Tottenham Faces Injury Setbacks Ahead of Anfield Clash
Tottenham head to Anfield on Tuesday night with their squad stretched, their form stuttering and their margin for error shrinking.
Sandro Tonali and Pedro Porro will both miss the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, stripping Roberto De Zerbi of two key starters for a game that already looked daunting. Spurs have not won at Anfield in 15 years. They arrive on Merseyside on the back of two goalless draws, against Nottingham Forest and Everton, desperate for a jolt of momentum.
Instead, they got another setback.
Tonali and Porro ruled out
De Zerbi confirmed after the Everton stalemate that Tonali had taken a minor knock and would not be risked in midweek. Porro, who sat out the weekend, is still troubled by the muscular problem that sidelined him then and has not recovered in time.
The timing could hardly be worse. A disrupted pre-season has already left the squad short of rhythm and full fitness. Now, with a place in the fourth round on the line and a hostile Anfield waiting, two of the side’s most reliable performers are unavailable.
There was at least one sliver of good news. Destiny Udogie, left out against Everton as a precaution, is back in contention.
“Udogie yes,” De Zerbi said on Monday, confirming the left-back’s return to the squad.
Richarlison left at home
If the injury list is frustrating, the Richarlison situation is simply cold.
The Brazilian is eligible to play in the Carabao Cup but will not travel. He remains frozen out after failing to secure a move away from the club in the final days of the transfer window. Left out of Spurs’ Premier League squad, he finds himself in limbo: fit, available on paper, but not part of De Zerbi’s plans.
“Richarlison, you already know everything, nothing changed for the Carabao Cup or Premier League. The situation is the same,” the Spurs head coach said.
Tottenham and Richarlison explored an exit late in the window, yet no deal emerged. Now, as Spurs prepare for one of the toughest away assignments on the calendar, a proven Premier League forward will watch from afar.
Dejan Kulusevski, a long-term absentee, also remains out. “No, Kulusevski not available. Pedro is still not available,” De Zerbi added, underlining just how thin his attacking options have become.
Rotation, kids and tight calls
The schedule and the injury list point towards rotation, but De Zerbi still has big decisions to make. Go strong at Anfield and chase a statement win, or protect legs for the league and trust the squad players?
He hinted at minutes for academy winger Luca Williams-Barnett, a nod to the balancing act he faces.
“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,” he said, before almost casually dropping in Tonali’s absence: “Yes, there is not Sandro Tonali. I forgot to say because he felt a knock.”
Several senior players are also short of peak condition. Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus all still need minutes to reach full match fitness, complicating the selection picture further.
How Spurs could line up
Even with the injuries, Spurs are expected to field a competitive side, with changes rather than a complete overhaul. The predicted XI leans on experience at the back and quality in attack, but asks a lot of those returning from knocks or still building sharpness.
Tottenham predicted XI: 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, at Anfield. The tie will be shown live on Sky Sports and ITV.
Anfield has not been kind to Tottenham for a long time. With key men missing, a restless fanbase and a squad still searching for its edge, this feels like more than just a cup tie. It feels like a test of what De Zerbi’s Spurs want this season to be.
