Ange Postecoglou has revealed why Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were left out of Tottenham’s Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar.
Thursday night’s clash is one Tottenham Hotspur will want to forget in a hurry. Spurs are tipped by many to go all the way in the Europa League.
However, they fell flat against AZ Alkmaar, delivering a performance that was far from convincing.
From back to front, they struggled. Their defensive shape was shaky, the midfield lacked control, and the attack looked blunt. If not for Guglielmo Vicario’s heroics between the sticks, the scoreline could have been far worse.
The Italian shot-stopper was Spurs’ best player on the night, despite Vicario’s rather awkward moment with the travelling fans.
In the end, it was a Lucas Bergvall own goal that decided the tie. A narrow 1-0 defeat, but one that raises serious questions ahead of the return leg in north London.
Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven were saved from the pitch
There was at least a small silver lining for Spurs. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, both recently sidelined with injuries, made the matchday squad.
The Argentine had only returned to full training last week, while Van de Ven’s recovery had been closely monitored in the buildup to the game.
However, neither centre-back got a minute on the pitch. Both remained unused substitutes, and Postecoglou has now explained why.
Speaking to football.london, he said: “When I saw the pitch, I decided I was not going to risk them. A couple of extra days’ training and they will be in the mix.”
A crucial return ahead of Bournemouth and the second leg
Romero and Van de Ven were not the only injured players to return to the squad. Dominic Solanke was also back on the bench.
The Englishman did in fact get some minutes after coming off the bench as a substitute. However, he picked up a knock. Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on Dominic Solanke’s sore injury.
Looking ahead, the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium presents an opportunity for Spurs to turn things around, but they will need their key players fit and ready.
Before that, though, they face Bournemouth in the Premier League. If the centre-back duo get some minutes under their belt in that fixture, it could be a major boost heading into next week’s decisive clash.