Roberto De Zerbi confirms Lucas Bergvall and Mathys Tel will feature against Liverpool as Tottenham prepare to rotate their squad in the Carabao Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has clarified his team selection plans for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield. Having previously indicated that he would utilize alternative squad options for the cup fixture, the Italian manager detailed how he intends to manage player workload while providing opportunities to those lacking recent match minutes.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, as reported by Last Word On Spurs on X, De Zerbi singled out young talents Lucas Bergvall and Mathys Tel as key figures in his plans:
“I think Lucas Bergvall is not other players. Mathys Tel also. And then we have to analyse the other players. Maybe the players that didn’t play enough.”
The nod toward Tel comes shortly after De Zerbi’s animated touchline exchange with the French winger following the goalless draw against Everton, signaling that the manager retains trust in the forward despite demanding higher off-the-ball intensity.
In addition to offensive tweaks, De Zerbi emphasized the strength and depth of his central defensive core. While Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven have established a firm partnership with consecutive Premier League clean sheets, De Zerbi highlighted that his depth allows for seamless rotation without compromising quality:
“I am lucky because in central defence I have JP van Hecke and Micky van de Ven, top centre backs, but also Ben Davies, Marcos Senesi, Tosin are not less than van Hecke and Van de Ven.”
🚨Roberto De Zerbi speaks on his team selection for tomorrow night against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, after saying he’ll play ‘other players’:
🗣️"I think Lucas Bergvall is not other players. Mathys Tel also. And then we have to analyse the other players.
Maybe the players… pic.twitter.com/bJpQNyVl0f
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) September 14, 2026
The availability of Ben Davies, Marcos Senesi, and Tosin Adarabioyo gives Tottenham needed flexibility to rest key starters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. With Pedro Porro set to return to action on the weekend, De Zerbi’s rotated lineup will look to break Spurs’ early-season goal drought and secure a place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.