup, but he will not be on the plane to Merseyside. Richarlison made clear his desire to leave in the summer and was subsequently omitted from Tottenham’s Premier League squad. A late move away never materialised, leaving him training but effectively sidelined.
De Zerbi was blunt when asked if anything had changed.
“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,” he said on Monday.
Dejan Kulusevski, a long-term absentee, remains out, further limiting De Zerbi’s options in attack.
Rotation, kids and tired legs
This is a cup tie that arrives at an awkward moment. Spurs need a result to jolt their season, yet De Zerbi knows he cannot run his key players into the ground in September.
Rotation is expected, and the Italian admitted he is weighing up whether to hand minutes to academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett. The teenager is unlikely to start, but De Zerbi hinted that even half an hour at Anfield would be valuable.
“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,” he explained, underlining just how stretched his options are.
Several senior players are also short of full match fitness. Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus are all still playing catch-up, forcing De Zerbi into a delicate balancing act between freshness and quality.
How Spurs could line up
Despite the injury list and fitness concerns, Spurs are still expected to field a strong core, wrapped in careful rotation.
Predicted Tottenham XI vs Liverpool (Carabao Cup)
- 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 on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Anfield. The tie will be shown live on Sky Sports and ITV.
For De Zerbi and Tottenham, it’s more than just a route to the fourth round. It’s a chance to shake off the stalemate, to end a 15-year wait at Anfield, and to prove that even with key names missing, this group can handle the heat of a defining night.
