Predicting Tottenham's Starting XI Against Monaco
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur in action during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Wednesday’s match against Monaco in the Champions League will be the first real test of the Tottenham’s strength in depth this season.
Barring injuries and suspensions, Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t had to rotate his starting XI all that much over the first four matches of the season. The mid-week contest precedes a visit from Sunderland on Sunday, and thus more or less demands that some changes be made.
Luckily, Tottenham spent the bulk of the summer preparing for just such a situation. Their recruitment on the transfer market was almost entirely about adding depth to the bench and allowing Pochettino to confidently rest and rotate his preferred XI.
That doesn’t necessarily mean we will see a wholesale swap of the team that won 4-0 against Stooke on Saturday. Rather, the rotation will be piecemeal, a reflection of what’s available on the bench and who needs the rest the most.
Let’s take a look at what that rotation will likely look like for Wednesday’s match.
Predicted Tottenham Starting XI
There’s plenty for Tottenham to be wary of when Monaco come to Wembley on Wednesday. Pochettino can still confidently call upon his upgrade bench to fill in some holes without missing too much of a beat.
Pochettino’s never had many qualms with rotating out the full-back positions. With Danny Rose still out for a pulled hamstring and Walker due for a break of his own, we should likely see Ben Davies and Kieran Trippier start.
Kevin Wimmer didn’t make the bench against Stoke on Saturday and it’s unlikely that Pochettino will want to give Cameron Carter-Vickers his debut in the Champions League. Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld will almost certainly start again at centre-back.
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The return of Mousa Dembélé changes the complexion of midfield. Pochettino can drop Eric Dier in favor of Victor Wanyama without missing a beat, while having the Belgian running the length of the middle third will increase Tottenham’s transition opportunities.
The players that stand to benefit from Dembélé’s presence most will experience some changes as well. Érik Lamela did not start against Stoke and is favorite to start here on the opposite end of Moussa Sissoko. It will be the Frenchman’s debut since arriving at the club for a record fee of £30 million on the final day of the transfer window.
Either Christian Eriksen or Dele Alli will start through the middle. There are good reasons for both to start against what will be a stern Monaco defense, but Alli’s fine form over the last two matches might earn him the start.
Perhaps the biggest question mark will be who starts at the top of Tottenham’s formation. Harry Kane scored his first goal of the season on Saturday and Pochettino might be inclined to capitalize on any momentum that generated.
Newcomer Vincent Janssen was brought in precisely to cover for Kane in situations like this though, and it seems more likely that Pochettino sticks to that script when choosing his team for Wednesday.
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