Matthew Chadder

Tue 29 August 2023 17:02, UK

Ange Postecoglou is set to get his first taste of an English cup competition when he takes his Tottenham team to Craven Cottage for a Carabao Cup second-round tie against Fulham on Tuesday 29 August.

Tottenham supporters would be forgiven for double-checking the fixture list when seeing that they were due to play a Carabao Cup fixture before September had come around. For the first time in over a decade, the North London club are without European football, which means they will enter the competition before the third round.

Clubs with trips across the continent to factor in will join the cup during the third-round draw, something Spurs will have become used to doing. That is not the case this year, however, giving Postecoglou another early chance to take a look at his squad.

This could be seen as a blessing in disguise, as it will now provide the Australian with one final chance to assess his options while the transfer window remains open. The next time the club plays, the window will have slammed shut.

Fans can therefore expect a host of changes for the clash, although, with the side on a role, the manager would be wise to not disrupt his team too much and consequently jeopardise the momentum he is building.

Here Tottenham News has attempted to predict the starting XI that Postecoglou will name for the midweek match with Fulham.

Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario

Resting their shot-stopper would make little sense, especially considering Tottenham will only have one fixture a week to contend with throughout the majority of the season.

Vicario has been on a roll, with a world-class performance during his home debut for the club versus Manchester United, which he followed up with a strong performance in his side’s recent win over Bournemouth.

He made three saves on the South Coast, which prevented 0.26 expected goals, and was successful with 100 per cent of his runouts. He also completed 73 per cent of his passes (24 out of 33) in what was a very solid showing (Sofascore).

Right-back – Emerson Royal

After consecutive starts for Pedro Porro, who has played well on both occasions, this could be a great opportunity for Postecoglou to have another look at his alternative option at right-back, Emerson.

The Brazillian started against Brentford on the opening day of the season and was impressive, scoring a crucial equaliser on the stroke of half-time to get Spurs back into the contest.

After being dropped he will have a point to prove, and Craven Cottage might be the perfect place to allow him to try and prove it.

Centre-back – Davinson Sanchez

This could be a fantastic chance to put Sanchez in the shop window. As reported by Sky Sports News online in their live transfer centre (29 August, 2:30 pm), the Colombian is one of three centre-backs available for transfer this summer.

With just a matter of days to go until clubs are no longer able to do any business until January, the match against Fulham could be the perfect time for Sanchez to remind prospective buyers of his quality, as Postecoglou looks to secure his out-of-favour defender a move away.

Centre-back – Cristian Romero

While there will be the opportunity for rotation, as mentioned above, Postecoglou will be keen to keep his side’s momentum going, and it is therefore important that at least one of his starting centre-backs takes to the field during the cup tie.

Romero makes the most sense of him and Micky van de Ven, due to his superior experience of English football, and he will be raring to go again after a dominant performance against the Cherries last weekend.

The 25-year-old completed an astonishing 97 per cent of his passes (37 out of 38) while getting stuck in defensively, making six clearances, three interceptions and five tackles, as well as also winning 100 per cent of his ground duels (five out of five).

Left-back – Ben Davies

It is clear that Destiny Udogie is the preferred option for Postecoglou, with Davies set to fill in as cover, and this is a clear example of where that exact cover can prove very useful.

Udogie left the pitch in some discomfort at the weekend and it is unlikely he will be ready to play again, meaning the Welshman will have the opportunity to perhaps get a full 90 minutes under his belt.

Midfield – Yves Bissouma

There are very few players in the squad who can come in and offer what Bissouma offers and for that precise reason, the Tottenham boss might be tempted to utilise his midfield maestro once again, following his solid start to life with the Australian.

Against Bournemouth, the Mali International made five tackles and three clearances while winning nine ground duels and the one aerial duel that he contested. He completed 45 of his 51 passes, an accuracy of 88 per cent, as he once again controlled the midfield.

Having him in the team will increase the likelihood of qualification and it will be important that at least one first-team midfielder makes a start on Tuesday.

Midfield – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Once again, as reported by Sky Sports News online in their live transfer centre (29 August, 2:30 pm), the Denmark international is another player who could still leave the club before Friday’s deadline.

Therefore, similarly to Sanchez, this will be a final opportunity for Hojbjerg to show potential suitors what he could offer them should they choose to come in for him.

In addition to this, unlike Sanchez, he has been a constant in the side over the past few years and is more than capable of deputising in midfield and helping his current team get a positive result.

Midfield – Giovani Lo Celso

James Maddison has been spectacular since his summer switch from Leicester. Nonetheless, Postecoglou might now be keen to see what his alternative attacking midfield option, Lo Celso, can bring to the side.

During last season’s La Liga campaign, Lo Celso was in the 94th percentile for the number of progressive passes he made (7.75 per 90), compared to his positional peers in the competition (fbref).

He was also in the top one percentile for touches in the attacking third (31.01 per 90), which further proves his willingness to get forward from midfield, something Postecoglou would appreciate.

It is clear that the Argentine could be an option for his manager, he just needs the chance to prove it.

Right-winger – Manor Solomon

This would be the absolute perfect place for Solomon to make his first competitive start for Tottenham. Having spent part of last season on loan with the Cottagers, he will be familiar with his surroundings and have an insight into the way Tottenham’s opponents will play.

He will also be hungry to make an impact and demonstrate what he can do against his former side. During his 19 matches in the Premier League for Fulham, he scored four times and knows exactly where the back of the net is at Craven Cottage.

Although he is used to playing on the left, he might be moved to the opposite flank to make way for the club’s captain.

Left-winger – Son Heung-min

While it could be tempting to bring in Ivan Perisic, just like in the midfield, it will be important for Postecoglou to maintain some first-team faces in the forward line in order to ensure the best chance of a win. As well as this, Son had arguably his best performance of the season against Bournemouth, and this is a fantastic chance for him to build on that.

Of his attempted passes against the Cherries, 85 per cent of them were accurate (33 out of 39) and four of them were key. He also created one big chance while completing two successful dribbles from the three that he attempted.

Striker – Richarlison

Brazil’s number nine is desperate for a goal, and it is therefore vital to keep playing him. While Postecoglou could look to play Son through the middle and bring in Perisic out wide, the more that Richarlison plays, the sooner he will get that goal.

Against Bournemouth, he was hooked off on the hour mark after being booked, making just 29 touches and completing only 77 per cent of his passes (10 out of 13).

Dropping him would only damage his confidence even further, and Postecoglou cannot afford to do that.

In other Tottenham news, John Wenham of Lillywhite Rose expects a big season for the Women’s team this year.