Tottenham vs Liverpool: Carabao Cup Third-Round Preview
Tottenham and Liverpool head into their Carabao Cup third-round clash at Anfield with both managers juggling injuries, fatigue and some awkward squad politics.
De Zerbi’s selection headache
Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Sandro Tonali will miss the tie after picking up a knock, ruling the midfielder out of the trip to Merseyside and adding his name to an already crowded absentee list.
Speaking at Hotspur Way on Monday, the Spurs boss ran through a mixed medical bulletin. Dejan Kulusevski is out. Pedro Porro is still unavailable. Then came the bright spot: Destiny Udogie is finally ready to return.
“Kulusevski not available, Pedro still not available, Udogie yes. No Sandro Tonali, he felt a knock,” De Zerbi said, via football.london.
The problems do not stop there. Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert will also sit out the Anfield trip, stripping Spurs of pace and creativity in the final third.
And then there is Richarlison.
Richarlison frozen out
The Brazilian’s situation hangs over the club like a cloud. He made it clear in the summer that he wanted to leave, and although he is technically eligible to play in the Carabao Cup despite not being registered for Premier League action, De Zerbi has shut the door on any involvement.
“Richarlison, you already know everything, so nothing changes with the Carabao Cup or Premier League,” the Italian said.
He then underlined the standoff in blunt terms.
“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 clear: Spurs go to Anfield without a forward who could have changed the tie, and without any sign of a quick resolution.
New protagonists up front
With Richarlison out of the picture and several attackers missing, De Zerbi turned his attention to those who will have to carry the load.
“[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.
He also name-checked Omar Marmoush and Savio as players who now have a chance to step into the spotlight.
“[Omar] Marmoush and Savio were not the protagonist but that is different here.”
If Spurs are to survive a night at Anfield with a patched-up squad, those words will need to turn into actions quickly.
Iraola wrestling with Liverpool’s schedule
On the other side, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces a different kind of problem: the calendar.
This Cup tie is Liverpool’s third game in seven days, and Iraola did not hide his frustration when he spoke to the media on Monday, quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
“It’s the third game (in seven days) it’s the worst scenario in terms of schedule, we haven’t been lucky,” he said.
“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 congestion forces him into a delicate balancing act.
“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.”
Both managers, then, walk into Anfield calculating risk: De Zerbi without key names and with a star forward in limbo, Iraola trying to push his squad without breaking it. One of them will find out the cost of those choices under the lights.
