Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Heung-min Son will get minutes against Aston Villa and has explained why he has not yet decided if the Tottenham captain will start the Europa League final.
A fully fit and firing Son walks into the Tottenham Hotspur team for the final, not only given the fact that he has been a big-game player over the years, but also because of the experience and the leadership he brings to the side.
However, the South Korean only returned from his foot injury in the 2-0 win against Crystal Palace, and with just five days to go until the Europa League final, he is in a race against time to get his sharpness back before the showpiece event in Bilbao.
A couple of days ago, Postecoglou confirmed that Son will get minutes at Villa Park, and the Australian has now hinted at what the 32-year-old needs to do to secure his place in the starting eleven for the final.
Ange Postecoglou is thrilled to have Heung-min Son back but remains cautious
The Tottenham boss admitted that it is a major boost to his side to have their captain back ahead of the Europa League final against Man United.
However, one again, the Australian insisted that he would not decide on the starting eleven for Bilbao so soon, hinting that Son’s performance against Villa may influence his final decision for next Wednesday’s game.
When asked about having Son back, Postecoglou told Football.London: “It’s absolutely fantastic to have him available. He has the experience and he does have that creative ability, but the game tomorrow night, we need to get him some match minutes and see how he is,” said the head coach.
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“I’ve never tried to look too far into the future in terms of what we might do, but if nothing else, this year has taught me that our planning is pretty much a day-to-day proposition. Let’s get through training today, and let’s get through the game tomorrow. Post-game tomorrow, we can start looking at those kinds of things.”
Son is desperate to hoist the Europa League trophy at Bilbao
Over his decade-long stay at the club, the Tottenham captain has been involved in three finals, all of which have ended in heartbreak.
He is thus determined to put things right against Man United, with Son admitting that the Europa League final is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write his name into Spurs folklore.