Tottenham Hotspur have just sent a big hint regarding the possibility of Tynan Thompson or Mason Melia being handed their debuts against Aston Villa.
Tottenham continue to struggle with a massive number of injuries to key players, with Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke being the latest to be sidelined.
Some pundits are worried that these latest injuries could end Spurs’ chances of survival, as De Zerbi’s men lack the quality upfront to create chances.
It did seem earlier this week that the Italian coach was set to turn to the club’s academy setup for solutions.
Why Tynan Thompson and Mason Melia are unlikely to feature for Tottenham against Aston Villa
Some journalists suggested that De Zerbi could turn to academy winger Tynan Thompson, who has been on fire in Premier League 2 of late.
Additionally, it emerged that Mason Melia had been called up to train with the Spurs first-team this week, which got many to wonder if the 18-year-old forward could fill in for Solanke.
However, both Thompson and Melia started for Spurs U21s against Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the PL2 play-offs on Friday evening, as the Lilywhites emerged 3-1 winners.
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Melia did find the back of the net in the second period after seeing his penalty saved earlier in the game, but the fact that the Irishman played the full 90 minutes, and Thompson played 77, suggests that De Zerbi does not plan to use either teenager at the Midlands.
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With Villa embroiled in a Europa League semifinal tie against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham fans would have been hoping that their opponents might be distracted for Sunday’s clash.
The Villans are trailing 1-0 after the first leg, and the hope was that they would rest some key players for the return leg next Thursday.