Tottenham need to get their season back on track after a terrible eight days that saw them surrender a two-goal lead to Olympiacos, before losing to Leicester in the Premier League and getting dumped out of the Carabao Cup by League 2 Colchester.
Spurs have only won eight of their last 26 games and Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to get a reaction from a squad that he’s still calling unsettled. [BBC]
A home game against Southampton would normally be just the ticket but it’s impossible to know which Spurs side is going to show up at the moment.
Pochettino unleashed some youth players in the game against Colchester, but that didn’t work with Troy Parrott disappointing in front of goal.
It means that Pochettino will almost definitely revert back to his full-strength side with the one big question hanging over Christian Eriksen and how big a part he will play this season given his contract situation.
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris should be back in goal after missing the last two games due to his wife giving birth.
Defenders
Danny Rose and Serge Aurier should take the flanks, while Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld can resume their partnership at the heart of defence after sitting the cup game out in midweek. Ryan Sessegnon is still out with a hamstring problem.
Midfielders
Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele are all available and were all rested in midweek. We think Pochettino will pick two from three and we’re giving the nod to Winks and Ndombele.
Attackers
Some Spurs fans are turning against Christian Eriksen and Pochettino could easily decide to put him on the bench. However, when even close to his best he’s a hugely important player for Tottenham and Pochettino should use him while he’s got him. It’s in Eriksen’s interest to play out of his skin if he does want to seal a dream move to Spain. Heung-min Son should start and we think Erik Lamela plays his seventh consecutive Premier League game in a row. Harry Kane will lead the line.
Injuries
Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon are the only injury problems for Spurs. Lo Celso is due back in October.
Changes:
Out: Gazzaniga, Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Wanyama, Skipp, Walker-Peters, Alli, Parrott, Lucas
In: Lloris, Rose, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Aurier, Winks, Ndombele, Son, Eriksen, Kane, Lamela
This is the starting XI we think Pochettino will announce on Saturday:
