‘Richarlison will not play even if he's available’ - De Zerbi confirms striker is frozen out of the squad

Richarlison was in the starting lineup for Tottenham's disastrous 3-0 opening-day defeat to Brentford, a match that De Zerbi claimed they did not fight enough.

The Brazilian international has since then been dropped from Spurs' 25-man Premier League squad after expressing his desire to leave the club last month.

Even with his team yet to score a goal in the league this season, De Zerbi made it clear there is no path back for last season's leading goalscorer.

De Zerbi announced on Monday that Richarlison will not be recalled for the upcoming Carabao Cup match against Liverpool, despite being eligible to play in cup competitions.

"Regarding Richarlison, you know the situation. Nothing has changed for the Carabao Cup or the Premier League," the Spurs boss stated firmly.

During a press conference ahead of the trip to Anfield, De Zerbi bluntly reminded journalists of that result when questioned about the forward's potential return.

When asked if Richarlison's career at the club was finished, De Zerbi retorted: "I don't know. That question is not for me. 

“However, we lost 3-0 at Brentford with Richarlison. Maybe you forgot. Just to remember." He added, "Richarlison will not play even if he's available. Not in the Carabao Cup, no."

The manager's comments quickly drew a reaction from the player on social media. Responding to a post from transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano quoting De Zerbi, the former Watford star posted a single crying emoji.

Later, Richarlison shared a screenshot of De Zerbi's quote on his Instagram story, adding his own caption: "Why?" accompanied by a sad emoji.

Tottenham had tried to offload Richarlison during the summer transfer window, but potential moves to Everton, Trabzonspor, and Vasco da Gama collapsed due to disagreements over personal terms.