Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has closed the door on Richarlison ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, confirming the Brazilian forward remains frozen out of the first-team squad. Addressing the media in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi made it clear that the striker will play no part in the cup clash, citing an irreconcilable breakdown stemming from the summer transfer window. The Italian tactician delivered a string of blunt quotes, emphasizing that he will not plead with any player who previously sought an exit from North London.
De Zerbi Shuts Down Richarlison’s Selection
Despite being omitted from Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad list, Richarlison remains registered and eligible for domestic cup competitions. However, De Zerbi dismissed any suggestion of recalling the Brazilian international, who previously scored four goals in seven appearances against Liverpool.
According to
“Richarlison will NOT play even if he’s available. Not even in the Carabao Cup, no,” De Zerbi stated.
When reminded of the attacker’s past record against top sides, the Italian fired back with a sharp reminder of their early season struggles: “We lost to Brentford 3-0 with Richarlison. Maybe you forgot. Just to remind you.”
🚨 De Zerbi: “We lost to Brentford 3-0 with Richarlison. Maybe you forgot. Just to remind you”.
“At the start of this season I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay and he didn’t want to. I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay”. pic.twitter.com/Se3ecfGim0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 15, 2026
Broken Bridges In The Summer Transfer Window
The roots of the dispute date back to the summer transfer window, during which Richarlison actively explored potential moves away from Tottenham. Proposed transfers to Everton and Brazilian outfit Vasco da Gama failed to materialize before deadline day, leaving the forward stranded in North London without a place in the league roster.
De Zerbi stressed that he had previously tried to convince the forward to extend his stay before relations soured completely.
“At the start of this season, I spoke with him many times to convince him to stay, and he didn’t want to. I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay,” De Zerbi explained. “What I’ve done, at the beginning of this season, was to speak with him and to propose an extension of the contract. If he said no, thank you, I have finished my job.”
De Zerbi added: “It’s not my behaviour; it is the relationship, and the problem is between the player and the club. And I stay inside the club. It’s coach and club together.”
Carabao Cup Showdown: Liverpool vs Tottenham Match Details
Attention now shifts squarely to the pitch where two Premier League heavyweights collide in a third-round knockout clash under the floodlights at Anfield.
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Matchup: Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur
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Competition: Carabao Cup Round 3
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Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England
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Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
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Kickoff Time (UK): 8:00 PM BST
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Kickoff Time (US): 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT
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Kickoff Time (India): 12:30 AM IST (Late Tuesday night / Wednesday morning)
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Live Broadcast (UK): Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
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Live Streaming (US): Paramount Plus
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Live Streaming (India): FanCode
The contest presents a massive tactical hurdle for De Zerbi, whose reshaped frontline featuring Dominic Solanke, Savio, and Omar Marmoush is searching for attacking cohesion after recent domestic stumbles.
On the opposing bench, Arne Slot and Liverpool will seek to capitalize on home turf advantage to secure progression to the fourth round, setting up a thrilling 90-minute cup battle where no extra time will be played if scores level at full time, sending the tie directly to penalties.
