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Tottenham face midfield crisis against Leicester City

By Rucker Haringey

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur is seen on the pitch prior to the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at Amex Stadium on April 17, 2018 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur is seen on the pitch prior to the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at Amex Stadium on April 17, 2018 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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Depth in the defensive midfield has been an issue for Tottenham all season. It will be a massive problem for Spurs in their finale against Leicester City.

Tottenham fans don’t like to see Moussa Sissoko in the starting XI but that’s almost certainly going to happen tomorrow against Leicester City. The truth is Mauricio Pochettino is almost out of healthy players for his defensive midfield.

There’s a large probability that Harry Winks, Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama will all be unavailable for selection tomorrow against the Foxes. That leaves Sissoko as the only defensive midfielder fit for the match.

Some believe that means Pochettino will slide Christian Eriksen back to partner with the Frenchman in the double-pivot. Eriksen certainly has the talent and passing range to control the match from that position. On the other hand, he isn’t exactly a defensive stalwart.

That’s why you should expect Pochettino to revert to five a the back tomorrow against Leicester. He has more healthy options in his back line. Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez have been starting together in central defense for months. Adding Toby Alderweireld to that duo to convert it to a back three would be an easy call for Spurs. It’s a lineup that was excellent at the beginning of the season.

Pochettino will also face a bit of a tricky selection dilemma at his fullback spots. He could logically select either Ben Davies or Danny Rose at left wingback. The smart money is on the Welshman to return to the starting XI.

Right wingback is an even more tricky question. Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier are both major doubts due to injury. That leaves Kyle Walker-Peters as the only fully fit right back in the squad. Playing him at wingback could do a lot to simplify the game for him against Leicester. It would also suit his attacking tendencies perfectly.

That still leaves the question of what Spurs will do in the midfield. Pochettino could choose to play a three-man group with Eriksen, Sissoko and possibly Erik Lamela. That’s not the most likely choice though.

Instead, expect Pochettino to play a 3-4-3 of sorts. The aforementioned wingbacks an serve as the wide midfielders. That would leave room for Eriksen and Dele Alli to play as the two central midfielders.

Then Pochettino could flank Harry Kane with the two wingers of his choice. That could mean Lamela and Heung-Min Son, but it also would give Tottenham an interesting opportunity to give Lucas Moura a start. That might be a bit too adventurous for Pochettino, but stranger things have happened.

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No matter how you slice it, Pochettino is going to have to do something different with his lineup against Leicester tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see what choices the Argentine gaffer makes to position Spurs to finish third in the Premier League.

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