Antonio Conte has a tough choice to make with his Tottenham squad when he has all of his players in full fitness
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham squad is now set for the second half of the season following the closure of the January transfer window. Adding two new faces to the first-team squad as Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro sealed moves from Villarreal and Sporting CP respectively, the Lilywhites also clinched a deal for youngster Jude Soonsup-Bell who will now link up with the academy.
The final week of the window also saw Matt Doherty depart on a permanent basis as both parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract which allowed him to join Atletico Madrid as a loan deal was not possible. Doherty wasn’t the only player to head out of the door as Djed Spence, Bryan Gil, and Harvey White all sealed loan deals in order to increase their pitch time after limited opportunities at Tottenham during the first part of the season.
Following the club’s transfer business, Conte has a 25-man first-team squad to work with between now and the end of the campaign. The head coach has options right across the park to choose from as they look to achieve their goals, but it does also mean that five players will miss out on the matchday squad on a weekly basis.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte and Tottenham handed injury blow as Yves Bissouma to undergo surgery
That was very much the case last Sunday when the team produced a fine performance to seal a 1-0 win over Man City courtesy of Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal. The unlucky quintet on that day with a fully-fit squad available to choose from were goalkeepers Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, Japhet Tanganga, Pape Matar Sarr, and Lucas Moura.
Maybe an easy decision for Cristian Stellini and Conte to leave Sarr and Lucas out of the matchday squad after only just recently returning from injury, the decisions will get that bit harder over the coming weeks if everyone is available and at peak fitness. However, that is a conundrum facing managers at the best clubs week in, and week out as they have the strength in depth required to challenge on all fronts, and that unfortunately results in some players watching on from the stands.
As much as Conte and Stellini would like to name the same team that defeated Manchester City last weekend, Spurs will have to make three changes to the matchday squad due to the absences of Hugo Lloris, Cristian Romero, and Yves Bissouma. The goalkeeper will now be out for six to eight weeks after suffering a knee injury late in the win over Manchester City, with Romero serving a one-match suspension for two bookable offenses last weekend.
Spurs were already set to be without the duo when it was announced on Thursday evening that Yves Bissouma will have surgery on Friday to repair a stress fracture in his left ankle. Because a timetable for his return will be determined only after surgery, Conte and Spurs may be without the Mali international for an extended period of time, just as some crucial games are approaching.
In terms of Saturday’s trip to Leicester, Fraser Forster taking on Lloris’ gloves will likely see Austin rather than Whiteman come into the squad and provide cover for the ex-Southampton man. Fellow academy graduate Tanganga will also then be in line for a recall and be the second center-back on the bench as Conte does like to ensure he has two options available to him in the main positions just in case injury strikes during the 90 minutes.
Bissouma’s absence will allow Sarr to return to the matchday squad for the first time since the 4-2 defeat at Manchester City, meaning Lucas may be missing from the 20-man squad once more unless Conte can find a way for the Brazilian to fit into his plans. Injuries and suspensions will make the head coach’s squad selection for Leicester a little easier this week, though he would undoubtedly prefer to have a difficult choice to make every game so that he has a full complement of 25 players to choose from.
Tottenham Hotspur’s possible starting lineup, substitutes’ bench, and absent players vs. Leicester City
Forster; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Austin, Porro, Lenglet, Tanganga, Sessegnon, Skipp, Sarr, Richarlison, and Danjuma are the substitutes.
Lloris, Whiteman, Romero, Bissouma, and Lucas are all out.
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