Liverpool return to the place of their first defeat of the season when they travel to White Hart Lane on Wednesday night, with many of their star players being rested for the League Cup clash.
One name who will feature but didn’t two weeks ago is striker Fernando Torres, who returned after 6 games out as a sub against West Brom on Saturday. The Spaniard is expected to start the match in order to build up match fitness ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bolton.
Rafa Benitez has confirmed Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane won’t be included, and hinted Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt will also be rested: “It’s always difficult to play so many games in a row and you have to change some players depending on the competition. The majority of them can play games in a row but some need to be taken care of,” said the manager.
“Gerrard is one of them at this moment. Dirk Kuyt is another who has played almost every game. Xabi Alonso, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Keane are the same.”
Benitez will make full use of his squad but won’t take the match lightly: “We will use players who haven’t played every game. I have confidence in them because they are all internationals.
“It’s always important to win trophies and this is an opportunity to do that. You must always be ready in every competition. People talk about big names playing but it’s more important to talk about good players and we’ll have good players playing in the Carling Cup.”
The likes of Diego Cavalieri, Sami Hyypia, Jermaine Pennant, Lucas, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun are all set to start. While youngsters Emiliano Insua, Damien Plessis, Stephen Darby and Nabil El Zhar are also hoping to be involved.
Spurs are without left back Assou-Ekotto, winger dos Santos and captain Ledley King.
Match Squads: According to BBC Sport
Tottenham: Gomes, Cesar, Hutton, Bale, Gunter, Dawson, Woodgate, Corluka, O’Hara, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Jenas, Gilberto, Modric, Bostock, Dervite, Lennon, Bent, Campbell, Pavlyuchenko, Stalteri, Rocha, Taarabt, Boateng, Ghaly.
Liverpool: Cavalieri, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Dossena, Benayoun, Lucas, Alonso, Babel, Torres, Keane, Ngog, Pennant, Insua, Spearing, El Zhar, Plessis, Reina, Degen.
Kick off is 7:45pm, live on Sky Sports 2.
