Tottenham Hotspur could soon welcome key attackers back into the fold, and with that comes a fresh look at how Thomas Frank may shape his side once Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke are available again.
Thomas Frank has a few players sidelined, but he would be hoping to have the majority of his squad fit after the October international break, especially as he looks to keep Spurs competitive during a demanding run of fixtures.
Players like Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr have offered a bit of an injury scare, with Bergvall withdrawing from his national side, while Sarr picked up a knock against Brazil in their recent friendly, and the hope within the club is that both issues are minor.
Frank would want this to be nothing too serious, as he is set to welcome a few of his stars back from injury following the international break, giving him more freedom to tweak his system.
Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski could be integrated after the pause, and now we have identified how Frank could set up with both players in his team.
Kulusevski as a number ten with Dominic Solanke leading the Tottenham line
Should Kulusevski and Solanke return to full fitness, Frank is set to have a variety of options when setting up his team, and this includes the possibility of using Kulusevski in the number ten role, which has mostly been occupied by Xavi Simons.
The Dutch midfielder has struggled to make an impact in a Tottenham shirt, with Spurs often finding it difficult to create enough clear chances for their forwards, particularly in matches where they dominate possession without much incision.
Putting Kulusevski through the middle could help improve that, as the Swede is technical and creative and also offers intensity in the final third with his relentless pressing, which has always been a major part of his game.
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Kulusevski, Odobert; Solanke.
Kulusevski in a deeper midfield role with Xavi Simons as the Tottenham playmaker
The pivot pairing of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur is another problem area for Spurs, with stats showing that the duo has limited Tottenham’s creativity during certain phases of matches.
Thomas Frank has backed the pairing and persisted with it regardless; however, Kulusevski’s return could give the Dane something to think about when looking for solutions in central midfield.
The Swede is not only capable of playing high up the pitch, but he can also be used in a deeper role, as he is a strong ball carrier with immense running power, a trait that would be valuable as a number eight in a system that relies heavily on vertical progression.
If Frank does deploy Kulusevski there, he can work with a front four of Simons, Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Solanke up top, while Kulusevski uses his passing ability to link up well with Simons in that number ten role.
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Kulusevski; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Solanke.
Kulusevski off the right wing with Solanke leading the Spurs attack
Another option available for Frank, should Kulusevski and Solanke return, is deploying the Swede off the right wing, a position he has operated in consistently over the years.
Mohammed Kudus has occupied that position for most of this season, but we have seen Frank experiment a little with Kudus playing more centrally, and that could continue with Kulusevski available again.
With the Swede as an option, the Dane could look to set up that way once more, using Kudus closer to Solanke while Kulusevski offers ball carrying, dribbling and creativity from the right, with Simons then used off the left but drifting inside in the role Frank has trialled previously.
This would allow Spurs to overload the central areas similarly to what Pep Guardiola is doing with Manchester City now, giving the side tactical fluidity as Kudus, Kulusevski, and Simons operate in the pockets, allowing for positional rotations throughout the game.
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Palhinha, Bentancur, Odobert; Kudus, Solanke.