Tottenham XI vs Liverpool: Injury Concerns and Richarlison Exile
Tottenham head to Anfield tonight stripped of key figures, chasing a Carabao Cup lifeline at a ground that has tormented them for 15 years.
They will have to do it without Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side, already short of rhythm after a disjointed pre-season, arrive on Merseyside with fresh problems and old scars. Back-to-back 0-0 draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton have stalled their early momentum. Now comes Liverpool, under the lights, in a competition Spurs can hardly afford to treat lightly.
Tonali and Porro ruled out
Tonali, who had started to knit Spurs’ midfield together, misses out after picking up a minor knock in the draw with Everton. De Zerbi confirmed the issue post-match and has opted not to risk him.
Porro’s absence lingers on. The right-back remains sidelined with the muscular problem that already kept him out at the weekend, leaving Spurs short of thrust and creativity down that flank.
The injuries strip more experience from a squad already stretched. De Zerbi has been forced to juggle minutes, manage fitness and still find a way to keep Spurs competitive in every competition. Tonight will test that balancing act.
There is at least one boost. Destiny Udogie returns after being left out against Everton as a precaution and goes straight back into the starting XI. His energy and aggression down the left will be vital against a Liverpool side that rarely allows visiting full-backs a quiet evening.
Richarlison frozen out
If the injury list hurts, the Richarlison situation stings.
The Brazilian remains in limbo, still officially a Tottenham player, still eligible for the Carabao Cup – and still nowhere near the squad. After making clear his desire to leave in the summer, he was omitted from Spurs’ Premier League squad and has yet to be reintegrated.
Richarlison and the club explored an exit in the final days of the transfer window. Nothing landed. No move, no resolution. Just a stand-off.
De Zerbi was blunt in his pre-match press conference. Richarlison would not travel to Merseyside. Nothing had changed. The stance is the same for both the Carabao Cup and the league.
Dejan Kulusevski, another long-term absentee, also remains out. “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.
For a squad already feeling thin, it is a hard line – and a calculated one.
Youth, rotation and a big Anfield test
Spurs have rotated for this tie, with De Zerbi hinting before the game that there could be minutes for academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett. Game time is a currency he is determined to spread around, even in a high-stakes setting like Anfield.
“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 both the demands on his squad and the late nature of Tonali’s withdrawal.
The rotation is clear in the XI.
Martin Dubravka starts in goal, tasked with handling the inevitable Liverpool onslaught. Tosin Adarabioyo is handed his first start, anchoring a back line that also features Udogie and offers him a stern introduction in one of English football’s most unforgiving arenas.
In midfield, Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher both come in, joining Rodrigo Bentancur in a trio that will need to press, scrap and still find the composure to use the ball intelligently.
Up front, Mathys Tel starts off the left, with Mohammed Kudus offering craft and direct running in support of Omar Marmoush, who leads the line. It is a side with legs, but not one rich in established chemistry.
The bench is a mix of experience and opportunity: Kinsky, Robertson, Van Hecke, Maddison, Savio, Fernandes, Solanke, Van de Ven and Davies are the options if De Zerbi needs to change shape or chase the tie late on.
Tottenham starting XI vs Liverpool
Tottenham XI: Dubravka; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Tel, Marmoush
Subs: Kinsky, Robertson, Van Hecke, Maddison, Savio, Fernandes, Solanke, Van de Ven, Davies
Injured: Simons, Odobert, Kulusevski, Tonali, Porro, Mudryk
Unavailable: Richarlison
Kick-off is at 8pm BST on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Anfield. Live coverage is on Sky Sports and ITV4.
Fifteen years without a win at this stadium, a patched-up squad, a high-profile forward frozen out and a cup run on the line. If Spurs are serious about reshaping their identity under De Zerbi, nights like this will show just how far they still have to go.
