De Zerbi makes it clear Richarlison won’t play, not even the EFL Cup

Roberto De Zerbi has been very direct about Richarlison’s role: according to Fabrizio Romano, the manager made it clear the striker will not play even if he’s available for the next match.

De Zerbi also addressed the one situation that could have opened the door—the EFL Cup. As Romano quotes him, “Richarlison will not play even if he’s available. Not even in the Carabao Cup, no.” In other words, there will be no minutes for the forward in that competition either.

A clear message

This kind of statement shuts down any uncertainty and signals that, in De Zerbi’s eyes, Richarlison is not part of the immediate rotation plan.

Impact for next fixtures

With games stacking up, the decision means the attacking options will have to come from players De Zerbi does see in the scheme for the upcoming schedule. For betting and team-sheet expectations, the takeaway is simple: Richarlison is ruled out right now, including the cup tie.

For the moment, the only concrete piece of information is the one Fabrizio Romano highlights—De Zerbi’s insistence that the striker will not play even if he’s available, with no exceptions for the EFL Cup.