Tottenham Hotspur head to Anfield for a Carabao Cup third-round clash against Liverpool, searching for momentum amid a complex injury landscape. Chief among Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical considerations is the integration of James Maddison. The 29-year-old playmaker suffered a shoulder fracture on the opening weekend of the season against Brentford and has since been restricted to cameo appearances, including a return off the bench against Everton. Guided by the club’s revamped medical department, Spurs are maintaining a cautious approach with Maddison. While the midfielder could make his first start for the club since May 2025, De Zerbi acknowledged that managing his workload remains paramount as he builds back to full match sharpness.
Spurs’ medical room remains exceptionally busy ahead of the trip to Merseyside. De Zerbi is without long-term knee injury sufferers Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, and Xavi Simons. Furthermore, Mykhailo Mudryk faces between six to eight weeks on the sidelines after picking up a left ankle injury in training. Defensively, Pedro Porro and Sandro Tonali are ruled out of the Liverpool fixture, while Destiny Udogie continues to have his minutes carefully managed. The workload across the back line could see long-time Liverpool star Andy Robertson line up on his old stomping ground as Tottenham attempt to patch together a resilient defensive unit.
Despite the defensive and midfield absences, Tottenham have received a substantial boost in attack. De Zerbi revealed that Mohammed Kudus is ready to make his first start in eight months after recovering from a serious quad injury that wiped out the second half of his previous campaign. Kudus joins a frontline where striker Dominic Solanke is expected to play a crucial role. Solanke, who also missed extended time through injury last season, has earned strong backing from his manager. De Zerbi declared his firm belief that Solanke can deliver 10 to 15 goals for Spurs, pointing to his track record at Bournemouth and emphasizing that attackers like Solanke, Savio, and Maddison are pivotal to handling high-pressure environments.
Liverpool bring their own squad dilemmas into Tuesday evening’s cup tie. Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitiké, Giovanni Leoni, and Conor Bradley are all unavailable for the hosts. Cody Gakpo logged 30 minutes against Fulham after sustaining a groin issue in Liverpool’s victory over Atlético Madrid, but he is unlikely to be risked against the club that chased his signature during the summer transfer window. Liverpool’s projected shape features Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal behind Ronald Araújo, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, and Kostas Tsimikas, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Trey Nyoni anchoring central areas behind an attacking line of Jeremie Frimpong, Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, and Alexander Isak.
For Tottenham, navigating this cup tie serves as a critical test of squad depth as they seek consistency across domestic competitions. Having previously balanced fixtures against opposition like Aston Villa, Manchester City, Galatasaray, Ipswich Town, and Leeds United, De Zerbi’s side needs its core creators available and performing. Restoring Maddison to full fitness alongside returning figures like Kudus offers Spurs a clear route to offensive rhythm, providing the creative spark necessary to challenge elite opposition on the road.
