Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso faces yet another setback, set to miss out v Manchester United
Just when it looks as if Giovani Lo Celso is going to turn a corner in his Tottenham career, he faces yet another setback.
Tottenham supporters and Ange Postecoglou likely just don’t know how to feel about Lo Celso.
At times this season, he has been brilliant. Back-to-back goals against Aston Villa and Manchester City demonstrated a player who was ready to step up in the absence of James Maddison.
Had it not been for the Englishman’s lengthy injury, Lo Celso would likely have not gotten near Postecoglou’s starting lineups. However, when his opportunity did arise, his performances against Villa and City showed signs of a player ready to kick on.
In the 2-1 home defeat against Unai Emery’s side (26 November) the 27-year-old completed 92 per cent of his passes, (68 out of 74), with three of those passes being key. His defensive work rate was impressive too, as he won seven of the 13 ground duels he contested while he also made one interception in addition to his four tackles (Sofascore).
He built on this performance with a positive display against City the following week, completing 100 per cent of his passes in the 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium (3 December).
However, since that match, he has started just two of Spurs’ six league matches, despite the continued absence of Maddison, his main creative rival at Hotspur Way.
An injury heading into the 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest (15 December) derailed the momentum he was beginning to build, although back-to-back starts against Bournemouth and Burnley suggested he was picking right back up where he left off.
His assist for Son Heung-min in the 3-1 home win against the Cherries (31 December) was perhaps the assist of the season, at least at Tottenham.
As seen in the image above, when the ball fell to the Argentina international in midfield, all he needed was one look up to spot the run of his captain behind the Bournemouth defence, yet he still had a lot to do to find him.
Nonetheless, his ball was perfect, as he found the South Korea international with the outside of his boot who ran through to score Spurs’ second of the afternoon and put the hosts in a commanding position.
It was Lo Celso’s second assist that day, and his bright display was rewarded with an FA Cup start in the third-round victory over Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (5 January).
The 27-year-old completed 95 per cent of his passes in the 1-0 victory over Vincent Kompany’s men, with one of those being key, completed 100 per cent of his dribbles and long balls forward and won five ground duels.
Once again, it finally looked like he was turning a corner in North London, yet just like clockwork, he now faces another setback with the Evening Standard reporting (11 January) that the midfielder is set to miss the trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday 14 January due to a muscle issue.
While there is so much promise within the playmaker, there are also signs he is a player who cannot handle the physicality and demands of the Premier League, and Tottenham and Postecoglou will now need to have a long think about what is next for Lo Celso.
In other Tottenham news, time is running out for one Under-21 star who must now prove himself out on loan.