Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur restart their campaign on Saturday as they face Crystal Palace. It is a vital game for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, who have started the season with three wins in three. But things could be made difficult by an injury crisis and the international break that has made various stars unavailable for this encounter.
Predicted Tottenham Lineup Vs Crystal Palace
Defence
The international break has been particularly harsh for Tottenham, effectively ruling out Davinson Sanchez and new signing Cristian Romero due to quarantine regulations.
As such, there will be a couple of changes, with Emerson Royal, in particular, poised to make his debut after making a deadline day switch from Barcelona. He will start at his preferred right-back role, as Japhet Tanganga is likely to switch to central defence in order to deputise for the unavailable duo of Sanchez and Romero.
Eric Dier should remain at the heart of the Spurs backline, with Sergio Reguilon completing the back-four. The makeshift backline could make things a little more difficult for Hugo Lloris, who has started the season with three clean sheets.
Midfield
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains a guaranteed starter in the middle of the park for Tottenham Hotspur. But things get difficult elsewhere in midfield, with Oliver Skipp suffering from a slight niggle that may keep him from starting against Crystal Palace.
It leaves Nuno Espirito Santo with the difficult decision of choosing between Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele. The former should get the nod ahead simply because of the fact that he is more liked than the other.
Meanwhile, Dele Alli should continue in the number ten role due to the absence of Giovani Lo Celso. Much like Romero, the Argentine international is also unavailable due to quarantine regulations.
Attack
In the attack, Tottenham were dealt with the injury of Son Heung-Min during the international break. It will be a massive blow for Nuno, but perhaps an ideal excuse for the Portuguese tactician to provide an opportunity for new man Bryan Gil.
He and Lucas Moura are indeed expected to operate out wide, hoping to provide the supply for the central striker Harry Kane. Things won’t be any easier by the fact that Steven Bergwijn has also picked up a knock and will mostly be ruled out. So it is up to the starters to make things happen in the final third.
