Five Tottenham players who could fill the Kudus void at RW for Roberto De Zerbi - Opinion
Tottenham Hotspur face a defining weekend in their relegation battle, but a fresh injury blow to Mohammed Kudus has handed Roberto De Zerbi yet another problem to solve before a ball is even kicked. We have now identified five different ways the new Spurs boss could look to fill the void left by Kudus.
The Premier League is set to return this weekend, with Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation rivals West Ham United the ones to kick things off.
The Hammers are set to take on last-placed Wolves on Friday night, with a victory at the London Stadium set to send Spurs into the bottom three before they kick a ball.
However, this gameweek still provides Tottenham with a golden opportunity in their fight to avoid relegation.
While they might start the gameweek in 18th place, a victory in their game against Sunderland, alongside defeats for both Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, could well see Tottenham leapfrog both sides and end the week in 15th place.
Forest face Aston Villa in fourth, while Leeds are set to take on Manchester United in third – two difficult games for Spurs’ relegation rivals.
But the last time Tottenham found themselves in a position to pile pressure on their relegation rivals, they crumbled, losing 3-0 to Forest last time out, and that is something De Zerbi will be looking to avoid this week.
Unfortunately for the new Spurs boss, he has been handed a major injury blow ahead of the Sunderland clash, with Mohammed Kudus reported to have picked up an injury that will require surgery.
That is certainly a big blow for Tottenham, who have missed Kudus’ creativity and dribbling during his absence. But with everything still to play for, De Zerbi must find a solution, and five different options could now be considered to fill the void.
Tottenham could move Mathys Tel to right wing role
One solution the Tottenham manager might consider is turning to Mathys Tel, who is capable of filling in on both flanks and through the centre of the attack.
Such versatility could allow Spurs to cover the right wing in the absence of Kudus while maintaining attacking balance.
Should Tel move over to the right, Xavi Simons could shift to the left to offer width in attack on that flank.
This would allow De Zerbi to maintain his 4-2-3-1 shape while preserving the threat on both wings.
Randal Kolo Muani – positional record
| Played as… | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left Winger | 57 | 11 | 8 |
| Centre-Forward | 54 | 7 | 1 |
| Right Winger | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| Attacking Midfield | 1 | – | – |
Spurs could deploy Randal Kolo Muani wide right
Another option would be for De Zerbi to deploy Randal Kolo Muani on the right as a direct replacement for Kudus. The on-loan Frenchman is capable in that role, and Spurs have used him there already this season.
However, in those games, he has looked underwhelming, which raises the question of whether De Zerbi will use him out wide when he is most dangerous centrally.
Still, with positional fluidity now common, Muani could feature nominally on the right while drifting into central areas, with Tottenham’s right-back instead providing width against Sunderland.
Randal Kolo Muani – positional record
| Played as… | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-Forward | 194 | 65 | 40 |
| Right Winger | 23 | 5 | 4 |
| Left Winger | 15 | 5 | 1 |
| Second Striker | 3 | – | 1 |
| Attacking Midfield | 2 | – | – |
Tottenham full-backs could provide width on the right
While injuries have hit other areas, the full-back positions remain relatively stable and could provide a solution.
With Destiny Udogie fit, he is likely to hold down the left-back spot given his ability to overlap and invert when needed.
That could leave Djed Spence available to be deployed higher up on the right. Thomas Frank has already used Spence in a similar role this season, and while the full-backs may not always push high, they can provide width as Spurs look to stretch play.
Pedro Porro is another option, offering a similar attacking threat from wide areas.
Spurs could use Richarlison in flexible attacking role
Like Muani, Richarlison is another option De Zerbi can turn to as he looks to fill the Kudus void. The Brazilian has featured out wide on 48 occasions, scoring 10 goals and registering five assists so far in his career, making him a decent option on the right.
But the Brazilian could also be used as a second striker behind the number nine, offering a different dynamic. During De Zerbi’s time at Brighton, Joao Pedro often operated in a similar role behind the striker, and that approach could be replicated here.
A potential setup could see Tel on the right, Simons on the left, and Richarlison behind Dominic Solanke.
Richarlison – positional record
| Played as… | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-Forward | 186 | 54 | 16 |
| Left Winger | 118 | 35 | 20 |
| Right Winger | 48 | 10 | 5 |
| Attacking Midfield | 4 | 1 | – |
Tottenham could turn to Souza as an emergency right midfield option
Another option would be to turn to Souza to provide cover on the right against Sunderland.
Despite making the leap from Brazil to the Premier League in the winter window, the full-back has featured a few times and has barely put a foot wrong.
In fact, despite being a left-back by trade, Igor Tudor used Souza as a right midfielder against Liverpool.
| Played as | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left-Back | 2 | – | – |
| Left Midfield | 1 | – | – |
| Right Midfield | 1 | – | – |
He delivered a solid display, and for that reason, it would not be a surprise if De Zerbi turned to him again in the absence of Kudus.
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