Tottenham projected starting XI v Sheffield United: Eriksen goes back in for Spurs
Tottenham fans are going to be unhappy with Mauricio Pochettino on Saturday. His starting XI is going to cause issues for Spurs fans.
Spurs return to Premier League action on Saturday against Sheffield United with a bit of momentum on their side. Blasting Red Star in Belgrade has provided Tottenham with some much-needed optimism. Unfortunately, Mauricio Pochettino won’t feel comfortable trotting the same starting XI onto the pitch against the Blades.
Instead, expect to see significant rotation from the Argentine manager. That will risk breaking up the club’s fragile positive mindset, but Pochettino wants to make sure he protects his players’ physical wellbeing. As such, expect to see the following starting XI on Saturday.
Striker-Harry Kane
My apologies to all of you Troy Parrott fans out, he’s not close to taking a Premier League start away from Kane. Look for the English talisman to lead the line for Spurs as usual.
Attacking midfielder-Christian Eriksen
Here’s the selection that’s going to send fans howling. Giovani Lo Celso was sublime against Red Star, but fitness won’t allow him to start two matches in a row. Unfortunately, that means Eriksen gets another shot to revive his shambolic season.
Attacking midfielder-Lucas Moura
Lucas has been unusually quiet as of late. He could really use a productive outing against Sheffield United to get his season back on track. For purposes of clarification, that means he needs to score a goal.
Attacking midfielder-Son Heung-Min
Giving Son another start might be a bit dangerous when you consider how hard he plays on a regular basis. Even so, look for him to get the nod over Dele Alli in this one. He won’t play the full 90 minutes though.
Defensive midfielder-Tanguy Ndombele
Ndombele is the other fan favourite for Spurs at the moment. Unlike Lo Celso, he will get another start this weekend. He’s quickly becoming one of the first names on Pochettino’s team sheet.
Defensive midfielder-Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko isn’t the perfect partner for Ndombele in the double-pivot, but he’s the best option available for Spurs. There’s a chance Harry Winks gets back into the mix here, but the fact that he didn’t even travel to Belgrade could bode poorly for his standing in the team.
Left back-Ben Davies
Plenty of fans would love to see Ryan Sessegnon throw into the starting XI, but that isn’t Pochettino’s style. He might not even get on the bench if Rose is fit enough to back up his Welsh counterpart.
Centre back-Toby Alderweireld
Alderweireld may not have a long-term future with Tottenham, but he’s not going to be frozen out of the team entirely. Resting him at Red Star makes him a virtual lock for the starting XI on the weekend.
Centre back-Davinson Sanchez
Jan Vertonghen will miss the match due to injury which makes it overwhelmingly likely that Sanchez gets another start. If he keeps it simple, the Colombian international should have a comfortable match on Saturday.
Right back-Serge Aurier
Right back might be Tottenham’s most interesting call on the weekend. Pochettino could be tempted to go with Juan Foyth again here. One thing’s for certain, it won’t be Kyle Walker-Peters who looks to be frozen out entirely. That leaves Aurier with the start by process of elimination.
Next. Has Gazzaniga made Lloris expendable?. dark
Keeper-Paulo Gazzaniga
Hugo Lloris’ injury isn’t a positive for Spurs, but it hasn’t been a disaster either. Gazzaniga has been an exceptional shot stopper in his absence. He’ll want to make it two clean sheets in a row on Saturday.