Tottenham have been hit by a big injury blow ahead of their Carabao Cup third-round tie with Liverpool.
Tottenham Hotspur are fresh from a summer of major change after completing the signings of ten players as they looked to provide head coach Roberto De Zerbi with the tools he needs to succeed in north London.
But it has not exactly gone to plan for the Lilywhites, who are yet to score a Premier League goal across 360 minutes of action. They were held to a goalless draw by Everton at home on Saturday, as Roberto De Zerbi’s wait for a Premier League win continued.
The Italian boss will now be hoping for much better luck in the Carabao Cup this midweek. After thrashing Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the second round, Tottenham face Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday evening. It is an uphill task to go past Liverpool, having beaten them just once in last 10 encounters across all competitions. And their task has become daunting after an injury to a key player.
Tottenham’s big-money summer signing suffers injury
Tottenham will be without £100million man Sandro Tonali for the Carabao Cup fixture at Liverpool. The central midfielder has picked up a “knock”, which has ruled him out of the trip to Anfield.
“There is not Sandro Tonali because he felt a knock,” Roberto De Zerbi said in his press conference on Monday afternoon (h/t Football London).
This is a blow for De Zerbi and Tottenham. Sandro Tonali was getting back to peak physical fitness levels after his £100million transfer move from Newcastle United in the summer. The Italian international put in a much-improved display against Everton at home as compared to his outings in the previous games.
There was a mixed injury update on Tottenham’s starting full-backs, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie. Both Porro and Udogie missed the Everton draw with muscle-related issues. While Porro will also be unavailable, Udogie has shaken off his issue and will be in the squad to face Andoni Iraola’s side.
“Pedro is still not available. Udogie, yes [he is available],” De Zerbi confirmed.
Udogie has been eased back into action given his history of muscle injuries. The Italian defender was left out of the Everton squad as a precaution, with De Zerbi and the club’s medical department keen to manage his workload.
It remains to be seen whether Udogie is handed a start or De Zerbi persists with Andy Robertson, who is certain to get a warm reception from the Kop on his return to Anfield.