Both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski will sit out Wednesday night's final
There is another area of the team that Postecoglou, however, can rely on
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If Ange Postecoglou is to deliver Tottenham's first trophy for 17 years on Wednesday, he must beat Manchester United without two of his most creative players.
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski would have been at the heart of Postecoglou's plan to take Spurs to Europa League glory in Bilbao but both have knee injuries.
The attacking midfield duo have delivered many of the best bits in a dire season; Maddison with his swagger and eye for a killer pass, Kulusevski with his relentless running and drive.
They are two of only three Spurs players to reach double figures for both goals and assists in all competitions this season, with 44 between them. The other is Son Heung-min and even he is a doubt for the game having just returned from a foot injury.
Maddison and Kulusevski played key roles in each of Spurs' three wins over United this season. Kulusevski scored in the 3-0 league win at Old Trafford and added another in the 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final thriller, and Maddison bagged the only goal at home in February, dictating that game with his smart movement that dragged United's players out of position.
Spurs have played five games in the league and Europe this season without both Kulusevski and Maddison in the starting line-up. In the only two they won, Kulusevski came on at half-time.
So, how does Postecoglou win in Bilbao without them? This is where Spurs' underlapping full backs — Pedro Porro and Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie — will be crucial in exploiting Ruben Amorim's three-man defence, as they were in February's 1-0 win.
In that game, only centre back Ben Davies touched the ball more than full backs Porro and Spence, with most of the pair's touches deep in the United half.
On the right, Porro already shoulders much of Spurs' creative burden — only Kulusevski has created more chances for Spurs this season and the Spaniard has played nearly 100 more passes into the penalty area in the league than any of his team-mates.
On the left, Udogie or Spence will make darting runs into the channels while the wingers stay high and wide to stretch United's back five and pin them back.
If Brennan Johnson on one side and Son, Wilson Odobert or Mathys Tel on the other can pull United's wing backs wide, they will open up space for Porro and probably Udogie to isolate centre backs Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire, hardly the quickest defenders in a foot race.
They did this in Spurs' win in February. Early in the second half, Son stayed wide and drew his man, then played in Spence who was charging into the space behind. He left Noussair Mazraoui for dead before driving into the box to set up a chance.
This season, Tottenham average more goals, shots and expected goals (xG) per game against teams who play a back three than against four-man defences. They do, however, concede more of them as well.
That is where the absence of Maddison and Kulusevski, and a focus instead on attacking in wide areas, may help Spurs become more solid in midfield.
Without the attacking pair, Postecoglou is expected to start with a trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. Bentancur has made more interceptions per game than any other midfielder who has played at least 900 league minutes this term, and Sarr — who will also make smart late runs into the box — and Bissouma are excellent at winning the ball back.
Against a United midfield that is likely to have Casemiro's ageing legs in it, that trio will look to outnumber and dominate United physically. They will also give extra attention to Bruno Fernandes, the United player most capable of turning this final on its head.
Maddison and Kulusevski would have made a difference in Bilbao but Postecoglou still has enough weapons at his disposal. Spurs have beaten United on three occasions this season — now they just need to do it one more time.