Tottenham must rest Mousa Dembele against West Ham
Tottenham must continue to rest Dembele
Mauricio Pochettino may be tempted to insert Mousa Dembele in Tottenham’s starting XI v West Ham, but that would be a rare mistake for the Spurs manager. Instead, the talented Belgian midfielder should be given additional rest before this weekend’s fixture at Manchester United.
With all due respect to the Hammers and the Carabao Cup, it’s far from Tottenham’s top priority at this point in the season. Pochettino and company must continue to prioritize Champions League and Premier League competitions over everything else. That logic may change if Spurs advance deep in the Cup competition, but that’s a question for another day.
No matter how you slice it, the news that Dembele is in contention to start this match is a significant boost for Tottenham. Pochettino has already confirmed that he’ll decide tomorrow whether or not Dembele has recovered enough to start against the Hammers.
Spurs fans should hope that discretion proves to be the better part of valor in this instance. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Dembele get a late cameo off the substitute’s bench, but exposing him to starter’s minutes would be a serious mistake. Dembele is simply too fragile to risk in a relatively meaningless match.
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Tottenham’s trip this weekend at Old Trafford is certainly more important. A healthy Dembele would be a great boost for Pochettino against Mourinho’s men. Spurs will enter the fixture level on points with the Red Devils. A win, or even a draw on United’s home ground would give the North London club a leg up in the Premier League race.
If Dembele isn’t able to start against United, Pochettino will be forced to rely on Harry Winks and Eric Dier to form his defensive midfield. That’s been a successful combination this season, but at some point Winks is going to have a bad match. It’s highly improbable that such a young player will continue to play well all season long. The pressure cauldron of Old Trafford might be too much for Winks.
Having Dembele fit and firing would give Pochettino a lot more flexibility this weekend. He might still elect to start Winks, but the presence of Dembele beside him would take a lot of pressure off the English youngster. The Argentine gaffer might also elect to pair Dier and Dembele together to give Spurs their most physical midfield possible.
Next: Managing Dembele is Pochettino's biggest challenge
No matter what Pochettino’s plans for the weekend are, they’ll be boosted with a healthy Mousa Dembele in the mix. Trotting him out as a starter against West Ham would be an unnecessary gamble for Spurs. He must be rested for the more important Premier League clash this weekend.