Sandro Tonali ruled out of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool

Tottenham will be without Sandro Tonali for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Liverpool at Anfield after the 100-million-pound summer signing suffered a knock.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi confirmed on Monday that the midfielder would miss the match after reporting an issue that ruled him out of contention.

Tonali’s absence comes with another injury concern for Spurs, with right-back Pedro Porro also unavailable because of a minor muscle problem. Porro missed Sunday’s goalless draw with Everton and has not recovered in time to face Liverpool.

There is better news for Tottenham regarding Destiny Udogie. The defender has recovered from the problem that kept him out against Everton, where he was left out as a precaution.

However, Spurs are continuing to manage Udogie’s involvement carefully because of his previous muscle problems. The club are gradually increasing the 27-year-old’s workload and remain cautious about how much he plays.

Porro has already had a disrupted start to the campaign after returning late for pre-season. He missed Tottenham’s opening-day defeat by Brentford, but subsequently started against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest before being sidelined again.

Dejan Kulusevski remains a long-term absentee and is not close to returning to first-team action. The Sweden international has been unavailable since the end of the 2024-25 season, when he suffered a serious kneecap injury.

Tottenham made significant changes to their medical department during the summer under performance director Dan Lewindon. The overhaul followed an injury-hit campaign in which Spurs narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship.

Tuesday’s meeting with Liverpool will therefore come with Tottenham still managing several fitness issues, although Udogie’s return to availability provides some relief ahead of the cup tie.