Liverpool.com

Liverpool's clash with Tottenham in the Carabao Cup was subject to a lengthy delay in the opening minutes of the match after Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a worrying injury.

Bentancur stooped down low in an attempt to head the ball from a Spurs corner, but after hitting the ground inside Liverpool's penalty area, he did not get back to his feet. There were no players around Bentancur when he went down.

Tottenham teammate Pedro Porro, who had taken the corner, immediately spotted that Bentancur was in trouble and sprinted over to him while signalling for medical assistance.

Follow live updates from Tottenham vs Liverpool in the Carabao Cup

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Players from both teams then frantically joined in the calls for medics to enter the pitch, and he was tended to for the best part of 10 minutes before being taken off on a stretcher.

Fans of both clubs applauded Bentancur as he was taken off the field, with the thoughts of those in attendance clearly with the Uruguay international.

Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith reported that Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou walked over to the stretcher to check on Bentancur, who was wearing an oxygen mask, as he was taken past the two technical areas and down the tunnel.

Spurs' official X account issued a message of support to the midfielder, writing: "We're all with you, Lolo." Welsh winger Brennan Johnson replaced Bentancur, who only recently returned from a seven-match suspension.

Soccer fans on social media issued messages of support to the former Juventus midfielder. One wrote: "Jeez I hope Bentancur is alright. That looks seriously worrying. Something no football fan wants to see regardless who you support. Thoughts with the lad." Another said: "I’ve just seen the replay of Bentancur going down and it looks awful bless him. Really hope he’s okay."

Mark Chapman, who is anchoring Sky Sports' coverage of the match, confirmed at half-time that doctors were still treating Bentancur in the Spurs dressing room during the interval.

Jamie Redknapp, a former player for Liverpool and Tottenham, said: "It makes it difficult for the players, when someone's had an eight-minute injury, it affects the flow of the game."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was forced to make a substitution of his own during the first half, although in far less concerning circumstances, as Jarell Quansah sustained an injury and was replaced by Wataru Endo.

Triple change for the Reds

Nunez, Alexander-Arnold and Diaz come on for Jota, Bradley and Gakpo just before the hour mark. Slot will be hoping for more from his side, although a draw away from home in the first leg isn't a bad result.

Spurs fail to punish Alisson error

Wow! Alisson's casual approach on the ball nearly proved terminal as Bergvall stole the ball from the goalkeeper and when it rolled to Porro, before his shot was blocked by Van Dijk. Porro's follow-up effort then landed just off target as the Liverpool keeper escaped without embarrassment.

Jamie Redknapp first-half verdict

Speaking on Sky's half-time coverage, the former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder said: "Spurs have been good and they really got after them. Towards the end of the half, Liverpool started to find a bit of rhythm. But Spurs have really pressed. They have won it high up the pitch and had some really good opportunities. But on the flip side, Liverpool have been really sloppy and have taken too many risks in their own half and have got away with it."

Level at the break

It's 0-0 at half-time. It has been a good half without too many chances, although things did liven up in injury-time. Everything has felt a bit overshadowed by what appeared to be a serious injury to Bentancur in the early stages.

Gakpo tests Kinsky

The Dutch forward's strike from distance was well held by Spurs' new keeper. That was probably Liverpool's best opening of the first half with Gakpo wriggling clear and shooting powerfully from around 25 yards out.

Given there were two big stoppages this half there was always going to be plenty added on, and the referee's assistant has just held up the board indicating 11 minutes.

Light on chances

The game is being played at a good pace but there haven't been made chances in the semi-final first leg. In fact, it's just two apiece for the teams.

Endo on

That injury marks the end of Quansah's night as the game sees its second change inside the first 30 minutes. It's a blow for the Liverpool youngster who was handed a rare start by Slot. Endo has slotted in at center-back alongside Van Dijk.

Solanke chance

Spurs are on top here and playing with real tempo in possession. The hosts have just gone close from a Solanke flick at the near post, but the striker couldn’t turn Son’s cross into the net.

Spurs player down

There's real concern at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Rodrigo Bentancur down and receiving treatment. The stretcher has been called for and let's just hope this is nothing serious. The midfielder landed awkwardly after stooping to try and head the ball from a Tottenham corner - with Radu Dragusin forcing a save from Alisson prior to the play being stopped.

Tottenham debutant

In case you missed the team news, Spurs have handed a debut to Antonin Kinsky just three days after the goalkeeper signed for Tottenham. What a game to start with!

VAR reminder

A first in English football, if there is a major decision made tonight by VAR an announcement will be made to the crowd to explain the decision making.

'Let's improve on United performance'

More from Slot, who wants an improvement from Sunday's display against Manchester United.

"We want to improve compared to that game and this team has shown many times how well they can play. Last Sunday wasn’t our best but it was also definitely not as bad as some people made out. But we want to do better because we are used to winning and that’s not what we did on Sunday," he said.

Slot explains team selection

Speaking to Sky, Arne Slot was asked about his starting XI: "Some players have played many minutes because others were injured. Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley were injured, that’s why Trent and Robbo had to play almost every game," he explained.

"Now they are back after injuries so it’s an ideal moment to give them some play time. Ibou Konate came back from an injury [on Sunday] so to play three days later wouldn’t be a good idea. And then there are choices like playing Alisson and Jota. Those are players that came back from an injury and we think they need match rhythm after coming back from an injury."

Real star asked about Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid star Lucas Vazquez has refused to be drawn on the speculation surrounding Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. The full-back continues to be linked with a move to the Bernabeu, but Vazquez didn’t want to comment when asked about the ongoing transfer saga. "You're asking about a player who isn't at Madrid and that's something I can't answer," he said.

Middlesbrough gives Doak indication

West Bromwich Albion & Luton Town are in talks with Middlesbrough’s Isiah Jones over a possible January move, according to Sky Sports. The winger has dropped out of the side this season following the arrival of on-loan Liverpool star Ben Doak and Jones’ exit could be seen as a hint that Middlesbrough don’t expect any further departures in the wide areas this month.

Doak has been linked with a permanent move to Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town in recent days.

Liverpool suffers Marmosh setback

Reported Liverpool target Omar Marmoush could be on his way to the Premier League. The Athletic have reported Manchester City 'are working on deals to sign Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov this month'. The outlet adds there is no agreement in place yet but talks are intensifying.

Could Neymar's future influence Salah's position?

Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal might be on the lookout for a new star forward with Neymar expected to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. That's perhaps not a surprise given he has made just seven appearances for the club due to injury, and reports in Spain have said there are no talks about an extension with the ex-Barcelona star.

Given Al-Hilal saw a $185m (£150m) bid rejected for Salah in 2023, could it return for the Liverpool forward and offer him a bumper deal at the end of the 2024/25 campaign?

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has named a strong team for his side's semi-final first-leg game away at Tottenham, where the Reds won 6-3 just a couple of weeks ago in the Premier League.

Alisson Becker is in the Liverpool goal, selected ahead of Caoimhin Kelleher — a decision that Slot refused to reveal during his pre-match press conference. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was criticised for his performance against Manchester United at the weekend, drops out of the team with Conor Bradley preferred.

Jarell Quansah comes into the Liverpool defense in place of Ibrahima Konate, lining up alongside Virgil van Dijk. At left-back, Kostas Tsimikas is chosen over Andy Robertson.

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The Liverpool midfield is the same trio who started against Manchester United, with Curtis Jones playing as the number 10 and Alexis Mac Allister alongside him. Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been ill, remains out, while Harvey Elliott is an option from the bench.

Diogo Jota comes into the Liverpool attack in place of Luis Diaz. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo make up the rest of the forward line with Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa likely to get opportunities in the weekend's FA Cup tie against Accrington Stanley.

"I think what we expect before we go into the game is that two teams have such a clear identity and playing style," Slot said during his press conference. "That is I think what most people expect to see again as well.

"They have their identity, we have our own identity, and both teams trying to force that identity towards the other. Large parts of the away game two weeks ago, we could show our identity. But there were definitely also parts in the game where they showed how good of a team they are.

"Scoring three goals against us is also an accomplishment. I know we scored six in the game as well but scoring three against us, not many teams have done [that] until now."

Tottenham starting XI: Kinsky, Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son. Subs: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Olusesi, Moore, Min-Hyeok, Johnson, Werner, Lankshear.

Mohamed Salah is a player who commands attention both on and off the pitch. His social media presence is as captivating as his performances for Liverpool.

Currently, he's arguably in the best form of his career at Anfield, having become the club's fourth highest scorer with 232 goals in 376 appearances and clinched every major trophy during his tenure. The Egyptian forward, who tops the Premier League's 2024-25 scoring and assists charts with 18 and 13 respectively, has truly come into his own at 32.

This explains why Liverpool fans are eager for him to extend his stay. Salah's contract expires at the end of this season and unless renewed, he could leave on a free transfer.

He has expressed his wish to continue playing for Liverpool, but his social media posts have often sparked speculation among fans. Notably, his post following Sunday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, where he scored from the penalty spot, and his response to Jamie Carragher.

Salah's latest social media update might be without words, but it reveals quite a bit. The post captures the Egyptian ace heading to London with Kostas Tsimikas and Ibrahima Konate for Liverpool's Carabao Cup showdown against Spurs tonight.

Even though there was speculation that Konate would be rested after returning from a nearly seven-week absence in the match against Manchester United, it seems he could still make an appearance or at least warm the bench this evening.

Arne Slot hinted at this possibility, remarking: "If you've been out for such a long time, it is difficult to immediately play two games a week. So it will not come as a surprise if he does not play on Wednesday."

"He played today for 90 minutes and I think he showed in that 90 minutes he was ready to play."

With Joe Gomez out of contention, Slot's options in defense are thinning down to just three, tightening the case for Konate's presence at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Meanwhile, there's also some ambiguity surrounding Dominik Szoboszlai's chance to play, having missed the Man United clash.

On Szoboszlai’s situation, Slot mentioned: "Yesterday he wasn't in yet but if he is in today, I would doubt he is available to start the game. But hopefully he is in today, but yesterday he wasn't."

Ange Postecoglou is a man under pressure, and he could certainly do with a trophy to answer some of his critics at Tottenham.

He is potentially just three games away from ending the club’s long wait for some silverware this season, although he faces the toughest of tests to make it through the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool.

Spurs host the Reds in the first leg in north London this evening, with Postecoglou in desperate need of a positive result at the moment amid what has been a dismal run of results in the Premier League recently, with Tottenham currently languishing in 12th.

Of course, they haven’t been helped by a mountain of injuries, with eight players set to be missing once again this evening.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains out with a foot injury, while Wilson Odobert is a long-term issue with a hamstring problem. Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie are all out injured, while Richarlison is unlikely to be involved despite returning to training.

Meanwhile, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr are suspended for the first leg, having picked up two yellow cards during Spurs' run to this point, leaving Postecoglou to pick through the remnants of his squad for this evening’s game.

The Australian is boosted by the signing of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who could come straight into the side for his debut. Despite struggling with illness, Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray should be able to line up in defense in front of their new keeper, with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence either side of them.

Without Sarr or Madison to call upon, Rodrigo Bentancur is back in the side after serving his seven-game ban, with Yves Bissouma returning after coming on as a substitute against Newcastle at the weekend and Lucas Bergvall retaining his spot.

It’s a familiar front three that Liverpool will be facing, and the Reds will be wary of the threat that Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Dominic Solanke carry, with what could be a much-changed defense for the visitors facing a tough task.

Arne Slot will have his sights set on a first cup final with Liverpool later as the Reds take on Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Liverpool is of course defending the trophy this season, having won it in spectacular fashion against Chelsea last year for Jurgen Klopp’s last piece of silverware. Now, the competition could provide his successor with the first of what he hopes will be multiple trophies this season.

Of course, with the Premier League and Champions League still the priorities for the Reds, Slot will almost certainly make some changes in north London this evening. Having come this far though, and facing a side that will be desperate to claim some silverware of its own, the Liverpool boss may want to send a strong side out.

It’s a question then of how Slot balances things this evening. Considering Liverpool has an FA Cup clash with League Two side Accrington Stanley coming up at the weekend, that could be the ideal time for him to make wholesale changes and rest his stars, meaning tonight might see more subtle tweaks.

The first of those might see Caoimhin Kelleher deputizing for Alisson Becker in goal. Although Slot was coy on whether the Irishman will start, he has in essence become Liverpool’s cup goalkeeper over the last couple of years, and there is no reason to change that given he is a more than able backup to the Brazilian.

We could see a number of changes in defense. Slot has already suggested Ibrahima Konate might not be risked after making his return from injury on Sunday, so Jarell Quansah should start alongside Virgil van Dijk in the center.

Given the fallout from his performance against Manchester United, all eyes will be on whether Trent Alexander-Arnold starts tonight. If he doesn’t though, that’s not a sign of Slot losing faith by any stretch of the imagination, with Conor Bradley deserving of an opportunity at right-back.

We could also see Andy Robertson making way at left-back, with Kostas Tsimikas making his first start since November after returning from injury.

Midfield is a slightly tricky area to gauge. Slot would no doubt like to give Ryan Gravenberch a rest at some point, so Wataru Endo might come into his thinking, while Harvey Elliott deserves a chance to stake his claim, so he can replace Curtis Jones in the No.10 role, with Alexis Mac Allister providing some continuity.

In attack, it’s a question of whether Mohamed Salah is given a rest, and whether Federico Chiesa gets a rare start. The former’s fitness is exceptional, and having him in the side might give Liverpool the ideal platform to try and put one foot in the final, so he gets the nod from us.

On the left-hand side, Cody Gakpo gets another chance to add to his impressive tally in this competition, while it’s probably about time for Diogo Jota to return to the starting line-up, with the Portuguese replacing Luis Diaz.

Liverpool could be just 180 minutes away from another Wembley final, but it needs to overcome Tottenham first before Arne Slot can think about lifting his first piece of silverware at the club.

The Reds head to north London later this evening for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final as they continue the defense of the trophy won by Jurgen Klopp last year. Liverpool of course has good recent memories of visiting Spurs, having put six past Ange Postecoglou's side last month, but if Slot makes changes to his side this evening, we could see a much different sort of game.

Here, Liverpool.com has picked out all of the information that you need to know, including the kick-off time, TV details, highlights and early team news. We'll start with kick-off details for the UK and US.

What time is kick-off?

The match kicks off at 8pm in the UK, which is 12pm Pacific Time and 3pm Eastern Time. It is set to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Liverpool demolished Spurs 6-3 just last month in the Premier League, thanks to goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah.

Stuart Atwell will be the referee and, unlike previous rounds in the competition, there is VAR in the semi-finals and final, with Paul Tierney in charge of that this evening. This season's semi-finals will see a new VAR system trialed, with the referee set to announce any overturned decisions to the crowd in the stadium after a review.

Is the match on TV?

Yes. Viewers in the UK can watch the game on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage getting underway at 7pm. Streaming-wise, the game will be available on SKY GO.

In the USA, the Carabao Cup can be streamed live on Paramount+ which is where you will find live coverage of this fixture. The highlights will be available on YouTube and the Liverpool.com team will keep you updated with all the developments.

Paramount+ offers plans starting at 7.99 and allows you to stream tons of movies, shows, and live television. You can stream the NFL on CBS, UEFA Champions League, and more, so you’ll never miss a game.

Where can I catch the highlights?

Liverpool will make highlights available on LFCTV GO as well as its other official club channels. The goals will also be shared online alongside key moments in the match.

You can follow all the updates and read the analysis on Liverpool.com and you can also follow along live on our social channels including on Twitter and Facebook, and catch the post-match press conferences on the Blood Red YouTube channel.

Early team news

Dominik Szoboszlai looks likely to miss out again tonight, with Arne Slot revealing during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that the midfielder has still been struggling with the illness that kept him out of the game against Manchester United at the weekend.

Joe Gomez remains out injured, while Slot has already hinted that Ibrahima Konate may be rested, having made his return from injury on Sunday.

Tottenham, meanwhile, is in the midst of an injury crisis, with eight players set to be missing tonight. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains out with a foot injury, while Wilson Odobert is a long-term issue with a hamstring problem.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie are all out injured, while Richarlison is unlikely to be involved despite returning to training. Meanwhile, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr are suspended for the first leg, having picked up two yellow cards during Spurs' run to this point.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has a few selection headaches to solve ahead of facing Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals this midweek with as many as 10 senior players missing through injury and suspension.

"Net-wise, we are still down," the Australian said during his press conference today. "We will get Rodrigo Bentancur back but we lose James Maddison and Pape Sarr by suspension. A couple of numbers down there.

"In terms of injuries, there is no one is back. Mikey (Moore) could potentially be available on the bench. Everyone else from the weekend certainly feel better; Radu (Dragusin) has recovered, Archie (Gray) is better. They were the main ones. Deki (Kulusevski) was under the weather but he is good. Pretty much as it was on the weekend plus Bentancur and minus the other two."

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Dragusin and Gray were ill at the weekend but they are likely to partner up at center-back. Richarlison is training again but he needs another few days before he is ready to be involved competitively.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is currently missing with a foot injury while summer signing Wilson Odobert has a long-term hamstring issue. Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie are all out injured at the moment, though all but Udogie could be back by the end of this month. That would mean each being involved in the return leg at Anfield, which isn't until Thursday, February 6.

Spurs could start new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after he was granted a work permit. "We will see," Postecoglou said. "He arrived on Sunday I think. He has had a couple of days of training. He is registered and eligible to play. We still have got to do a couple final things with him and then we will see."

Ange Postecoglou is dealing with an injury crisis ahead of the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Spurs approach the game on the back of a woeful run of form and have failed to win any of the last four matches. A 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday means Tottenham is sitting 11th in the Premier League table.

While Postecoglou’s style has drawn criticism, the former Celtic manager has not been helped by the number of injuries and a recent illness outbreak. Radu Dragusin was the latest to succumb to the latter and had to be replaced at half-time against Newcastle.

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With Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies injured, it means Spurs played the second half at the weekend without a recognised center-back. Archie Gray has filled in at the heart of defence over recent weeks, but Postecoglou revealed after the loss to Eddie Howe’s side that he has also been struggling with illness.

The bug kept Fraser Forster out of the game altogether and with first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario injured, it meant Brandon Austin had to deputise in nets, and may be forced to do so again against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert are definitely ruled out of the match, but Mickey Moore and Richarlison could be in line to return if they have recovered from injury in time. "At this stage, Richy and Mikey Moore are the two next cabs off the rank, hopefully next week at some point,” said Postecoglou ahead of the Newcastle game.

It brings the number of possible or confirmed absentees up to 10 for Spurs - which is far from ideal ahead of a clash with Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

The Reds won 6-3 when the sides met just over two weeks ago and a similar scoreline in the semi-final first leg would be welcome on Wednesday night. The sides lock horns in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week, with the return fixture at Anfield not set to be played until 6 February.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has hinted Ibrahima Konate will not feature in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur this week.

The French defender returned to the Liverpool starting line-up for the first time since he picked up a knee injury back in November against Real Madrid in the Champions League, with the Reds drawing 2-2 with Manchester United in his return.

However, due to having only just returned to first-team action, Slot has hinted he might not feature against Tottenham in midweek, which would likely see Jarell Quansah partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Reds defence. Speaking after the draw with United, where Konate played 90 minutes, Slot said: "Because he was fit [on his decision to throw Konate back into the starting XI].

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"If he wouldn’t (feel okay), we wouldn’t have started him. Then he doesn’t train with us. The moment he starts to train with the team, he is fit again.

"And it’s not to say he can immediately play two games in a week, but he can definitely play 90 minutes like he showed today. And like you saw, except the first game when I chose Quansah, all the other games, when Ibou was fit, he started. The moment he is fit, he can start.

"But if you’ve been out for such a long time, it is difficult to immediately play two games a week. So it will not come as a surprise if he does not play on Wednesday. He played today for 90 minutes and I think he showed in that 90 minutes he was ready to play."