Ange Postecoglou is suffering from a severe selection headache ahead of the trip to Molineux.
It was the best of times, but Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou may be in for the worst of times this winter, with the Premier League defeat to Chelsea last Monday exacerbated by a slew of absences.
Under their Australian manager, the Lilywhites have blitzed into title contention and are now just one point behind table-toppers Manchester City, despite a two-man disadvantage against the Blues proving to be an insurmountable obstacle.
Micky van de Ven and James Maddison will be out until the new year, while Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie will be suspended for three and one games, respectively, for their dismissals against Mauricio Pochettino‘s side.
Nonetheless, Spurs will be confident that victory can be secured tomorrow afternoon, when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League.
The Old Gold were predicted to be relegated, but under Gary O’Neil, they have been solid if unspectacular, with 12 points from 11 games and a six-point cushion over the drop zone.
Spurs will be eager to put their recent slump behind them and secure a rousing victory at Molineux, but Postecoglou will now have to make four changes…
1. GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Guglielmo Vicario emerged victorious on an individual level despite shipping four against the Blues on Monday night, having been a revelation since signing in the summer, having been an absolute monster between the sticks with three saves.
According to FBref, the Italian ranks among the top 10% of goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues in save percentage over the last year, highlighting his value and importance.
2. RB – Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro, hailed by reporter Charlie Eccleshare for his “titanic” performance, has grown into his skin with remarkable success since the summer.
The Portuguese right-back has been effective at both ends and will need to use all of his strength to instill confidence in a much-changed backline.
3. CB – Eric Dier
It would have been something special. Eric Dier had not touched a blade of grass this season when Postecoglou threw him into the mix against Chelsea, desperate after Romero’s red card triggered a domino effect that ended Spurs’ chances of victory.
The excellent volley by the England international would have brought Tottenham level in the second half, but it was ruled out by VAR.
The 29-year-old will almost certainly make his first appearance from the start, with the next few months potentially decisive for a long-serving employee who was previously deemed expendable due to his contract expiration next June.
4. CB – Ben Davies
Ben Davies, who was hooked at half-time in his only league start this season against Crystal Palace, will likely partner Dier in a jumbled defensive axis that few would have expected to start a Premier League match this season, but such is the severity of Tottenham’s injury (and red card) crisis.
5. LB – Emerson Royal
Emerson Royal has divided opinion since joining Tottenham from Barcelona in a £26 million deal, after being dubbed a “complete liability” by talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara.
Off the bench against Chelsea, the £40k-per-week Brazilian made four tackles and two interceptions and appears to be trusted with a utility role at left-back, and will likely start in Udogie’s absence with Davies required centrally.
6. CM – Pape Matar Sarr
Pape Matar Sarr, one of the Premier League’s most exciting rising stars, was on the fringes last season but has been a revelation in the centre of the park this season, starting ten Premier League games.
His energy and distribution have been crucial to Tottenham’s success, and he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet against Wolves.
7. CM – Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma has been a veritable engine for Postecoglou’s system this season after flattering to deceive throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
According to Sofascore, the Malian midfielder has finally adjusted to life on the N17 and has completed 92% of his passes while also averaging 3.3 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game.
8. RW – Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski has started every Premier League match under Postecoglou and will be expected to continue playing on the right flank, where he has scored three goals.
The Swede has now surpassed last season’s lowly tally of two and looks revitalised this year; he will be hoping to use his rekindled attacking verve to provide Spurs with some respite after a testing week.
9. AM – Giovani Los Celso
The injury to Maddison is a bitter pill to swallow. After joining from Leicester City for £40 million in the summer, the 26-year-old has three goals and five assists in the Premier League this season, winning Player of the Month in August.
With the playmaker now set to miss time, Postecoglou may be tempted to give Giovani Lo Celso his first start of the season, with the creative midfielder falling by the wayside and earning only 24 minutes in the league this season.
Described as a “flop” by The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, Lo Celso had spent the past 18 months out on loan before the summer, and while he’s clearly not preferred, given that he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, he might prove to be Maddison’s custom-made replacement.
10. LW – Brennan Johnson
Brennan Johnson, who has recovered from a hamstring injury that has hampered his Tottenham career, is expected to make his second consecutive start on the left wing.
Last season, the 22-year-old scored eight goals and provided three assists in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest to avoid relegation, most notably scoring in the City Ground draw against Wolves, and he will be hoping to inflict misery on Molineux tomorrow.
11. ST – Heung-min Son
Postecoglou must be thanking his lucky stars that Heung-min Son is not among the missing.
Losing Maddison is a huge blow to the midfield’s creativity and fluency; Van de Ven’s hamstring injury reignites previous concerns about the backline’s resilience and reliability.
Spurs, on the other hand, have a talisman and a leader in Son, who is capable of channelling goalscoring brilliance despite a run of injuries and dismissals against Mauricio Pochettino’s side earlier this week.
Son’s Premier League goal tally of eight from as many matches this season is only surpassed by Erling Haaland’s 11 – not bad, is it?
The South Korean sensation has never scored against Wolves in ten games, despite winning six of them, but given the importance of getting back on track this weekend, there’s every chance the 31-year-old will break his duck.
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