Ange Postecoglou has been handed a timely Tottenham injury boost over the course of the international break amidst concerns over the depth of his squad. The Australian coach had hit the ground running with Spurs, implementing an impressive, progressive style in such a short time.
An unbeaten run had taken the north London outfit to the top of the Premier League table, but talks of a potential title challenge were always met with caution. Supporters were wary of the squad depth, knowing that one player facing a potential injury could bring the whole run to a halt.
Unfortunately for Spurs, it was far more than one player they were given an issue with when they faced Chelsea a few weeks ago. Cristian Romero received a straight red card that resulted in a three-game ban, while Destiny Udogie’s two yellows meant that he served a one-match suspension – which means he will return against Aston Villa, but Yves Bissouma misses that match through accumulation of five yellows.
Then injury disaster struck as both Micky van de Ven and James Maddison went to ground within minutes of each other, with the pair eventually taken off. It was later revealed that both would be unlikely to return until the new year, joining a list of long-term absences that includes Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon.
It has resulted in Postecoglou calling upon his reserves to help shore the team up, though back-to-back defeats in the league won’t have helped their confidence. Then came the international break, a time to reset for a few while others joined their nations for the fixtures ahead.