Tottenham Hotspur will be without Sandro Tonali, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round match at Liverpool, while Richarlison will remain excluded despite being eligible to play. Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that Tonali suffered a knock in Saturday’s 0–0 Premier League draw with Everton, while Porro continues to recover from a muscular injury.
Tonali’s absence is a significant setback for Tottenham. The Italian midfielder, a £100 million summer signing, had featured against Everton but will not travel to Anfield after picking up the problem. De Zerbi did not specify a return date, so the club will assess his fitness after the Liverpool tie.
Porro is also unavailable after missing the Everton draw, but Tottenham have received a timely defensive boost with Destiny Udogie fit to return. Udogie had missed the weekend fixture but is available for selection against Liverpool, giving De Zerbi another option at full-back.
Kulusevski remains out as he continues his recovery from a long-term kneecap injury. Tottenham are also managing absences involving Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk, leaving De Zerbi with a reduced pool of options as he attempts to avoid excessive rotation in a demanding period of fixtures.
Richarlison’s situation remains separate from the injury list. The Brazilian forward was left out of Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad after being told he was not part of the club’s plans. Although he is eligible for the Carabao Cup because the competition does not use the Premier League’s squad-registration system, De Zerbi confirmed he would not be brought back into the group for the trip to Anfield.
“There has been no change regarding the Carabao Cup or the Premier League; the situation remains the same,” De Zerbi said. He added that he had previously spoken to Richarlison about staying at Tottenham, but the player did not want to remain.
Richarlison’s exclusion is notable because he has a strong scoring record against Liverpool, with four goals in seven appearances for Tottenham against the Reds. However, that history will not alter De Zerbi’s current stance.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, has confirmed that Joe Gomez is available after returning to training. Gomez has not played this season because of a muscle injury sustained in pre-season, but Iraola said the decision is now about how many minutes the 29-year-old can safely play rather than whether he can be included.
“I think he’s going to be available for tomorrow and now it’s a matter of deciding how much he can play and what is the best thing to do,” Iraola said of Gomez.
The tie at Anfield gives both teams a chance to progress to the fourth round, but Tottenham arrive with clear selection constraints. With Tonali absent, Porro still sidelined, Kulusevski unavailable and Richarlison excluded, De Zerbi will need his remaining midfield and attacking options to handle Liverpool’s intensity without the benefit of a fully settled squad.
