Tottenham's Injury Woes Ahead of Carabao Cup Clash at Anfield
Tottenham face a daunting Carabao Cup trip to Anfield on Tuesday night with a threadbare squad, fresh injuries and a high‑profile exile still frozen out.
Roberto De Zerbi will be without Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro for the third-round tie against Liverpool, stripping even more experience from a group already short of rhythm after a disjointed pre-season. Richarlison, meanwhile, remains in limbo and will not travel despite being eligible for the competition.
Double blow for depleted Spurs
Tottenham head to Merseyside desperate for a spark. Back-to-back 0-0 draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton have stalled early momentum, and Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground – Spurs have not won there in 15 years.
Now they must try to change that without two key pieces.
Tonali, who had started to knit Spurs’ midfield together, picked up a minor knock in the draw with Everton. De Zerbi confirmed the Italian will play no part on Tuesday. Porro, already absent at the weekend, is still struggling with the muscular problem that ruled him out of that game.
The only sliver of good news comes at left-back. Destiny Udogie, left out against Everton as a precaution, is available again and is expected to return to the starting XI.
Richarlison still out in the cold
While injuries are hurting Spurs, one omission is purely political.
Richarlison made it clear he wanted to leave Tottenham in the summer and was subsequently left out of the club’s Premier League squad. Player and club tried to engineer a move in the final days of the transfer window, but no deal arrived. The Brazilian is now stuck between squads, fit and available but firmly out of the picture.
De Zerbi underlined that stance again on Monday. Despite Richarlison being eligible for the Carabao Cup, the manager confirmed he will not be involved at Anfield and will not even make the trip.
The situation is just as bleak for Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede, a long-term absentee, is still not ready to return. “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.
Rotation, kids and tired legs
The schedule and the injury list leave De Zerbi walking a tightrope. He needs a result, but he also needs to protect his core players.
Spurs are expected to rotate at Anfield, with the head coach juggling minutes across a squad that is not yet at full tilt. He admitted Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus are all short of full match fitness and will have to be managed carefully.
That opens the door, at least slightly, for the club’s youngsters. Academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett could feature, with De Zerbi hinting at a possible cameo rather than a full outing.
“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,” he said, before circling back to the Tonali news. “Yes, there is not Sandro Tonali. I forgot to say because he felt a knock.”
How Spurs could line up
Despite the problems, Tottenham are still likely to name a strong spine as they chase a place in the fourth round.
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 on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, under the Anfield lights. With injuries piling up, a key forward frozen out and form stuttering, this feels like more than just a cup tie for De Zerbi – it looks like an early examination of how much steel this new Tottenham really has.
