Striker-Heung-Min Son
As I mentioned in the open, the easy solution would be to allow Fernando Llorente to start against his former club. Instead, look for Pochettino to allow the high-scoring Korean attacker to lead the line.
Some may find that to be a harsh decision against the venerable Spaniard, but he simply hasn’t played well enough to justify inclusion in the squad. It would be terrific if he could be counted on, but he hasn’t earned that right.
Son, in sharp contrast, continues to score goals like it’s going out of style. Pochettino will count on him to play on the back shoulder of the Swansea defense and really stretch them. He should be able to hurt the Swans either by scoring himself, or drawing their central defense out of position to allow his attacking midfield teammates room to terrorize the opposition.
Keeper-Hugo Lloris
There are lots of players who need rotation during this festive period, but Hugo Lloris isn’t one of them. Keepers aren’t required to run all over the pitch. As such, they can be trotted out there every match if the manager so desires.
Next: Tottenham truth: Barkley would start for Spurs
Tottenham dominated Southampton last time out, but Lloris quietly had a very ugly performance. Look for the French keeper to get back on track tomorrow. He’d like nothing more than to start 2018 with a clean sheet.