After the gut-wrenching 3-0 defeat to Fulham before the international break, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is craving redemption this Saturday as Spurs host relegation-threatened Luton Town.
Ange Postecoglou’s boys must be fired up and ready to put on a show that sees us return to winning ways and washes away the bitter taste of the humbling at Craven Cottage.
There’s positive news for the fans to chew on as Micky van de Ven returns to action after missing the Fulham game with a hamstring issue.
Although he didn’t join the Netherlands squad during the international break, there’s optimism that he’ll be fit to face the Hatters.
The Dutchman was a key part of the machine that dismantled top-four rivals Aston Villa, and his return would be a massive boost for our defensive solidity, which was sorely missing at Craven Cottage.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon, and Manor Solomon, whose knee problems forced him under the knife again earlier this month.
Spurs fans are buzzing with anticipation as the possibility of defender Van de Ven’s return looms large. The Dutchman is expected to replace Radu Dragusin, whose full Premier League debut left much to be desired.
Van de Ven’s return would see a more familiar defensive line-up of Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro, which would be a welcome sight.
The midfield could see a tweak as well. Rodrigo Bentancur, who recently revealed he has been playing through a broken toe, could replace Yves Bissouma and join Pape Matar Sarr in the engine room.
In the attacking department, the news is even better as Richarlison returns from a knee injury. With the Brazilian striker back in contention, Brennan Johnson may find himself making way.
The trio of Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison is expected to provide ample support to Richarlison, injecting firepower into the frontline.
Tottenham potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison.