Tottenham may be forced to play without Serge Aurier for an extended period of time. Luckily, Spurs have quality depth at the right back position.
Lost in the midst of Dele Alli’s joyous homecoming at MK Dons was the fact that Tottenham ended the match with just 10 men. Serge Aurier played a big role in the match until a quad injury forced him to abandon the pitch. Spurs won’t know the severity of his injury until more tests are run, but Mauricio Pochettino isn’t optimistic.
When asked about Aurier’s quad in the post-match press conference Pochettino told reporters that it (the injury) is “not a good thing.” That makes it very likely that Tottenham will be forced to play without the talented right back for a significant period of time. Fortunately, this is one spot on the pitch where the club can absorb a meaningful injury.
The obvious player who will benefit from Aurier’s probable absence is Kieran Trippier. The English international seemed to be slowly losing ground to his Ivory Coast counterpart. If Aurier misses serious time, it will give Trippier a golden opportunity to reclaim his spot as Pochettino’s top right back.
Trippier isn’t the player with the most to gain though. That honour goes to Kyle Walker-Peters. The bright, young English talent is one of the most talented young players at Hotspur Way. He’s been a bit unlucky not to earn more Premier League playing time given the way he’s played when given the chance. In fact, many Spurs fans believed Walker-Peters should have received a Premier League loan this year to make sure he received quality playing time.
With Aurier out, Walker-Peters is going to have a chance to step in as Trippier’s understudy. He’s arguably the more talented of the two players. Walker-Peters and Trippier both excel going forward, but they do so in very different ways. Trippier thrives when he’s pinging crosses into the box. Walker-Peters is at his best when he’s taking on defenders with reckless abandon.
It will be interesting to see just how Pochettino parses out playing time while Aurier is out of action. Expect Trippier to start the majority of the club’s big matches, but Tottenham prefer to rotate their fullbacks. That should allow Walker-Peters to get a chance to start some glamorous ties in both Premier League and Champions League play.
Tottenham aren’t three-deep at very many spots on the pitch, but right back is a place they can absorb an injury. Losing Aurier certainly isn’t a good thing, but giving Walker-Peters more minutes could pay big dividends for Spurs down the line.