Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham are running on fumes, but the Australian boss will take solace in knowing his side’s schedule does lighten up somewhat in January.
Their growing list of injuries and suspensions means Postecoglou has reached yet another difficult spot at the start of his tenure after Brighton snapped their three-game winning run on Thursday night.
The returns of key stars crucial to their early success are on the horizon, but for now, Postecoglou must hope his current crop of available players can muster enough points from their next few games to keep themselves within touching distance of the top four.
A rampant Bournemouth are up next for Spurs on Sunday afternoon, and here’s how they could line up for the Cherries’ visit.
GK: Guglielmo Vicario – Not even Vicario could save Spurs on Thursday, and you suspect he’ll have to be at his best on Sunday if the hosts are to walk away with anything.
RB: Pedro Porro – The Spaniard is a shoo-in at right-back after notching another assist last time out.
CB: Emerson Royal – Emerson was poor against Brighton, but Postecoglou will likely stick with the Brazilian over Eric Dier for the time being.
CB: Ben Davies – The Welshman’s goal saw Spurs threaten a late comeback at the Amex, but they left themselves with far too much to do after a beleaguered opening 75 minutes.
LB: Destiny Udogie – One of few starters from the magical opening ten games that aren’t suspended or injured for Bournemouth’s visit.
DM: Oliver Skipp – A knock ruled Skipp out of Thursday’s defeat, but he should come back into the side over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg if he recovers by Sunday.
CM: Pape Matar Sarr – Postecoglou spoke about his side’s fatigue in the wake of Brighton’s victory, but Sarr remains a relentless figure in the middle of the park.
CM: Giovani Lo Celso – Lo Celso’s inclusion is necessary with Dejan Kulusevski suspended. The Argentine must provide a creative spark from midfield.
RW: Brennan Johnson – The winger will be preferred to Bryan Gil down the right, even if he is one of the Spurs players currently suffering physically during the festive period.
ST: Richarlison – Richarlison’s scoring streak was snapped in midweek, although he did have an effort which kissed the post. Despite Alejo Veliz scoring his first Premier League goal at Brighton, the Brazilian will continue up top.
LW: Son Heung-min – Postecoglou needs his skipper to step up in a big way against the Cherries. The South Korean has been productive while struggling in recent outings.
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