Those injuries just keep on coming for Tottenham and they will very likely force Thomas Frank’s hand when it comes to selecting his midfield against Borussia Dortmund.
After the defeat to West Ham at the weekend, it’s safe to say Thomas Frank and Tottenham need to produce a positive result and a good performance on Tuesday night.
The Lilywhites’ Champions League hopes hang in the balance, while some are saying Frank’s job could be over if he doesn’t get a win here.
Sadly, judging by Frank’s latest injury update at Spurs, it won’t be an easy night for anyone in white. But it does make it pretty easy to predict who will play in the midfield.
Tottenham only have three first-team midfielders eligible for Dortmund clash
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Xavi Simons will be the three players used in the midfield for Spurs on Tuesday night.
With injuries to Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, plus Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma being ineligible, Frank really doesn’t have any other choice.
It was feared Gray and Simons might be out of action, too, after they were spotted limping at the weekend. However, the pair were among the Spurs players in training this week ahead of the Champions League game.
The young pairing of Gray and Bergvall is likely to be the midfield pivot, while the Dutch playmaker Simons will operate in his usual number ten role. Barring any miracles or surprises, that’s the only logical option for Frank at this juncture.
A Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Xavi Simons midfield is quite exciting
There is the obvious issue of squad depth and the worry about what will happen if either of those players needs to be brought off on Tuesday night. If so, Frank will either need to reshuffle his formation entirely, or maybe even turn to some of the youth prospects in the peripheries of his squad.
However, ignoring that nightmare eventuality, it is pretty exciting to think about the midfield three of Gray, Bergvall, and Simons. They’re all young, very talented players that most Spurs fans would have been eager to see play together anyway.
Now that fate has determined they simply have to play together, it will be fascinating to see how that dynamic plays out.
On paper, it’s a perfect combination. Gray has the defensive mind, Bergvall is a great engine to operate as the number eight, making box-to-box runs, and Simons has all the qualities to be a game-changing playmaker on his day.
Now, the three of them need to step up and show what they’ve got on the biggest stage.