Antonio Conte To Ring In The Changes | Predicted 3-4-2-1 Tottenham Hotspur Lineup Vs Middlesbrough

After an inspiring 4-0 win over Leeds United which resulted in the departure of Marcelo Bielsa, Tottenham Hotspur will shift their attention to the FA Cup, as they take on Middlesbrough in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. The Lilywhites had breezed past Brighton and Morecambe in the previous rounds, but it could be significantly trickier to outfox the Boro side that defeated Manchester United in the earlier round.

Predicted Tottenham Lineup Vs Middlesbrough

Defence

Antonio Conte usually likes to ring in the changes for the cup games and he is likely to do so this midweek, especially ahead of the important league encounter against Everton next weekend. Pierluigi Gollini, for one, has been a regular in cup competitions this season and should replace Hugo Lloris in between the sticks.

Japeth Tanganga, meanwhile, is facing a race against time to be fit before Tuesday’s encounter. While he may not start against Middlesbrough, we expect Cristian Romero to be rested, with Davinson Sanchez likely to occupy the central defensive role.

The Colombian should form the back-three alongside Eric Dier and Ben Davies, although it won’t be surprising to see Joe Rodon receive a start ahead of Davies.

Midfield

Oliver Skipp and new signing Rodrigo Bentancur might be sidelined once again due to their respective injuries. While the latter is nearing his recovery, he is unlikely to return to action sooner than the weekend encounter against Everton.

It leaves Conte with a choice to make in the middle of the park, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Winks starting in the last game. The Italian has no proven alternatives, but we may potentially witness Harvey White being given the nod ahead of Hojbjerg, who is likely to be rested.

White and Winks, therefore, could form the double-pivot, whereas Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon are pushing to occupy the wing-back positions as part of Conte’s rotation policy.

Attack

Finally, in the attack, Son Heung-Min could be rested, but with Lucas Moura sustaining a training injury before the Leeds United game, we may see Steven Bergwijn earn a start on the left flank. Bergwijn and Dejan Kulusevski could operate just behind the main striker Harry Kane as Tottenham look to brush aside the Middlesbrough defence this midweek.

The likes of Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine are potential alternatives in the attacking department and might be utilized later in the game.