Tottenham Hotspur heads to Southampton FC for a matchup of two teams with very, and I mean VERY long injury and absentee lists. For Spurs, at least the news isn’t as bad for Ben Davies, as had been initially feared.
“Ben is not as bad as first thought,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglu said of the thigh injury to Davies. “There is a chance he could be back hopefully before the new year, so that was positive again.”
Tottenham Hotspur at Southampton FC
Kickoff: Sun. December 15, 7pm, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, UK
Preview Material for Both Sides: Team News Starting XI Predictions
Win Probability: Draw 21% Tottenham Hotspur 57% Southampton FC 22%
Premier League Form, Standing: Tottenham Hotspur 12th, 20pts LWDLL Southampton FC 20th, 5 pts, LLDLL
Team News for Both Sides
Davies is the only injured player that could be back any time, relatively soon. There is no timeline right now for Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (quad), Wilson Odobert (thigh) and Richarlison (also a thigh) while Guglielmo Vicario (fractured ankle) is done for the season. Meanwhile Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur are both suspended for this one.
Shifting gears to Saints, Gavin Bazunu (Achilles), Ross Stewart (muscular), William Smallbone (thigh), Aaron Ramsdale (finger) and Juan Larios (undisclosed issue) are all ruled out here while Jack Stephens is suspended.
The closest to recovery, out of those ruled out, is Ramsdale, with the English international goalkeeper likely returning in a few days.
“Rambo is very close,” Saints boss Russell Martin said on Thursday. “He may be back for the Liverpool game, but if not, the Fulham game after that.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.