Mauricio Pochettino turns up heat on Jurgen Klopp by insisting odds are stacked in favour of Liverpool progressing in EFL Cup
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has piled the pressure onto his opposite number Jurgen Klopp by insisting the odds of progressing from Tuesday's EFL Cup fourth round tie are firmly stacked in favour of eight-time tournament winners Liverpool.
Pochettino already appears to be feeling the strain of combining a Premier League title charge with Champions League commitments, especially without key duo Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld who are both sidelined through injury.
The club’s list of absentees grew yesterday after Pochettino confirmed that Spurs will not be contesting a violent conduct charge handed to midfielder Moussa Sissoko, which is set to see him banned for three matches.
Pochettino insists the demands of Tottenham’s schedule means squad rotation is imperative, which in turn gives his side the tag of underdogs given Liverpool are free from European distraction and a subsequent fixture pile-up this term.
“We know that Liverpool are more fresh because they’re not in a European competition,” said Pochettino. “For all the teams that play in the Champions League, it is very difficult to compete because opponents are fresh.
“[But] It’s Liverpool against Tottenham. Football is a collective sport. It’s true that when you are involved in many competitions like we are, you can see that I rotate the squad in different games.
“Now it’s important to assess the team and take a different solution with freshness and compete in a different way. We have Liverpool and the key games like Leicester and Leverkusen. It’s important to be clever.
“Our idea is to win the game, our idea is that we have a strong squad that deserve to play, all deserve to play.
“It’s a different competition and, like against Gillingham [in the third round], sometimes we rest players that play a lot and avoid the risk of injury, and players who don’t feel so good. It’s about balance.”
Pochettino has confirmed that back up goalkeeper Michel Vorm is set to get the nod over skipper Hugo Lloris at Anfield, while 21-year-old winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is in line for a first start for the club since his summer move from Marseilles.
The likes of Ben Davies, Kieran Trippier, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kevin Wimmer, Josh Onomah, Harry Winks and Tom Carroll are also set to be involved as Spurs bid to reach the last eight of the competition.
Sissoko, meanwhile, will miss tonight’s clash as well games against defending Premier League champions Leicester and north London rivals Arsenal after accepting the Football Association’s charge for allegedly elbowing Bournemouth’s Harry Arter on Saturday.
“We accept it, as a club.” added Pochettino. “It wasn’t intentional but his elbow was in Arter’s face. It’s clear. We accept the charge and now it’s time to move forward with him suspended for three games.
“We will keep him fit in training for when he’s available again.”