Tottenham Hotspur faces French side Rennes in the last match of what has been a tumultuous group stage in the UEFA Conference League. It may force Antonio Conte to once again turn to the same players who let him down so badly in their Match Day 5 clash with Slovenian side NS Mura. That is if the rumors regarding an outbreak of COVID are true.
The horror show in Slovenia will still be fresh in the minds of all related to this club. The reaction to the loss has been positive in the Premier League, where Spurs have scored five goals and conceded none, recording two victories. Fans will now expect a response on the continent.
The Lilywhites will want to avoid the ignominy of being bundled out of Europe’s third-tier competition at the group stage phase. Anything less than a victory here will see that becomes a reality.
Tottenham vs Rennes FYIs:
Kick-off time: 8 PM GMT, 9th December 2021
Tottenham Starting XI Prediction: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Tottenham (DWLWW) Rennes (WDWLW)
Ryan Sessegnon will miss this match after receiving a red card in the horror show against NS Mura. I have copped a lot of flack after campaigning for him to get a chance and then he went and got himself a red card in less than a half of football. Who knows when he will get another chance in the first team.
The rumors are rampant about which Spurs players have tested positive for COVID. Ever since a leak suggested that half of the 12 positive tests from the latest round of COVID testing were Tottenham players, speculation has been rife about who it might be.
Two players who almost certainly are amongst the ‘Tottenham Six’ are Bryan Gil and Emerson Royal; the two players missed the Norwich clash with ‘illness’.
Long-term absentees Cristian Romero and Gio Lo Celso both remain out with their respective injuries. The Argentinian duo still faces a spell on the sidelines with Romero not likely to play again this calendar year. The news is slightly more positive for Lo Celso, who returned to training this week.
Finally, there is a cloud of doubt surrounding Sergio Reguilon’s fitness after he had to be taken from the field, with a knock in the Norwich game.
I believe he is a 50/50 chance to play in this crunch Conference League clash.
A full-strength Spurs side would take care of Rennes, but with this COVID cloud causing selection headaches, I am not so confident.
I am going for a score draw that sees Tottenham’s European adventures end for the season.