Tottenham and Liverpool Face Selection Challenges in Carabao Cup Clash
Tottenham and Liverpool head into their Carabao Cup third-round tie at Anfield with both managers juggling problems rather than plotting from a position of comfort.
For Roberto De Zerbi, the first big call has already been made: Sandro Tonali will not be involved. The 26-year-old midfielder has picked up a knock and joins a growing list of absentees for Spurs on Tuesday night.
De Zerbi’s selection headache
Speaking at Hotspur Way on Monday, De Zerbi ran through a team sheet full of red marks before landing on one long-awaited positive.
“Kulusevski not available, Pedro still not available, Udogie yes. No Sandro Tonali, he felt a knock,” he said via football.london.
So Dejan Kulusevski is out. Pedro Porro is out. Tonali is out. But Destiny Udogie is finally back, a rare shaft of light in an otherwise bruised squad.
The problems do not stop there. Mykhailo Mudryk, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert will also miss the trip to Anfield, stripping Spurs of pace and invention in the final third. De Zerbi will have to reshape his attack on the fly.
Then comes the Richarlison situation, which continues to hang over the club like a cloud.
Richarlison left out again
The Brazilian made it clear in the summer that he wanted to leave. Technically, he could still play in the Carabao Cup despite not being registered for Premier League duty. De Zerbi has no intention of using that loophole.
“Richarlison, you already know everything, so nothing changes with the Carabao Cup or Premier League,” the Italian said.
He then drew a firmer line under the stand-off.
“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.”
That leaves Spurs without a senior forward who, on paper, is available but, in reality, is nowhere near the matchday squad. It is a clean break in all but name.
New protagonists up front
With Richarlison frozen out and several wide players missing, De Zerbi turned his attention to those who will carry the attacking burden.
“[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.
The message was clear: Solanke is central to the plan, but he must sharpen up quickly.
He also name-checked Omar Marmoush and Savio as forwards who now have the chance to step into the spotlight.
“[Omar] Marmoush and Savio were not the protagonist but that is different here.”
At Anfield, they may have little choice but to be.
Iraola wrestling with Liverpool’s schedule
On the other side, Andoni Iraola is dealing with a very different kind of strain. Liverpool are in the middle of a punishing run, and the Carabao Cup tie drops into what he bluntly described as the worst possible slot.
“It's the third game (in seven days) it's the worst scenario in terms of schedule, we haven't been lucky,” he told reporters, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
“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.”
Fatigue is not an abstract concern for Iraola; it shapes every team sheet he writes.
“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 while De Zerbi navigates absences, Iraola weighs minutes. One coach is trying to fill gaps; the other is trying not to push his squad over the edge.
On Tuesday night at Anfield, the Carabao Cup will not just test quality. It will test depth, resolve and how much risk both managers are willing to take this early in the season.
