Tottenham Hotspur could be given bye in Carabao Cup third round

Tottenham could be given a bye in the Carabao Cup third round.

In the middle of a particularly busy part of the schedule, Tottenham Hotspur might not be in action on Tuesday evening as expected.

Spurs are scheduled to visit Leyton Orient in the third round of the Carabao Cup, however, this game might be called off. According to Alasdair Gold of football.london, a number of Orient players have tested positive for COVID-19 which could lead to the team having to forfeit the game.

More than anything, we wish everyone at Leyton Orient well. Health comes first.

It’s also disappointing for Orient. While they wouldn’t have fans in the stadium, this was an opportunity to take on a Premier League opponent with the potential of earning a match with Chelsea in the next round if they could pick up the surprise win.

It seems unlikely the game will be rescheduled simply because of the congested fixture schedule. The next round of the competition is scheduled for next week, when either Spurs or Orient would host the winner of Chelsea versus Barnsley.

It’s highly unlikely the game could be rescheduled any time before then. Tottenham are in Europa League action on Thursday evening and then host Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday. A Tottenham win this Thursday would set up another Europa League contest the following week. Spurs’ schedule is about as congested as it ever has been with games coming in two- and three-day intervals.

If tonight’s game is called off, which seems likely, it is of course disappointing for both teams and the competition.

If there’s a positive, it’s that the Tottenham squad get two more days of recovery ahead of an important Europa League game. But more important than anything is health, so we wish everyone at Leyton Orient well.