Archie Gray damage risk emerges ahead of Tottenham v Tamworth in FA Cup
Archie Gray has been a surprise consistent starter for Tottenham in recent weeks but Ange Postecoglou has to rest him or face a potential burnout consequence.
Fortunately for Tottenham, Gray has made the step up to Premier League football almost seamlessly but given his age, too much exposure can do more harm than good and a trip to Tamworth on 12 January in the FA Cup is a perfect chance for rest.
The 18-year-old was solid again in Spurs’ EFL Cup victory against Liverpool but it was his eighth consecutive full 90 minutes and a change must be made on Sunday to protect him.
Given the gap between the two sides in the FA Cup third round, it could be the perfect opportunity for Postecoglou to utilise some of his most promising academy prospects.
Archie Gray must be rested for Tottenham v Tamworth
While Tottenham have to rely on their consistent players to maintain their performance levels, that is only possible if minutes are managed and the inclusion of Gray would show a complete disregard to this despite his showings of late.
There were already small signs of fatigue in his performance against Liverpool having misplaced 13 passes, with a 76 per cent pass accuracy (FotMob).
Gray attempted 17 long passes but completed just two of them, with a 17 per cent accuracy on show.
Defensively, however, Gray shone once again having won 100 per cent of his tackles and defensive duels while completing six recoveries in the tie against some of the countries’ most dangerous attackers.
Added to that, the ex-Leeds wonder completed three clearances and made three crucial interceptions.
Quite remarkably, 55 of his 64 touches in the game were attempted passes which showcases the high-intensity style of play Spurs are trying to utilise and when that is likely to be the case against Tamworth, it leaves Gray vulnerable to injury.
Spurs have already had some of their most important players ruled out with injury and much of that is down to the intensity of their play, so to risk a teenager in a game they should be winning without him would be a potentially damaging decision.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs have been warned not to expect an immediate impact if they are to sign this player.
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