This week, the FA Cup is on the agenda as Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham return to the pitch. After a weekend off following Wednesday’s Premier League break, Spurs will be back in action on Friday night when Man City travel to North London.
Tottenham really couldn’t have wished for a tougher fourth-round draw, but City will fear Postecoglou’s team themselves given their terrible record at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the form of the Lilywhites this term.
If Spurs do indeed manage to progress beyond the league champions, they will be one of the favourites in the competition as Arsenal have already been knocked out and one of Chelsea or Aston Villa will be eliminated in the fourth round.
Ahead of Friday’s FA Cup encounter, which will take place under floodlights, the Spurs squad enjoyed a well-deserved rest, having had Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. Postecoglou will return to Hotspur Way on Monday to prepare for the game against Man City and will have plenty to do before Friday’s match at 8pm.
Below, we take a look at what the 58-year-old coach will be trying to sort out in the coming days.
James Maddison decision:
Tottenham will be in front on Friday at 7pm when they take on Man City in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Spurs, who have had Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven back recently, could get another big injury boost as James Maddison returns to the matchday squad for the first time since early November.
The England international has waited an incredibly long time to return to full fitness, but his summer signing is getting closer to his return. Postecoglou reported on Maddison ahead of the recent away game at Manchester United and revealed that he will hopefully return to first team training between the two Manchester games.
If this is indeed the case and if he proves he is ready, the 27-year-old could take the field in the FA Cup against Man City. Postecoglou and his coaching team will be keeping a very close eye on Maddison this week as they look to make another significant improvement in fitness.
Check the injured players:
Maddison is not the only player to have been injured recently, as Tottenham’s treatment room is full. Manor Solomon has been on the injured list for a month longer than Maddison, and the wing-back last featured against Liverpool at the end of September.
He could also be close to a return soon, which would be very positive for Tottenham given that his teammate Son Heung-min is currently absent for the Asian Cup.
Giovani Lo Celso and Ben Davies also found themselves in the treatment room after being injured in the FA Cup win over Burnley earlier in the month, while Ryan Sessegnon, who returned for that game, missed the match against Manchester United due to a “slight problem”.
Dejan Kulusevski also missed the Old Trafford game due to illness, while Alejo Veliz is not expected to return until a few months after his knee injury against Bournemouth. Postecoglou, who has received some timely reinforcements in the injury department recently, is hoping for more positive news as he wants to see some familiar faces back in the game sooner rather than later.
Opt for the centre of the pitch:
Due to injuries and international commitments, Postecoglou currently has limited options. This meant that the midfield in the last meeting with Manchester United chose itself: Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg started in the middle of the park in a three-man midfield.
The trio did very well in the 2-2 draw, but the lack of an attack-minded central midfielder was evident. Kulusevski will return to the starting line-up on Friday night at home against Man City, as will Maddison if he is fit to play after an injury lay-off.
It would make sense to ease the former Leicester City player back into the starting eleven given his injury, but you can never say never to a potential starting spot, as Bentancur returned to the starting eleven on New Year’s Eve against Bournemouth, although he was initially expected to be out until mid-February. If that had happened, everyone at Tottenham Hotspur would have cheered.
Postecoglou’s choice of midfield will be crucial as Tottenham target a fifth-round qualification.
Rest assured, City’s miserable record at Spurs will continue:
Tottenham, despite missing a number of players, really gave City a very good game at the Etihad Stadium in December after coming away with a point after a 3-3 draw. It is safe to say that the Premier League champions do not like meeting the Lilywhites, as evidenced by the reaction of their fans after the FA Cup fourth round draw.
Spurs seem to have some sort of hood over Pep Guardiola’s men in the games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. City have not won in five visits to Tottenham’s new home and have not scored a goal in that time.
That losing record will end at some point, and Postecoglou and Tottenham must ensure that doesn’t happen on Friday night when they break their duck at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Australian and his coaching staff will have a detailed plan in place to make sure Spurs win and send a big message in doing so.