Malachi Hardy ‘to make Tottenham debut v Liverpool’ after crushing injury news
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.
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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