Heung-min Son’s injury throws a major spanner in the works for Tottenham, and with a huge clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on the horizon, Ange Postecoglou has a selection dilemma on his hands. So who steps in on the left?
Ahead of the Eintracht Frankfurt clash, it all felt like good news for Tottenham on the injury front.
Dejan Kulusevski, who was a major doubt for Thursday’s showdown, returned to fitness with an early comeback against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday.
Kevin Danso was also spotted in training today after over a month out with a hamstring issue, giving the squad another timely boost.
But it’s not all rosy. Heung-min Son, who missed the Wolves match due to a foot problem, has now been ruled out entirely – he hasn’t even travelled to Germany.
This leaves a massive void on the left that requires filling. But who should start on the left in Heung-min Son’s absence? Here are five Spurs options.
Mathys Tel, the natural option for Tottenham
On Sunday, in Son’s absence, we saw Ange Postecoglou turn to Mathys Tel out on the left, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him do the same again.
Tel impressed against Wolves, grabbing his second Premier League goal by getting on the end of a Brennan Johnson cross.
He did the job in front of goal, but what stood out just as much was his willingness to track back and put in a shift defensively. He looks the favourite to get the nod again on Thursday night.
Wilson Odobert, an ace on the left
Wilson Odobert is another ace Postecoglou could turn to. The youngster brings something a bit different – he’ll run at defenders, hit the byline and whip balls across the box.
His chances have been limited lately, with just 110 minutes across his last three appearances. But this doesn’t come as a surprise, as there were whispers before the Frankfurt game of a minor knock, which might explain his absence.
If he’s fit, he’s a live option, though it’d be a bold call to throw him into a game of this magnitude if he is not fully fit.
Brennan Johnson is a viable but unconventional option
Brennan Johnson has been Tottenham’s top scorer this season, and if Spurs are desperate for a win, it might make sense to start their most dangerous attacker.
Still, using Johnson off the left would be a surprise move. He’s done his best work off the right this term and has barely featured on the opposite flank. That said, he remains a viable, but slightly unconventional, option.
Of course, moving him to the left would mean that Spurs would be playing one of their best players in front of goal out of his favoured position, which is never a good move.
Richarlison, another route to goal for Tottenham
Richarlison is another player who is firmly in the mix and has a decent case for starting on the left. We did a deep dive earlier comparing Richarlison’s numbers to Dominic Solanke’s since the turn of the year, and the Brazilian has come out on top in terms of goals scored in 2025.
He also wasted no time against Wolves either, getting on the scoresheet not long after coming off the bench.
He offers versatility – cutting inside to shoot or going wide to deliver crosses, but with Spurs easing him back in, a starting role might be a bit of a stretch.
Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham’s tactical ace
Dejan Kulusevski’s return is a big plus for Tottenham, and his availability gives Postecoglou a few more tactical cards to play.
If the manager wants to keep Brennan Johnson and James Maddison in the XI, then using Kulusevski on the left might be the solution, as it’d let him fit all his key players in one go.
However, rather than a traditional winger’s role, Kulusevski could float across that left-sided zone, allowing Destiny Udogie or Djed Spence to hold the width.
That way, Spurs could build overloads in possession using two playmakers. We’ve seen Postecoglou experiment with that setup before, typically on the right, but don’t rule out a switch to the left.
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