Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is set to lose three key players to international duty during a crucial fixture phase.
Tottenham’s Premier League title challenge is about to take a big triple hammer blow as the club enters the second international break. Ange Postecoglou’s team has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, sitting atop the Premier League for the first time in over two years.
The introduction of the Australian has undoubtedly changed the face of the club after their best start to a season in their history. Summer acquisitions like as James Maddison, Manor Solomon, and Mickey van de Ven have all contributed significantly to their early success in the league.
There have been some great moments for the club so far, with the only blemish on their spotless record being a loss on penalties to Fulham in the Carabao Cup second round. A record-breaking comeback against Sheffield United was swiftly followed by an entertaining 2-2 draw against fierce rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby.
Then, right at the end of their legendary and contentious encounter, Pedro Porro’s cross was turned into the Liverpool net by Joel Matip, appearing to maintain their recent upward trend. However, this could all change in the near future.
Unfortunately for Postecoglou, three of his most essential players are already scheduled to leave for international duty for up to a month. The biggest blow would undoubtedly be the loss of captain Son Heung-Min, who will lead South Korea in the 2023 Asia Cup in January.
So far, the 31-year-old has worked well with summer signing Maddison, with the duo directly involved in two of each other’s goals, both of which came in the North London Derby. The star has also taken over former colleague Harry Kane’s shooting boots, with six goals in his first eight games – only four short of the ten he scored all of last season.
Son will go to Qatar with Jurgen Klinsmann’s Taegeuk Warriors from January 12 to February 10, 2024, during which time Spurs will play four pre-scheduled games against Manchester United, , Everton, and Brighton. However, if the team advances further in the FA Cup, which will take place around that time, the star may miss even more games.
Postecoglou will also be without two key players in central midfield, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. The former has already been forced to miss a game this season after receiving a red card against Luton Town during the international break, which means he will miss their match against Fulham later this month.
It overshadows Bissouma’s outstanding play this season, with his build-up play and defensive skills essential in the Spurs’ early success. His relationship with Sarr has shaped the basis of Postecoglou’s midfield, and with the pair away, major questions about how to duplicate their incredible form when they both depart the Africa Cup of Nations will be raised.
Sarr will be joined at the Senegal camp by Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who will be competing in his second AFCON tournament after winning the title in his first attempt in 2021, when Senegal claimed the trophy for the first time. His excellent efforts for Spurs throughout the season will have moved him up the national pecking order, and after just playing 12 minutes in his debut tournament, he’ll want to have a better experience this time around.
The event will take place in the same timeframe as the Asia Cup, beginning on January 13, 2024 and ending on February 11, 2024 in the Ivory Coast. Both players might miss the same games as Son, leaving them worriedly weakened given their present injury situation.
There’s no doubt that Postecoglou is already thinking about it, and will do his best to deal with it as calmly as he does with other issues. The question is whether he will have the facilities – and the players – to do so.
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