Tottenham and Liverpool Face Injury Challenges in Carabao Cup Tie

Tottenham and Liverpool head into their Carabao Cup third-round tie with both managers juggling problems rather than picking from a position of strength.

For Roberto De Zerbi, the headline is brutal and simple: Sandro Tonali is out.

The 26-year-old midfielder has picked up a knock and will not feature at Anfield on Tuesday night, joining a growing list of absentees for Spurs at a time when the schedule is already unforgiving.

Spurs stripped back – but Udogie returns

Facing the media at Hotspur Way on Monday, De Zerbi ran through a team sheet full of crosses rather than ticks. Dejan Kulusevski? Out. Pedro Porro? Still out. Tonali? Also missing.

There was at least one shaft of light. Destiny Udogie is finally back.

“Kulusevski not available, Pedro still not available, Udogie yes. No Sandro Tonali, he felt a knock,” De Zerbi said, via football.london, laying bare the reality of his options.

The absences do not stop there. Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert will also sit out the trip to Merseyside, stripping away much of the flair and rotation depth De Zerbi might have hoped to lean on in a cup tie of this size.

Then comes the Richarlison situation, which continues to hang over the club like a cloud.

Richarlison left out as stand-off continues

Richarlison is technically available for the Carabao Cup, even though he has not been registered for Premier League duty. On paper, he could play. In reality, he will not even make the squad.

“The Italian said: ‘Richarlison, you already know everything, so nothing changes with the Carabao Cup or Premier League.’”

The stance is firm. The Brazilian made clear during the summer that he wanted to leave, and De Zerbi has no intention of reopening that conversation.

He expanded on the situation, without lifting the lid fully.

“I said last press conference.

“I know what happened in the last 45 days. It's not right if I explained. It's not my behavior, the relationship. The problem is between the player and the club. I stay within the club. It's coach and club together.

“At the start of this season, I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay, and he didn't want to. I can't go every day to pray for him to stay.”

The message is unmistakable. De Zerbi is drawing a line. Tottenham go to Anfield without Richarlison, and without resolution.

Solanke, Marmoush, Savio – new protagonists

With so many attacking names unavailable or out of the picture, De Zerbi is forced to look to those still on board.

“[Dominic] Solanke is a good player. He needs to improve his physical condition and stay positive because he can score many goals with us,” he said, placing a clear challenge in front of his striker.

“[Omar] Marmoush and Savio were not the protagonist but that is different here.”

That is the subtext of this Spurs side right now. Players who were once on the fringes elsewhere are being asked to step into the spotlight in one of the most demanding fixtures on the English calendar.

Iraola wrestling with Liverpool’s schedule

On the other side, Andoni Iraola has a different kind of headache. Liverpool are not short of quality, but they are running into a wall of games.

Speaking on Monday, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo, Iraola did not hide his frustration with the calendar.

“It's the third game (in seven days) it's the worst scenario in terms of schedule, we haven't been lucky.

“After this one we have a little bit more before we play Bournemouth and you noticed the gap between Ipswich and Atletico and Atletico and Fulham. It's a big difference.”

The grind is real. The risk is, too.

“We have to get used to it. You can put the same players in every game. The problem is there will be a moment they are really tired, and there is more risk of injury.

“There are players who play every three days and have no issues; they can accept it, and performances don't change too much. Then there are players where the risk is bigger and the performances are different.

“And we are in a position where I have to learn who is ready to play and who is ready to rest, so their performance level doesn't drop. I had an idea with some of them, but for some of them it is new as they haven't played as many games before.”

So Liverpool arrive at Anfield trying to manage fatigue. Spurs arrive patched up, stripped of key names and embroiled in a stand-off with one of their biggest stars.

The Carabao Cup rarely shapes a season on its own. But with squads stretched, relationships strained and opportunities opening for new faces, this tie might say plenty about where both clubs are really heading.