Tottenham return to Premier League action on Sunday as they get ready to host local rivals Chelsea in a much-anticipated derby. The north Londoners are set to be without a host of players, so let’s go through the list.
Spurs could not get the victory on Thursday, in their first ever UEFA Conference League match. That has to worry manager Nuno Espirito Santo, given how strong Sunday’s visitors appear to be at the moment.
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Kickoff: Sun Sept 19, 5:30pm Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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There are a lot of absentees for the hosts and perhaps the most important one is Heung-min Son. The Korean has a calf problem and is a major doubt for this game. The other player falling into this category is centre back Eric Dier, who had to be substituted against Crystal Palace last week.
Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez, all of whom are in Croatia quarantining right now, will reach England on Saturday.
At least one of the three is expected to be part of the starting XI.
There are also doubts over the fitness of Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura, who limped off on Thursday night.
All of this means that the preparation for such an important clash as this has not been ideal for Spurs. They still have a team that is capable of pulling off something great this season, and have the talent that can potentially hurt the Blues. But it will take a lot from the hosts to achieve this.
With the addition of Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea are looking imperious right now as their attack is starting to click. That should spell danger for Spurs, who need to be vigilant in defence. If they are not careful, they could end up conceding a lot of goals.
Tottenham suffered their first Premier League defeat last weekend, but they face an even tougher challenge this time round.
If they manage to beat Chelsea, it would be a huge boost of confidence. But for the north Londoners to achieve this, it will be difficult given the talent they will likely have missing out on this game.