Tottenham vs Man Utd LIVE: Carabao Cup crew information and line-ups as Marcus Rashford not in squad

If it is sometimes said that there is always a crisis club in the Premier League, the warning for managers is don’t be it. As Russell Martin ran down the tunnel at St Mary’s, just as Southampton conceded a fifth goal before half-time, the relief for Ange Postecoglou was Tottenham were, for now at least, no longer that club.

Russell’s immediate departure in the wake of the 5-0 defeat, following that of Gary O’Neil of Wolves and amid Manchester City’s extraordinary collapse in the derby on Sunday, ensured a break for Spurs in the Premier League’s whirring news cycle. Even on Thursday night, when Manchester United visit Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, the impact of Marcus Rashford’s comments on his future and Ruben Amorim’s decision over whether to recall him and Alejandro Garnacho to his squad means there is less focus on Spurs ahead of what is their biggest game of the season so far.

Tottenham are set to require Archie Gray to step in at centre-back again with key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all out.

Destiny Udogie is a major doubt after limping off during that match. Djed Spence impressed against Southampton and may be required again.

Guglielmo Vicario is out, so Fraser Forster again fills in in goal.

Marcus Rashford did not travel with Manchester United’s squad on Wednesday night ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham, but Alejandro Garnacho was pictured making the trip.

Rashford was the main topic at Wednesday’s press conference, before United travelled by train, with Amorim saying he was keen to keep a player he had yet to speak to by the time he faced the media.

“It’s hard to explain to you guys what I am going to do (when I speak to him),” United’s head coach said. “I am a little bit emotional (as a person), so in the moment I will understand what to do.

“I am preparing the game and then we will see. Let’s focus on the team not individual players. That’s it.”

Rashford, who missed training on Monday through illness, now looks set to sit out the Carabao Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.

We already know everything there is to know about Marcus Rashford, a born-and-bred Manchester United fan who joined the club aged seven, with a social conscience and an eye for goal, a player with an undoubted gift who has often struggled to locate it. And yet it can sometimes feel like we don’t really know him at all.

Ruben Amorim on Alejandro Garnacho:

“Really good, he trained really well. He seems a little bit upset with me and that is perfect.

“I was really, really happy because I will do the same (in his position) and he’s ready for this game.”

Ruben Amorim on Marcus Rashford:

“He’s our player and he’s ready for the next game.

“What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford and the other players. I don’t talk about the future. I just talk about the present. I want the best of each of them.

“I just want to win and help the team to be better. We are better with Marcus Rashford, that’s simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past.

“This kind of club needs big talents and he is a big talent. He just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.”

Ruben Amorim says he would go to the manager with an issue rather than air it in the media after Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford declared he was “ready for a new challenge”.

The 27-year-old academy product has scored just 15 goals in 67 appearances in the 18 months since signing a big-money deal until 2028, with speculation over his future increasing in recent days.

Rashford was surprisingly left out of the squad for Sunday’s 2-1 win at Manchester City and revealed in an interview two days later that he was ready to end his 20-year association with United.

The forward, who missed training on Monday through illness, now looks set to sit out the Carabao Cup quarter-final at Tottenham having been absent from the group travelling to London.

For United, Luke Shaw remains out, while Mason Mount is a doubt after coming off in the win over City. Jonny Evans is the only other doubt as it stands.

Perhaps the most intriguing team news surrounds Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who could both come back into the squad after missing out last week.

Like Postecoglou, Amorim will likely pick a fairly strong starting eleven, with his line-up likely to look fairly similar to that which started last week’s derby.

Spurs have several notable absentees ahead of the match, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out alongside key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. In addition, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Ben Davies will miss out, while Rodrigo Bentancur is still suspended.

Yves Bissouma should return after missing the win over Southampton with a suspension, while Destiny Udogie is a major doubt after limping off during that match. Djed Spence impressed against Southampton and may be required again.

Tottenham vs Man Utd is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Thursday, 19 December at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Where can I watch the match?

The quarter-final match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, while subscribers will be able to live stream via the Sky Go app.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.