Tottenham are gearing up to recover from their recent Premier League defeat to Chelsea when they take on Wolves this Saturday.
However, they face significant challenges due to injuries and suspensions that have hit their squad. The 4-1 loss to the Blues came with added complications, as Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie received red cards during the match.
On top of that, injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven are set to keep them sidelined until 2024. These setbacks mean that Spurs' manager, Ange Postecoglou, will need to make significant changes to his starting XI.
Defensively, with Romero unavailable, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, and Ashley Phillips are likely to be the options for the central defense positions. Emerson Royal may step in to replace the suspended Udogie.
The bigger challenge arises in midfield with Maddison's absence. The Australian manager has multiple options to consider. Dejan Kulusevski could potentially take a central role, and Rodrigo Bentancur could make his first start in nine months. Other alternatives include Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, or Giovani Lo Celso as direct replacements.
Therefore, given the difficulties the North London outfit faces, some predictions lean toward a the Wanderers' victory. However, football pundits, including Paul Merson and Harry Redknapp, have varying opinions on the outcome of the upcoming match.
"This one is a very interesting game. I'll be shocked if Tottenham, with their injuries and suspensions, beat Wolves on Saturday." Merson stated in his Sportskeeda predictions column.
"I was looking at Spurs' situation and they have some bad injuries. Micky van de Ven is out and they've got Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie who are set to miss a couple of weeks due to suspension. James Maddison is going to be out too and Richarlison is set to undergo surgery. Ange Postecoglou will be fielding a makeshift backline and they are not going to be the same side that got off to a flying start to the season due to their injuries."
Paul Merson's prediction: Wolves 2-1 Tottenham.
Meanwhile, the former Spurs manager admitted:
“Wolves were on a decent run of form and then lost up at Sheffield, I can’t believe that! Molineux isn’t an easy place to go to though, they’ve already had a few upsets here this season.
"I couldn’t believe what I was watching in that Spurs-Chelsea match, it was unbelievable. The loss is one thing, the bigger concern is the amount of injuries they picked up. They don’t have a big squad as it is, let alone if they’re missing a few lads. It’s been a difficult week for Spurs, I can’t see them getting the win here. 1-1. One to watch- Hwang has been Wolves best player this season, he can cause a depleted defence some problems.”
Harry Redknapp's prediction: Wolves 1 - 1 Tottenham.
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