Opinion: Five players Tottenham should rest against Southampton for the Europa League
Tottenham have a Europa League quarter-final on the horizon and with Southampton up next in the league, Ange Postecoglou has a huge call to make—go full strength or protect his key men? Here are five players Spurs should absolutely wrap in cotton wool this weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to bounce back after what was a dismal 1-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a performance that left plenty to be desired.
Before that clash, Ange Postecoglou had spoken of a renewed excitement around the Tottenham squad, insisting that his players were fired up to do something special during the run-in.
But that optimism was quickly snuffed out under the lights in west London, where Spurs offered little in response.
Next up is a Premier League meeting with relegation-threatened Southampton, but with the Europa League quarter-final against Frankfurt coming just days later, all eyes will be on Thursday night’s clash rather than the weekend’s league business.
Ange Postecoglou needs to rotate his Tottenham team
We don’t expect Postecoglou to roll out a full-strength Tottenham XI this weekend—in fact, it would be a surprise if he didn’t ring the changes, especially with the Europa League in mind. Here are five Spurs players we expect to be given the afternoon off.
Micky van de Ven is a Tottenham injury risk
Micky van de Ven—every Spurs fan knows the Dutchman’s injury record all too well. On Thursday night, there was a moment of panic when he went into a challenge and looked to be in discomfort.
While Postecoglou has said van de Ven is fine for Sunday, there’s absolutely no reason to risk him. He should be nowhere near the pitch against Southampton—just wrap him in bubble wrap and get him ready for Frankfurt.
Cristian Romero has played loads of minutes
Cristian Romero has shouldered the lion’s share of minutes at centre-back since returning from injury.
Since logging 61 minutes against Bournemouth, the Argentine has played 428 minutes, including three straight 90s—twice for Argentina during the break and once for Tottenham, in the Chelsea loss.
That’s a lot of football in a short space of time, so it’s only sensible that he sits out the Southampton clash. Archie Gray and Ben Davies are more than capable of filling in this weekend.
Heung-min Son’s quality is vital for Tottenham
Heung-min Son remains Tottenham’s most productive attacker this season, but his recent form has been patchy at best.
He was heavily relied on against Chelsea as the out ball, which only adds to the argument that he needs a breather.
With the first leg against Frankfurt looming large, this is the perfect chance to hand him a rest and maybe give someone like Tel the chance to sharpen up in his place.
Lucas Bergvall’s energy in the middle is key
Lucas Bergvall has looked electric in recent outings and is quickly becoming a fan favourite. The boos that rang around Stamford Bridge when he was subbed off said it all.
At just 19, he’s already shown he’s got the spark, and with Frankfurt in mind, it’d be smart management from Postecoglou to keep him fresh for Thursday night’s massive clash.
Dominic Solanke needs to reset
Dominic Solanke put in one of his poorest shifts in a Spurs shirt against Chelsea—he was barely involved and had little impact.
With Richarlison nearing a return, this could be the perfect time to take Solanke out of the firing line. A short stint on the bench might be what he needs to reset before Thursday’s big night in Europe.
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