Tottenham Hotspur will continue their UEFA Champions League quest when they face a tricky test against Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur Arena later tonight.
The Lilywhites are coming on the back of a narrow defeat to West Ham United and have won only one of their last four games in all competitions.
Serge Aurier, Harry Kane, Harry Winks and Erik Lamela will continue their spell on the sidelines while Son Heung-Min is suspended after receiving a yellow card in the 4-3 defeat to Manchester City in the last round.
Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Sissoko were doubts heading into this clash but are likely to start, having taken part in team training this week.
Defence
Mauricio Pochettino is likely to revert to a three-man backline following yet another disappointing league defeat against West Ham United at the weekend. We can expect rotation in the fullback department as well.
That means Vertonghen could return to the heart of the Tottenham defence, alongside Davinson Sanchez and his compatriot Toby Alderweireld. All three defenders will need to be wary of Ajax’s pace on the break, however.
Juan Foyth was deployed as a right-back against West Ham but the young defender could make way for Kieran Trippier tonight while Ben Davies might be replaced by Danny Rose on the opposite flank.
Hugo Lloris, meanwhile, will retain his place in goal and the Frenchman will brace himself for a busy night against a sharp Ajax attack.
Midfield
Sissoko’s likely return to the starting lineup could come at the expense of Eric Dier, who continues to struggle with injuries and lack of form this season.
Sissoko will be deployed alongside Victor Wanyama in the double pivot, although the latter is expected to sit deeper and provide additional support to the backline. It will be interesting to see how they cope with Ajax’s cunning midfield duo of Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek.
Attack
The absence of both Kane and Son will be a huge blow for Tottenham coach Pochettino, who is now devoid of consistent options in the attacking department.
Therefore, we could expect Christian Eriksen to operate in a more advanced role alongside Dele Alli while the Spurs attack will be led by Lucas Moura, who is likely to get the nod ahead of Fernando Llorente as the number nine.
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