Ange Postecoglou faces Tottenham selection dilemma vs Aston Villa ahead of Europa League final

Ange Postecoglou must decide whether to protect his best Tottenham players or give them valuable minutes against Aston Villa, with the Europa League final just days away. Here’s our thought on how the Spurs manager is expected to handle his selection dilemmas.

There is one thing on the minds of every Tottenham Hotspur fan right now, and that is the Europa League final. It is a rare chance at silverware and a route into the Champions League – something that could redeem an otherwise forgettable domestic campaign.

Tottenham have been poor in the Premier League, and just on Sunday, they suffered their 20th defeat of the league season, the most in the club’s Premier League history.

While it undoubtedly hurts to be sitting so low in 17th, everything could change in the space of a week should Tottenham go on to lift the Europa League in Bilbao.

However, with just one match left before the final, Postecoglou has a big call to make at Villa Park. Does he keep his top stars fresh or hand them game time to ensure they are match sharp?

Ange Postecoglou faces a rotation dilemma ahead of Aston Villa vs Tottenham

At the time of writing, the Europa League final is in nine days, while the trip to face Aston Villa is just four days away. In Tottenham’s most recent Premier League outing, we saw the Australian boss rotate heavily, with eight changes made to his starting eleven.

Of those who featured from the off against Crystal Palace, only three would be seen as first-team regulars. Rodrigo Bentancur, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski were the more familiar names, though none completed the full 90 minutes.

Kulusevski picked up a knock early on and had to be withdrawn before the 20-minute mark – a tough blow for a player short on form and confidence. Bentancur managed the first half before Yves Bissouma replaced him, while Porro came off for Heung-min Son in the final half hour.

The pattern suggests deliberate game management from Postecoglou, aimed at keeping key players active while easing others in. From Sunday’s clash alone, five of Tottenham’s regular starters clocked up at least 20 minutes, enough to keep their rhythm without overextending.

Spurs could start key players, but plan early changes

But what about Friday? What can we expect? Would Postecoglou start his strongest eleven or keep them protected on the bench?

It is a delicate balance for the manager, who will want to avoid any needless injuries, yet also cannot afford to let his key men go stale.

For most of the first team, it has been a long stretch since the semi-final win in Norway, and if they do not feature on Friday, it would mark 13 days without competitive football when they next kick a ball on May 21.

That is a major risk – let us not forget that earlier this season, when Tottenham went seven days without a match before facing AZ Alkmaar, they looked rusty and ended up losing the game.

We expect Postecoglou to adopt a similar strategy to what he used against Palace. The first-team regulars could well start, but with clear plans in place to take them off early.

Players like Micky van de Ven, who is managing a fragile fitness situation, are likely to see limited minutes, while Heung-min Son should get around 60 to 70 minutes under his belt. Dominic Solanke should also start, as part of a line-up that mirrors the strongest XI for the final in Bilbao.

• READ MORE: Tottenham fans will appreciate what Ange Postecoglou said about them this week

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