With injuries piling up and options thinning, Roberto De Zerbi faces a selection headache ahead of Tottenham’s crucial clash with Aston Villa. We have now predicted Tottenham’s starting XI.
Time is slowly becoming an enemy of Tottenham Hotspur as they remain in the relegation zone with four games to go.
Two points currently stand as the difference between Spurs and safety, but the impressive form of their relegation rivals has only made it more difficult for the Lilywhites to climb out of the drop zone.
This weekend once more provides Tottenham with an opportunity to leave the bottom three, but they must beat Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, while West Ham United needs to lose or draw.
De Zerbi certainly has a big task on his hands on Sunday, and we have now attempted to predict how the Italian might line up against Aston Villa.
Tottenham predicted XI vs Aston Villa as Roberto De Zerbi replaces Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke
Goalkeeper – Antonin Kinsky: Guglielmo Vicario could be back in contention for this clash, but we do not see De Zerbi dropping Kinsky, who has been impressive since taking his place between the sticks.
Right-back – Pedro Porro: The Spaniard has certainly looked like a live wire since De Zerbi took charge when going forward. In a squad that is in desperate need of creativity, he offers that spark, and we expect him to keep his place in the starting XI this weekend.
Centre-back – Kevin Danso: It was a much better outing for the centre-back, who bounced back in style after his costly mistake against Brighton, helping his side keep a clean sheet. With Cristian Romero out, we expect him to continue at the back for Tottenham.
Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: While everyone seems to be picking up injuries, van de Ven, who has had injury issues, has managed to stay fit, and De Zerbi will be hoping it continues that way as the business end of the season approaches.
Left-back – Destiny Udogie: The Italian missed out against Wolves, but De Zerbi hinted that Udogie’s knock is nothing serious and that he could be in contention for this weekend’s game, so we expect him to come in for Djed Spence.
Pivot midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: With each passing game, Bentancur is proving his quality. He was once again superb against Wolves, and we see no reason why he will be benched.
Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: De Zerbi continues to lean on experience, and we do not see that changing in this encounter. We expect the Bentancur and Bissouma partnership to continue, with no changes in the pivot role.
Centre-midfielder – Conor Gallagher: The midfielder offers a lot in the middle of the park, as he not only leads the press but also joins in attack while helping out in duels. De Zerbi certainly likes him, and we can see him sticking with him in this game.
Right midfielder – Kolo Muani: His performances in the last two games have been largely underwhelming, but De Zerbi looks set to stick with him and is determined to help Muani find his form. Tottenham remain short in attack, so he should keep his spot.
Striker – Richarlison: Dominic Solanke picked up a muscular injury against Wolves, and that should see Richarlison come in for him after grabbing the assist for Joao Palhinha’s winner in the last game.
Left midfielder – Mathys Tel: With Xavi Simons suffering an ACL injury and now set to miss the rest of the season, including the World Cup, we can see De Zerbi turning to Tel to offer width on the left and operate as a traditional winger instead of drifting inside as Simons usually did.
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