We asked our reporters to name the Tottenham line-up they reckon Thomas Frank will go for to face Arsenal in the first North London Derby of the season
The first North London Derby of the Premier League season is almost upon us and Thomas Frank has the rarity of a rapidly emptying treatment room at Tottenham.
Spurs looked set to go into the game at the Emirates Stadium with 12 players unavailable only for Frank to reveal on Friday that eight of them were now in training. That list includes attackers Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani, complete with a face mask to protect his fractured jaw, midfielders Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray as well as defenders Ben Davies, Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin, who played 45 minutes in an under-21s friendly last week against Leyton Orient.
That means Frank has plenty of options to stock his team and bench now to face Mikel Arteta's Arsenal team at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Here are the views from two of our reporters on who Frank should select.
Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent
On the whole Spurs benefited from an international break in which most of Frank's players either played just the one match for their country or in some cases neither. That means the Dane should have a reasonably fresh squad for the first of a series of big matches that come in quick succession.
The main choice at the back comes at left-back between Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie with both having done well against Bukayo Saka in recent seasons. In central midfield, Sarr, Bergvall and Gray may not be fit enough to start and the choice lies in whether Xavi Simons does alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha or plays on the left.
That leaves decisions to be made up front and on the wings. Will Kudus be fit enough to start, will Richarlison or the masked Kolo Muani get the nod up front or even the in-form Mathys Tel and will Brennan Johnson, Xavi or Wilson Odobert start on the left?
Johnson will be confident after his stunning goal for Wales in midweek while Kudus starred for Spurs before his injury and Frank could be keen to get both the Ghana international and Xavi, who scored for the Netherlands this week, in the same team in order to create chances and provide quality set pieces.
Gold's XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha, Xavi; Kudus, Richarlison, Johnson.
Ryan Taylor - Sports Reporter
Predicting the Tottenham XI Frank is going to field is never easy - let alone in a North London Derby.
There were plenty of positives in the way Spurs fought back against Manchester United and you have to wonder whether that late show will impact Frank's thinking.
A number of Tottenham players are also riding highs from the international break also, not least Xavi Simons and Brennan Johnson, who both netted for the respective nations earlier this week.
Three of the back-four picks itself but if fit, though I would give Destiny Udogie the nod over Djed Spence at left-back.
In midfield, the athleticism of Pape Matar Sarr could well compliment the industry and physicality of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur. Johnson's speed gives Spurs and outlet while Xavi could be shifted to the left. Kolo Muani has done well in recent weeks and should keep his spot despite Richarlison's goal against United.