Spurs take on Milan in the Round of 16 of the Champions League in midweek and they go into this all-important tie at the back of a loss against Leicester City.
Tottenham were very much the favourites to beat the Foxes but Brendan Rodgers’ men scored four goals past the Lilywhites. Now, with this broken confidence, Spurs will have to take on Stefano Pioli’s side.
Thankfully, Milan are in dreadful form themselves as they have picked up just a single win in their previous five outings. Spurs, on the other hand, have won three out of their last five matches. On paper, Spurs will be the favourites to win on Tuesday night but the loss to Leicester have certainly rattled their cages.
Also, Antonio Conte will not be on the touchline because he is recovering from surgery plus the North London side have several injuries to deal with. We are expecting a very cagey first leg but the initiative will be on Milan because they will be playing at home.
Tottenham Hotspur team news and injuries:
Hugo Lloris is likely to be out for close to two months with a knee injury so Fraser Forster will be the No 1 on Tuesday.
Romero missed the Leicester game due to suspension but he will be back for the Champions League tie and will come straight into the three-man central defence.
The midfield will be the major cause of concern because Bentancur has picked up an injury and is now a major doubt for the UCL tie.
Stellini said on Bentancur’s injury: ‘He feels a lot of pain, but he can walk, and it’s important that he was able to walk back to the bench. We’ll check how he is, and we’ll know more in a few days.’
If this was not enough then Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is suspended for the match while Yves Bissouma has undergone surgery to repair a stress fracture on his left ankle.
With all three central midfielders likely to miss out, Antonio Conte might have to rely on the pairing of Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr.
Son, Kulusevski and Harry Kane were all underwhelming against Leicester City and now Richarlison will be pushing for a start. There’s a chance that Son could drop to the bench allowing Richarlison to get a start against Milan.
Spurs predicted line up vs Milan:
Predicted Starting Line up(3-4-2-1): Forster; Romero, Davies, Eric Dier; Sarr, Oliver Skipp, Perisic, Royal; Son/Richarlison, Kulusevski; Harry Kane.
