Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has revealed whether Luca Williams‑Barnett is set to be involved against Charlton Athletic on Wednesday night.
After falling to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Brentford on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur will be glad to have another game this midweek.
The Carabao Cup round two clash against Charlton Athletic is sure to offer Roberto De Zerbi’s side an opportunity to make quick amends.
However, the Championship side will be no pushover, with De Zerbi himself aware of this and demanding his players maintain a winning mentality when they take to the pitch.
Roberto De Zerbi confirms Luca Williams-Barnett involvement for Tottenham cup tie
Keeping his squad fresh is something De Zerbi will be keen to do, especially with Tottenham still managing a few injuries.
The boss admitted that while Spurs have exciting youngsters within their ranks, including Mathys Tel, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, deploying all of them at the same time might not be the right selection choice.
However, he did hint that the midweek game could be a good opportunity for these young talents to gain valuable experience. And now he has confirmed that academy star Luca Williams-Barnett is set to be involved as well.
Speaking to football.london when asked if Williams-Barnett will feature against Charlton, he said: “He comes on the bench. Listen, my idea was to play with him as part of the second half in Brentford. Unfortunately, it was not the right moment to put him from the bench, but I cannot forget the young players.
“I have big respect for the academy, and it is right, no gift, but it is right also for them. They deserve to have satisfaction from their young players, and these are potential big players for the club first of all.”
Williams-Barnett ready for senior chance after impressive Spurs pre-season
Spurs Web has since hinted that an involvement against Charlton could well have been on the cards for Williams-Barnett this midweek after he was left out of the Under-21 squad for their Premier League 2 meeting with Newcastle United.
The teenager showed he is ready for the jump to first-team football after a strong pre-season campaign with Tottenham this summer.
De Zerbi showed faith in the 17-year-old, handing him 254 minutes of football during Tottenham’s summer camp – the 11th most of any player – and now, with a chance to feature in a competitive game for Spurs, the youngster will be hoping to leave a mark.