Tottenham Hotspur are still bruised from their limp defeat against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday evening, and while sights will be set on next week's return leg, first Spurs must welcome Bournemouth down at N17 in the Premier League.
Hopes for the remainder of the campaign lie almost solely on ending an interminable trophy drought and lifting the European trophy, for Ange Postecoglou's side are 13th in the top flight and ten points behind the European zone with ten matches remaining.
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While the severity of Tottenham's injury crisis is easing, there are still plenty of problems for Ange to deal with - especially when keeping an eye on the crucial Europa League showdown with AZ, which is only a matter of days away.
Tottenham team news
Defensive stars Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have both put their lengthy injury problems behind them, having made the bench on Thursday. That said, Postecoglou opted against bringing either onto the grass.
However, there's more uncertainty regarding the fitness of Dominic Solanke, who took a heavy blow to the leg at the AFAS Stadium and saw his cameo ended prematurely. Ahead of the meeting with his former outfit, it's touch and go.
Ben Davies may be fit enough to feature, but Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Radu Dragusin remain absent.
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Spurs are desperate to reclaim a more respectable position in the Premier League but Ange should consider rotating for this one, with Lucas Bergvall perhaps dropped to the bench for this one.
Why Ange should drop Lucas Bergvall
While it was Bergvall who suffered the frustration of converting the own goal to leave Tottenham with work to do in next week's last 16 second leg, this isn't exactly the reason he should be benched.
The 19-year-old has been a central cog in Postecoglou's machine this season, making 35 appearances across all competitions, including 18 starts.
There's a good reason for it. He's creative, cultured and combative, all rolled into one. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has even hailed his teenage talent as "unstoppable" when on the ball.
Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Bergvall in action with Vissel Kobe's Ryo Hatsuse
It may be worth taking him out of the firing line and resting him ahead of next week's big one. He must start on the continent. Bergvall might be young but he's such an influential talent, ranking among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Should Postecoglou place his Swedish ace on the bench, it would be the perfect chance for Pape Sarr to reenter the ascendency.
It's been a difficult year for the Senegalese centre-midfielder, 22, with his manager choosing not to start him in each of Tottenham's past four Premier League matches.
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In fact, Sarr has only started 15 of his 26 top-flight fixtures all season, also starting from the sidelines against AZ Alkmaar this week.
However, his energy and rounded style could be perfect in a Tottenham midfield that should see Rodrigo Bentancur retain his starting berth since he is suspended next week.
Sarr has a certain quality in elevating his peers and causing issues for his opponents, something Postecoglou has singled out in the past: "He's one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it's him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition."
Given he's won 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League this year after only 45% across the 2023/24 season, as per Sofascore, you could argue Sarr is beginning to show some more maturity, and is struggling within the wider scale of Tottenham's problems.
It's the kind of stable approach which could also help revive James Maddison, who was branded with a lowly 4/10 rating by football.london after a non-showing in the Netherlands, unable to provide any of his creative ability.
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison
Maddison's time at Tottenham has very much been characterised by ebbs and flow in performances and fortunes. The 28-year-old playmaker has struggled this season but still boasts a return of nine goals and five assists from 17 Premier League starts.
When he's on his a-game, the Lilywhites turn into a different team. However, Maddison needs to stabilise and could indeed benefit from Sarr's inclusion behind him, with the younger man's positioning and intelligence helping Spurs beat the press.
And in turn, helping Maddison to focus on making things tick in attack. After all, his metrics across the campaign speak loudly of his playmaking prowess.
James Maddison in the Premier League (24/25)
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Shots*
Pass completion
Key passes*
Dribbles*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Stats via Sofascore
There's plenty to admire about his overall levels, and with Sarr's infectious energy behind him, this could be the perfect way for Postecoglou to revitalise Tottenham's midfield, with Bentancur pulling the strings from deep.
Hailed for his "frightening" talent by scout Antonio Mango, Sarr truly could be the difference-maker here, crucial in beating Bournemouth's high-intensity attacking game, giving Bergvall a rest and restoring Maddison.
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Tottenham and rotation, ay. Who'd have thought?
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The experienced winger would be a useful player for Spurs this season.