Tottenham Faces Injury Crisis Ahead of Liverpool Clash

Tottenham hit Anfield with a limp squad and a loud problem.

Roberto De Zerbi takes his team to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night knowing two things: he badly needs a result, and he will have to chase it without Sandro Tonali, Pedro Porro or the exiled Richarlison.

Double injury blow for De Zerbi

Spurs arrive on Merseyside already short of rhythm after a disrupted pre-season and back-to-back 0-0 draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton. Confidence is fragile. The schedule is unforgiving. And Anfield has been a graveyard for them for 15 years.

Tonali and Porro’s absence only deepens the sense of vulnerability.

Tonali, a key summer signing, picked up what De Zerbi described as a minor knock in the draw with Everton and will play no part at Anfield. Porro, who missed that game, is still battling the muscular problem that kept him out at the weekend.

The one piece of good news: Destiny Udogie is back. Left out against Everton as a precaution, the full-back has been cleared to return and is in line to start.

Richarlison frozen out

If injuries are hurting Spurs, the Richarlison situation stings in a different way.

The Brazilian is fit and eligible to play in the Carabao Cup, but he will not travel. He has already been left out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad after making it clear he wanted to leave in the summer.

Club and player tried to engineer an exit in the final days of the transfer window. Nothing came. No move, no resolution, just a stalemate that leaves a proven Premier League forward in limbo and De Zerbi choosing to ignore him.

The head coach was blunt when asked if anything had changed ahead of Liverpool, while also ruling out a return for long-term absentee Dejan Kulusevski.

“No, Kulusevski not available. Pedro is still not available. Udogie yes. Richarlison, you already know everything, nothing changed for the Carabao Cup or Premier League. The situation is the same,” he said on Monday.

Kids, rotation and a thin squad

Spurs are expected to rotate at Anfield, but De Zerbi is walking a tightrope. He needs to rest legs. He also needs a performance.

That opens the door for the club’s younger faces. Academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett is one who could be handed a taste of first-team action, though De Zerbi stopped short of guaranteeing it.

“I don't know, Luca. We have to see because many players need to play. Maybe not 90 minutes, 90 minutes, but 30 minutes a real game is important. Yes, there is not Sandro Tonali. I forgot to say because he felt a knock.”

The Italian is juggling more than just the headline injuries. Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus are all short of full match fitness, limiting how hard he can push his main creative and midfield options.

The likely solution? A side that looks strong on paper but still patched together.

Predicted Tottenham XI vs Liverpool

Dubravka; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Solanke, Marmoush.

Injured: Simons, Odobert, Kulusevski, Tonali, Porro, Mudryk

Unavailable: Richarlison

Kick-off is at 8pm BST on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, under the lights at Anfield, live on Sky Sports and ITV.

Spurs have not won there in a decade and a half. With a bruised squad, a restless fanbase and a marquee forward frozen out, this is more than a cup tie — it’s a test of De Zerbi’s authority and Tottenham’s nerve.