(Reuters) – New signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are available to play their first game for Tottenham Hotspur when they face Liverpool at Anfield in the League Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday, manager Ange Postecoglou said.
Spurs this week signed 19-year-old forward Tel from German side Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent in the summer.
Austria defender Danso, 26, also arrived on loan until the end of the season, with an obligation to make the deal permanent.
The duo’s availability is a welcome boost for Postecoglou after dealing with an injury crisis that has goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, centre back Cristian Romero, midfielder James Maddison and striker Dominic Solanke among those sidelined.
“Kevin and Mathys are both available, they have trained,” Postecoglou told reporters on Wednesday.
“Kevin will play. Whether he starts or not we will have a look because we have another game in three days. Pedro (Porro) has played every minute of football we’ve had for the last three months.
“It’s great to get Kevin in but whether he will start or come on, we will make a decision. Having him available as an option is good.”
However, Spurs will be without centre back Micky van de Ven.
The 23-year-old did not feature in the 2-0 Premier League victory at Brentford on Sunday in order to manage his minutes, having returned from a hamstring injury in their 3-0 home win over Swedish side IF Elfsborg in the Europa League last week.
“With Micky and Cristian to a certain extent, I kind of feel we have to be a bit more conservative with them. Micky got through the game (against Elfsborg) alright but I don’t think he feels ready for Premier League intensity and that’s the same with Cristian,” Postecoglou said.
“We are going to keep them ticking over in training and make sure they are absolutely ready with no setbacks.”
Spurs have a 1-0 lead over League Cup holders Liverpool after their first leg win in early January and are chasing their first trophy since winning the same competition in 2008.
“It’s a big occasion for everyone. It’s a semi-final. I don’t think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us. It’s a big game for both clubs,” Postecoglou said.
“You recognise that, you embrace that, but ultimately if you want to be successful these are the games that you want to be involved with because the alternative is, you’ll be at home on the couch watching two other teams on the TV wishing you were there.”
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Goa; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.