Tottenham's projected starting XI v Middlesbrough
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham in action vs Gillingham during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Gillingham at White Hart Lane on September 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images )
Who will Tottenham start against Middlesbrough?
Tottenham face a tricky fixture this weekend when they travel to Middlesbrough. It’s a match Spurs should win, but securing three points on the road in the Premier League is rarely a straightforward task.
Further complicating issues for Mauricio Pochettino, are several prominent injury questions ahead of the match. Star striker Harry Kane will certainly miss the affair, and several other regular starters also face fitness questions. It could be a last-minute decision whether or not Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele or Danny Rose are involved.
Even with the injury doubts, it’s pretty easy to predict the majority of Saturday’s starting XI. Pairing a little bit of common sense with clues from the Tottenham squad against Gillingham on Wednesday provide us a lot of data to go on.
Even so, Pochettino has been a little more adventurous with his lineups as of late. No one expected Jan Vertonghen to start at left back last week, so I suppose anything is possible. Read on to discover the club’s likely starting lineup as they travel to Boro on the weekend.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after his team score during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane on August 20, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)
The Defense
First off, barring any sort of injury or illness, three of the back five positions are absolute locks on Saturday. The most obvious of which is the fact that captain Hugo Lloris will be back in goal for Spurs once again.
The manager’s choice for starting centre backs is just as obvious. Both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen were rested against Gillingham which means they’ll certainly start against Middlesbrough. Anything other than the normal pairing would be a major shock.
At right back, it’s a safe bet that Kyle Walker will once again get the starting now. He too, was rested midweek and has arguably been Spurs’ best player on the young season.
That leaves the real question as what Spurs will do at left back. Ben Davies played significant minutes against Gillingham, which leads me to believe that Danny Rose is going to be fit. If the English international is healthy enough to play, count on him being back in the starting XI.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Lee Cattermole of Sunderland(L) and Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur (R) battle for possession during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane on September 18, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
The Defensive Midfield
It’s pretty safe to say that we won’t see a repeat of the double-pivot Pochettino employed against Gillingham. Tom Carroll and Harry Winks won’t be the starting duo on Saturday.
Again, health really becomes a factor in the selections here. Both Eric Dier and Moussa Dembele hobbled off with hamstring injuries against Sunderland. Neither is thought to be sidelined for a long time, but it’s possible neither will be ready on Saturday.
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I’m choosing to split the difference and believe that Dier will make it back on time. He hasn’t been as injury prone as Dembele during his career, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Dembele might make the bench, but it’s also possible the club will err on the side of caution and leave him at home.
Expect Victor Wanyama to play no matter what. He wasn’t involved against Gillingham which was a pretty clear indication that Pochettino plans to use him on the weekend. The Kenyan destroyer will get another Premier League start for his new club on Saturday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Harry Winks of Tottenham Hotspur during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Gillingham at White Hart Lane on September 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The Attacking Midfield
If you thought the defensive midfield pairing had a lot of options, you haven’t seen anything yet. Pochettino has a multitude of options for his midfield three this weekend.
Dele Alli would appear to be the safest bet to start in the attacking trio. He did not see action against Gillingham which means he’ll be completely fresh for the Premier League encounter. It’d be a major shock if he doesn’t start.
The same can be said for Son Heung-Min. He’s played two brilliant Premier League matches in a row and he was also rested mid-week. Give him the second starting spot in the attacking three.
The third spot should come down to a choice between Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko. The first two saw significant action against Middlesbrough, while Sissoko was completely rested.
Despite that fact, I think Eriksen’s spirited effort against Gillingham is going to earn him the nod. He was clearly dropped due to his lack of form against Monaco, but he responded with a dominant EFL Cup effort. That should be enough to get him back in the starting XI.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Vincent Janssen of Tottenham and Josh Wright of Gillingham during the EFL Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Gillingham at White Hart Lane on September 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images )
Striker and Bench
In terms of leading the line, anyone other than Vincent Janssen would be a massive shock. He was brought in to provide cover for Harry Kane and that’s exactly the task he’ll be charged with for the next eight weeks. Expect to see a lot of the Dutchman for the foreseeable future.
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It is, however, an interesting question as to whether or not Spurs have an option to put on the bench in case of an injury to Janssen. It’s a horrible thing to even consider, but it has to be a question on Pochettino’s mind. If Shayon Harrison isn’t fit, Son might have to also serve as Janssen’s deputy.
Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko both should make the bench, and I’d expect each Spurs star to play. They’ve both shown enough in recent weeks to deserve regular consideration from their manager. Sissoko, in particular, would benefit from a run of games.
As far as defensive substitutes, expect to see the usual names. Ben Davies and Cameron Carter-Vickers should again make the squad. One small surprise for some fans, is that I’d expect Harry Winks to show up on the team sheet in case of an emergency at defensive midfielder.
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