Tottenham XI v Manchester United: Ange Postecoglou to axe Oliver Skipp
Tottenham have the opportunity to leapfrog their North London rivals Arsenal, at least for a week, with victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday 14 January.
Spurs return to league action after their 1-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 5 January.
Ange Postecoglou can guide his side back into the Premier League’s top four with victory at the theatre of dreams and make it three wins on the bounce in all competitions.
They face a Manchester United side struggling for form, with just one win in their last five league matches, although will still be wary of the threat Erik ten Hag’s side pose, especially at home.
High-flying Aston Villa found themselves 2-0 up at Old Trafford just a few weeks ago, only to concede three second-half goals and lose the match.
Whatever the form of United, visiting the red side of Manchester is never an easy task, and Postecoglou will need to get his team selection spot on if the Australian and his players stand any chance of leaving with all three points. Luckily for the 58-year-old, it looks as if he will be boosted by the return of a few familiar faces, as well as some new ones, in his matchday squad.
Guglielmo Vicario will be expected to continue between the sticks after his clean sheet against Vincent Kompany’s men.
Managers often drop their first-choice goalkeepers for cup fixtures, but Postecoglou decided to stick by the Italy international for the visit of Burnley, and while the 27-year-old had very little to do, it is hard to fault him after he made one save, one high claim and completed 86 per cent of his passes, as well as playing four accurate long balls forward (Sofascore).
Pedro Porro will likely continue at right-back, boosted in confidence after his match-winning wonder goal in the FA Cup which booked Spurs’ place in the fourth round. In addition to the 78th-minute screamer, Porro won eight ground duels, made four tackles and played three key passes.
Destiny Udogie also kept his place against Burnley, and will likely do so against United after his two-key pass performance.
It is in the heart of defence where things may change for the better.
Micky van de Ven returned to the matchday squad against Burnley as a substitute, and while he didn’t come off the bench, the Dutchman will likely start on Sunday. It will be his first appearance in more than two months, and his return will be a huge boost to Postecoglou after his imperious displays in his early days as a Tottenham player.
Alongside him, Cristian Romero could make a return of his own which would see Spurs’ first-choice pairing reunite. Romero has been out of action since picking up an injury in the 2-1 home win against Everton (23 December) but is now back in full training (Evening Standard, 11 January) and in contention to start at Old Trafford.
In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur will be expected to continue after his miraculous return to the team. The Uruguay international started in the FA Cup against Burnley and looked as if he was beginning to find his feet again after such a lengthy lay-off, succeeding with four of his five dribble attempts, winning six ground duels and playing two key passes.
With Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma both on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could return to Spurs’ midfield. Oliver Skipp started against Burnley, but the Englishman completed just 67 per cent of his passes, and Postecoglou might be keen to try something different this weekend.
Dejan Kulusevski has impressed in the number ten role as of late and could return to that position against United with Giovani Lo Celso set to miss the trip due to injury. Kulusevski did struggle against Burnley, failing to play a key pass or provide an accurate cross from the three he attempted, and the Swede will hope to put in a much-improved display against United.
With talisman and top scorer Son Heung-min also unavailable for selection as he competes at the Asia Cup with South Korea, a new-look front three could take shape against ten Hag’s side. Richarlison will likely continue through the middle, despite his struggles in the FA Cup as he lost all four of his ground duels and completed just 71 per cent of his passes.
Brennan Johnson will be expected to keep his place on the right and there could be a Spurs debut on the left for Timo Werner. The club announced the signing of the Germany international on a six-month loan deal from RB Leipzig this week (Tottenham Hotspur Official Website, 9 January), and the 27-year-old could be thrown straight in at the deep end with Postecoglou limited in his forward options.
In other Tottenham news, one BBC pundit has urged Postecoglou to not risk an “outstanding” star against United.