Football latest: EFL Cup semi-final build-up plus transfer & Lopetegui updates

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Kinsky is 'eligible to play'

Tottenham v Liverpool (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky: "He arrived on Sunday, he had a couple of days of training. He is registered and eligible to play. He is one we had earmarked for the summer, end of season to bring in but we have had injuries. I've got a decision to make [on Wednesday]."

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Thanks Barry.

Next up, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou will be speaking to the media any time from 13:00 GMT.

Tottenham face Liverpool at home in their EFL Cup first leg tomorrow night.

Cunha's glasses offer helps reduce punishment

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter

Matheus Cunha's offer to pay for new glasses for a member of Ipswich's security helped save him from a longer ban and heavier fine.

The Wolves striker was suspended for two games and an £80,000 fine after clashing with a member of the Tractor Boys' security team last month.

He had been charged by the Football Association with misconduct following the altercation - where he snatched the glasses off the face of the security guard - on the pitch at the final whistle of Wolves' 2-1 defeat at Molineux.

An regulatory commission initially considered hitting the 25-year-old with a £120,000 fine and a three-game ban.

But in their written reasons the commission agreed Cunha's acceptance of the charge, his sincere personal apology and the offer to pay for new glasses were mitigating factors, reducing the fine and ban.

Cunha served the first game of his ban on Monday, sitting out Wolves' 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

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Exactly Dom.

Also, I fondly remember that season when Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City were all going for the title a decade back.

Liverpool slipped up against Chelsea, Chelsea lost to Crystal Palace. Everybody was messing up.

I can't really remember anything from the run in of that season Manchester City and Liverpool both got 90-odd points.

Cunha charge reasons published

The Football Association has published the written reasons relating to the two-match suspension given to Wolves striker Matheus Cunha last month.

The FA charged Cunha with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 on the ground that he acted in an improper manner.

After the final whistle following Wolves 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town on 14 December, Cunha elbowed a member of the Ipswich security staff, and then knocked his glasses from his face, causing them to break.

Cunha accepted the charge, and in his evidence said: "I was surrounded by a large number of people, mainly Ipswich personnel, so I remember feeling quite threatened at the time. So in an effort to get [secutiry staff member] to let go of my shirt, in the heat of the moment I regrettably reached out and grabbed his glasses. I know it was wrong to do this and I take full responsibility for my actions."

Cunha missed Wolves' 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest on Monday, and will serve the second match of his suspension when his side face Bristol City in the FA Cup on Saturday.

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Everybody loves an underdog.

Well, almost everybody. Anybody not secretly supporting them?

And I'm curious, why? And is there anybody out there with a pedantic reason for not supporting a particular club?

Maybe an evil in-law follows them, or did you lose to a specific team in Football Manager or Fifa. Let us know!

'Liverpool game will be enormous for Ange'

FT: Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle United

Chris Sutton

Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

We all know Ange Postecoglou is highly passionate and rattled at the moment. He is under pressure.

The Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool will be so enormous for him.

There's the great debate whether he should adapt because he's got lesser players in the Spurs squad. I understand that debate and I agree that if you're playing Archie Gray and Djed Spence in defence, then there's nothing wrong in giving them a bit of protection.

But Postecoglou is a stickler for playing that way and he believes that's for the betterment of team further down the line.

A large element of Tottenham fans are still with him because of how depleted the team are and believe he can turn it around. But the next few games will be so, so big for him.

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Thanks Martin, I think you make a really great point.

And I think it counts for goalscorers too. Peak Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi changed expectations what with their consistent 40-goal seasons.

Nowadays if a striker scores less than 20 league goals in a season there's almost a negative discourse around their form.

And there really shouldn't be.

Nineteen goals in 38 games is an exceptional record people!

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