Tottenham Hotspur will now be able to field a strong team on Thursday for their Europa League playoff clash in Macedonia, with their Carabao Cup clash now having been cancelled. They will go into this game with some confidence, having beaten Southampton 5-2 on Sunday.
A win here against Macedonian side Shkendija will mean that they are just one game away from qualifying for the Europa League group stage.
On the injury front, two players that are certainly not in the mix for Thursday are Japhet Tanganga and Gareth Bale.
The former is out with a thigh injury and could miss several weeks, while the Welshman who just returned to North London after seven years is suffering from a knee problem.
The good news is that left back Sergio Reguilon could make his debut on Thursday. That is dependent on if Spurs have registered him to their Europa League squad in time. This can still be done as the rules are different for the qualifying and playoff stages.
It would have been nice for the team to have Gareth Bale available to play too, as his quality will instantly improve the overall standard of the team. He still is a world class player, but for the time being, Spurs have players who can at least take up his role until he is healthy again.
There is also a chance that Dele Alli might start the game after having been linked with a move away from London. With today’s cup game being called off, manager Jose Mourinho will have some additional time to prepare for Shkendija.
Away trips can be tricky, and Spurs should be careful that they don’t slip up here, after last week’s UEL near miss. Tottenham should still have enough to get a win in midweek, but it won’t be easy, as witnessed from their previous play-off game. Of course, the main story line here will be Spurs supporters getting a chance to see their new full back in action. Here’s the link to our starting XI prediction.