LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on 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 Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Mauricio Pochettino has the unenviable task of building a competitive team for Saturday’s Premier League match against Middlesbrough.
He will be forced to do so while taking into consideration not only up to four injuries but also Tuesday’s trip to Russia to take on CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.
The team Pochettino names Saturday is consequentially a bit hard to predict. It seems doubtful that he would risk the health of his injured players, especially against opposition like Middlesbrough. Will his bench be up to the task of keeping Tottenham’s unbeaten streak alive however?
We got some possible hints as to who will start here with the squad named by Pochettino in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Gillingham. That team featured mostly youngsters, though the sparing inclusion of first team regulars suggests that even some uninjured members of the starting XI will be rested for the Champions League.
Let’s examine what options Pochettino has and debate just how adventurous he’s willing to be as Tottenham travel to Middlesbrough.
Probable Tottenham Starting XI
Dramatic rotations like the one Pochettino implemented last week against Sunderland are, to say the least, out of the ordinary. He usually prefers to stick with a tight starting XI regardless of how dense the fixture list is.
The prior midweek performance against Monaco suggested that it was time for a change however. Christian Eriksen and Érik Lamela were left out of the starting XI in favor of Heung-min Son and Moussa Sissoko respectively. That both of the former two players started against Gillingham suggests that they might be out of contention for Saturday.
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As ever, it’s not as simple as that. Both Eric Dier and Mousa Dembélé were forced off the pitch with minor injuries last week and might not be risked here. If Pochettino goes with his next best options in those positions — Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko — that might force Lamela into another start.
Sissoko would likely have otherwise occupied Lamela’s role on the right of the attack were he not forced elsewhere in the XI. That’s just as well — Sissoko didn’t quite look comfortable in the position against Sunderland.
Dele Alli will likely operate in tandem with Heung-min Son to provide service for Vincent Janssen, in for the more certainly injured Harry Kane. Pochettino will hope that mix of ingenuity, wide play and finishing will be able to assault Boro at just enough angles to break the hosts down.
The only question in defense is the inclusion of the recently injured Danny Rose. Pochettino might not have been thrilled with Ben Davies’ efforts against Monaco, but starting him here will likely be better than risking Rose.
In sum, this is what a Tottenham team with actual depth looks like. There are no tremendous risks here, no players playing out of position. Even if all four of Tottenham’s doubtful players don’t take the pitch, this is a team that should see off Boro easily.
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