Ange Postecoglou praised Tottenham's resistance despite the setbacks after suffering another worrying setback before their latest victory over Liverpool.
Spurs took a slim 1-0 lead in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final thanks to Lucas Bergvall's 86th minute strike at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday.
Postecoglou's side will take a slim lead to Anfield in the second leg next month, although the win came at a cost as Rodrigo Bentancur left the field on a stretcher after just six minutes.
Bentancur fell to the ground unchallenged in Liverpool's penalty area, requiring lengthy medical attention before Spurs confirmed the midfielder was conscious and taken to hospital for examination.
“Obviously I don't have all the information, but I understand that he is conscious and that they have taken him to hospital for checks,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports from Bentancur.
“It is worrying but as far as I know at this stage he will be fine.”
Radu Dragusin had seen a close-range effort repelled by Alisson just moments after Bentancur went down as he stooped low to attack a right corner.
The midfielder's injury saw Brennan Johnson take his place, with Spurs adding another injury to their growing list that Postecoglou referenced before the match, saying he was missing 10 first-team players.
Australian veteran Postecoglou was delighted with the way his side dealt with another setback, compared to the quality Arne Slot could call on from his bench.
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“We are constantly dealing with setbacks. We started the match very well and almost scored just before the end. [the Bentancur injury]”, he added.
“Then we lose a key player in those kinds of circumstances. But all my players are resilient and keep going, and they did that today.
“It's unbelievable when you think that we have a couple of 18-year-olds playing out of position. A left-back who is not a left-back and a goalkeeper who is making his debut.”
“The boys gave everything we had to work hard. They used an important talent and we cannot make those changes. But the boys kept going and we got a deserved goal.”
Tottenham have now never lost any of their seven EFL Cup semi-final first legs when playing at home.
Wednesday's victory takes them one step closer to the final against Newcastle United or Arsenal, although Postecoglou acknowledged the job is far from over.
“It's only half-time and going to Liverpool is not easy, but just that feeling of winning against a very strong opponent, I want the players to feel good about it,” he continued.
As for references to always winning a trophy in his second season at a club, Postecoglou remains defiant.
“People can keep mocking me about it but we'll see,” the former Celtic boss concluded.
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