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Malachi Hardy 'to make Tottenham debut v Liverpool' after crushing injury news

Matthew Chadder
Matthew Chadder

Matthew finished a Broadcast Journalism degree at Nottingham Trent University in May 2023. He is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London, watching Gareth Bale score screamer after screamer. Aside from his passion for writing and football, Matthew is a keen fan of UFC. After initially joining Breaking Media as a writer, he became an Assistant Editor in May 2025.

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Ange Postecoglou could struggle to name many defenders on the Tottenham bench against Liverpool on Thursday.

Postecoglou and his players will travel to Anfield on 6 February with a 1-0 lead as they take on the Reds in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

After their 2-0 Premier League win against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday (2 February) the mood in the camp will be positive, despite one player's "naive" performance in West London, which could see him axed on Thursday.

However, winning at Anfield is never easy, and while Spurs only need a draw to reach Wembley, even that could prove to be a difficult task with the number of players Postecoglou has unavailable to him.

Cristian Romero looks no closer to a return to action, while Spurs confirmed via the club's official website on Tuesday (4 February) that Radu Drăgușin is set to undergo surgery for an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury to his right knee.

Therefore, it leaves Postecoglou incredibly light at the back, which could open the door for young centre-back Malachi Hardy to make his debut from the bench against Liverpool.

Malachi Hardy to make Tottenham debut v Liverpool?

Hardy has been on the bench for Spurs' past four matches in the UEFA Europa League, while he has also made the matchday squad six times in the Premier League this term, most recently at Brentford.

As a result, there is a very good chance that he is once again on the bench on Thursday, with Drăgușin and Romero set to miss out, while the status of Micky van de Ven remains unclear.

A talented young centre-back, Hardy has represented Spurs' Under-18s 16 times and is a regular for the England Under-17s.

While the 16-year-old is incredibly unlikely to start at Anfield, he could be called upon if he is in the matchday squad, especially if Postecoglou needs bodies on the pitch to defend a lead late on.

ange postecoglou
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou (Credit: Imago)

Therefore, there is every chance that fans could see yet another youngster make their debut for Tottenham.

In other Tottenham news, the club are delighted after officially signing a Manchester City player.

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Tottenham
Ange Postecoglou
Liverpool
Malachi Hardy
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