Harry Redknapp prediction
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes Spurs will lose tonight's match against Villa.
Speaking to BetVictor the Englishman said:
This looks an interesting test for Aston Villa. They finish with this and Manchester United away, so it might all work out for them. Winning at Bournemouth last week was huge for them; they’ve got a real chance of finishing in the top five now.
Spurs lost yet again to Palace and to be honest, it could have been even worse. Obviously, all eyes are on the Europa League but I’m not sure turning up to that game in such poor form is great preparation.
Villa, 2-0.
Dejan Kulusevski injury update
Tottenham confirmed this week that Dejan Kulusevski has undergone surgery on a knee injury suffered in Sunday's defeat against Crystal Palace. The news regarding the Swede comes at the worst possible time for Ange Postecoglou as it means the attacking midfielder is now set to miss next Wednesday's Europa League final showdown against Manchester United.
Spurs have already seen James Maddison ruled out for the season with a knee injury and Postecoglou recently revealed that it is unlikely Lucas Bergvall will be back for the final following an ankle injury picked up in training at the start of May. That in turn gives the north London club a real headache in terms of creativity from midfield going into next week's European final.
"We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend," read a Tottenham statement that was published on Wednesday evening.
"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki."
Read the latest here.
Tottenham predicted team vs Aston Villa
Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make when it comes to his Tottenham line-up for the club's final Premier League away day of the season at Aston Villa.
Postecoglou will have to find a balance between ensuring no more injuries to add to those that have wiped out his creative midfielders, including this week's surgery for Dejan Kulusevski after the Swede injured the patella in his right knee, but the Tottenham boss will also be wary of his players going almost two weeks without any match action before they take on Manchester United in Bilbao.
The starters next Wednesday will need tuning up but they don't need to play the full game at Villa Park and the Spurs head coach will also worry about getting further injuries. Postecoglou could use certain players for 45 minutes to an hour of the clash with Unai Emery's side and then replace them with others set to play in Spain next week.
The midfield will be more challenging with so few players available and up front a decision needs to be made over Son Heung-min, who needs time to get sharper ahead of the final, while Dominic Solanke and Richarlison could play a portion of the match each.
Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon Postecoglou could go for to face Villa in a match that is important for both teams but in completely different ways: