Tottenham need to be careful with Harry Winks

Mauricio Pochettino will be sorely tempted to rush Harry Winks back onto the pitch, but Tottenham need to exercise caution with their talented midfielder.

The good news for Tottenham fans is that their squad is getting healthier by the minute. The trick for Spurs will be keeping some of their more fragile players on the pitch. There’s no better example of this ever-present conflict for Mauricio Pochettino than midfielder Harry Winks.

He, along with Erik Lamela has boosted Pochettino’s mood by returning to full training this week. The Argentine gaffer told reporters that Winks certainly has a chance to play against Fulham this weekend. To date, he’s managed to be a full participant in each of Spurs’ training activities this week.

That bodes well for his chances to be involved against the Whites, but Pochettino should not rush him back into the starting XI. A player of Winks’ slight build needs to be reintegrated into the squad more slowly. Pushing him to play a full 90 minutes too soon would significantly increase his chances of ending up in the training room again.

It’s going to be tough for Pochettino to resist the temptation of throwing him into the fire too soon. Winks is a different sort of midfielder. He’s the only player Tottenham can play in the double-pivot who can really control the game with his passing from deep. It’s a role Christian Eriksen might be capable of as well, but Spurs prefer to employ him in the attacking midfield to dictate play.

The downside to Winks is that his slight frame makes it difficult for him to be a physical defender. He shows a lot of effort on that end of the pitch, but he just can’t knock back physical, Premier League attackers. Compared to someone like Mousa Dembele, Winks looks like a severe defensive liability when he’s out on the pitch.

Ultimately, Pochettino needs to pick and choose the right matchups for Winks as the season progresses. He’s a great selection in matches where Tottenham expect to dominate possession. Adding another talented distributor deep in the midfield can help break opposing defences down.

He is not, however, a great play against a team that wants to take the fight to Spurs physically. That might be the case with Fulham this weekend. They will be flying high to play at Wembley and take on a big name opponent. As such, Pochettino should keep Winks on the bench in case of emergency. Rushing him back could have disastrous consequences for Winks’ ability to contribute for the rest of the 2018/19 campaign.