Thomas Frank could be set to tweak his attack as Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend.
The Lilywhites have had several stars playing for their countries in the recent international break, but that should do little to affect the manager’s team selection for this Sunday’s clash.
Tottenham host Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, as they chase a victory that could see them climb to the top of the table if Arsenal and Liverpool drop points.
Frank has had a chance to take stock of where his squad is at over the recent break, and with that in mind, he could be about to make a couple of slight tweaks to the starting XI for Sunday’s game.
Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert drop to the bench vs Aston Villa
Mathys Tel started for Tottenham in the win over Leeds United last time out and netted his first goal of the season.
MORE SPURS STORIES
The Frenchman has struggled for gametime so far during Frank’s reign, and was notably left out of the squad for the Champions League.
He has shown signs of regaining the manager’s trust in recent weeks, but he could be set to return to the bench this weekend, after completing just 29 per cent of his passes in the clash against the Whites.
The 21-year-old scored with his only shot on target in the game, but was left fairly isolated at the top of the pitch, as he enjoyed just 13 touches of the ball, the lowest total of any player who started the game.
Randal Kolo Muani will need to be eased back into action after his lengthy injury lay-off, so Richarlison is likely to come in and lead the line.
Elsewhere in the side, Frank is likely to stick with largely the same XI that survived the potential banana skin at Elland Road at the start of the month.
However, he may be tempted to bring Lucas Bergvall back into the side in place of Wilson Odobert in a bid to bolster the midfield against a dangerous Villa team, with Xavi Simons heading back out to the wing.
Mathys Tel has to think carefully about Tottenham future
Tel has had a turbulent few months at Tottenham, which nobody would have foreseen when he turned his loan move from Bayern Munich into a permanent switch at the start of the summer.
The forward is averaging just 38 minutes per game in the Premier League at the moment, while he is typically getting no more than 11 touches on each outing.
He is not getting the level of gametime that is needed for a young player to develop effectively, and with the likes of Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke drawing closer to full fitness, it won’t get any easier for him to earn opportunities moving forward.
With that in mind, Tel surely has to assess his situation carefully in January, as a loan move or even a permanent departure could seriously benefit him.