Richarlison publicly questions De Zerbi after Spurs boss rules him out of League Cup squad

Roberto De Zerbi has ruled Richarlison out of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Liverpool at Anfield, and the Brazilian forward has publicly questioned the decision on social media.

Richarlison, 29, was already absent from Spurs’ 25-man Premier League squad submitted in early September after being told he had no place in the club’s first-team plans for the season. The League Cup operates under separate registration rules, meaning he remained eligible for the Anfield fixture — but De Zerbi chose not to include him regardless.

The striker’s response came via an Instagram story in which he screengrabbed a quote about the manager’s decision and added a single word: “Why?” alongside a sweating-face emoji. The post signals a growing tension between player and coach at a club already navigating a difficult start to the campaign.

Richarlison joined Tottenham from Everton in the summer of 2022 for a reported £60 million and scored 11 goals in his debut season, but his time in north London has been repeatedly disrupted by injury and inconsistent form. His complete exclusion from the Premier League squad list represented a significant public downgrade of his status at the club, and De Zerbi’s decision to also omit him from a cup tie for which he was technically available underlines how firmly the Italian has closed the door on the forward — at least for now.

With Richarlison frozen out and no transfer move materialising before the summer window closed, the situation appears set to remain unresolved until January at the earliest.