Fulham v Tottenham: Key man one of eight ruled out at Craven Cottage
Tottenham will have several players ruled out for the Premier League contest with Fulham on Sunday.
Spurs return to Premier League action after securing progression to the Europa League quarter-finals after a 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday (13 March).
That competition represents Ange Postecoglou’s only chance of success this campaign with the Lilywhites sitting 13th in the domestic standings.
However, it is important that they keep momentum flowing ahead of their European exploits and they can start against their London rivals.
Dejan Kulusevski ruled out for Fulham clash
Dejan Kulusevski is the major absentee for Spurs. The Sweden star has notched ten goals and ten assists in all competitions but is still missing.
Richarlison is another attacker that is expected to miss the clash, while defenders Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin are also out.
Marco Silva’s side will be missing Kenny Tete, Reiss Nelson and Harry Wilson through injury, while Sasa Lukic is suspended for the contest.
Kulusevski is a huge miss for Tottenham
Postecoglou will be desperate to get Kulusevski back into his side, as he has been a rare positive in a dismal season so far.
With the likes of Son Heung-Min, Dominic Solanke and Timo Werner failing to fire recently, it makes the impact of the 24-year-old’s absence even harder.
Spurs need their star man to be back fit and firing for the business end of the season if they are to forge a route to the Europa League final and end their 17-year trophy drought.
Tottenham may face a battle to keep Kulusevski in the summer as his form and age profile is expected to bring interest from big clubs when the transfer window reopens.
However, he is contracted until 2028 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so the North London outfit will be confident that they can retain his services.
If they are to ensure long-term success, they must keep the Sweden international around. He is vital to their chances of winning trophies and Postecoglou’s chances of keeping his job, given the fact that he has stepped up when the rest of the attack has been misfiring.