Tottenham Hotspur resume their campaign in the UEFA Europa League when they lock horns with Wolfsberger AC in the Round of 16. It has been a disappointing start to the year for Jose Mourinho’s men who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton while receiving a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City in their recent game. A win against Wolfsberg could thus go a long way in lifting the spirits in the camp this midweek.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur Lineup Vs Wolfsberg
Defence
Tottenham will continue to miss out on the services of key fullback Sergio Reguilon, thus forcing Mourinho to deploy Ben Davies at left-back. Japhet Tanganga, on the other hand, had featured in the right-back position against Manchester City, but with Serge Aurier struggling with a calf problem, it won’t be surprising to see Matt Doherty making his return to the starting eleven.
Changes could be in order in central defence, with Eric Dier likely to make way for Toby Alderweireld. The ageing Belgian is set to operate at the heart of the four-man Tottenham backline alongside Davinson Sanchez, although Mourinho does have alternatives in Tanganga and Joe Rodon, while he could also persist with Dier.
There won’t be any alteration in goal, however, as Hugo Lloris continues to get the nod ahead of Joe Hart in between the sticks.
Midfield
Tanguy Ndombele has become a mainstay for Tottenham in the double-pivot recently and having been taken off early against Man City, the Frenchman is guaranteed to retain his place in the side. His presence in the side offers Mourinho creative firepower – something Harry Winks or Moussa Sissoko fail to provide.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another guaranteed starter in the Spurs midfield. The Dane will be in charge of orchestrating the play in a match where his team is likely to dominate possession. Lucas Moura, meanwhile, could be handed a start in the attacking midfield role once again, in the absence of Giovani Lo Celso.
Attack
Moving forward, the Tottenham frontline is set to be led by Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. As for the additional attacking slot, Mourinho will have to choose between Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Gareth Bale.
Lamela has done well for himself in recent matches and is the favourite, although it won’t be surprising to see the Portuguese tactician relying on the pace of Bergwijn.
