Tottenham is dealing with a significant injury crisis, and after a 17-year drought without a trophy, they were hoping for some positive news ahead of their Carabao Cup match.
Manager Ange Postecoglou addressed the media and provided the following updates via tottenhamhotspur.com: “With Micky [Van de Ven], and [Cristian] Romero to some extent, we need to be cautious with them.
“Micky got through the [Europa League] match without issues, but he doesn’t feel ready for the intensity of the Premier League.
“The same goes for Romero. After losing Radu [Dragusin] for the season, which is disappointing for both him and us, my decision is not to risk these players. We’ll keep them active in training and ensure they are fully prepared without any further setbacks.”
Postecoglou also mentioned other players who are close to returning, including Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson.
On a positive note, Tottenham will be strengthened by the addition of new signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, who are both available for the match.
Tottenham’s injury woes are currently severe. Given the controversial way Lucas Bergvall scored the match-winning goal for Spurs in the first leg, Liverpool is motivated for justice in the second match. Add in the match taking place at Anfield, and a hostile atmosphere is expected for Tottenham on Thursday night.
While Postecoglou’s comments appear genuine, it is curious that a player can be fit for a Europa League match but not for Premier League action, so there could be unexpected developments.
The biggest advantage for Tottenham could be the likely absence of Dutch defender Van de Ven, given his exceptional skills.
Considering his recent links to Merseyside, it would have been intriguing to see how he performed in a high-stakes match, but that opportunity will come later in the season.
For now, Tottenham will hope to emerge from the game unscathed and secure a spot in Postecoglou’s first Wembley final.
