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Spurs logo
EFL Cup | Fourth Round
Sep 29, 2020 at 7.45pm UK
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Chelsea logo

Spurs
1 - 1
Chelsea

Lamela (83')
Aurier (59'), Tanganga (61')
FT
(aet)
Werner (19')
Kovacic (45+2'), Jorginho (83')
Spurs win 5-4 on penalties

How Tottenham Hotspur could line up against Chelsea

Sports Mole looks at how Tottenham Hotspur could line up for Tuesday's EFL Cup fourth round clash with Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho will need to summon the full extent of the strength in depth at his disposal when his Tottenham Hotspur side welcome Chelsea to North London in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening.

The derby will be the second of three games Spurs must play in three different competitions over the span of only five days, with a Europa League qualifier to come on Thursday night too.

Tuesday's contest comes only two days after Tottenham were denied victory at the death in bitterly disappointing fashion against Newcastle United on Sunday, meaning that a quick mental as well as physical recovery will be required.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Mourinho could line his side up for the contest.



Possible TOT XI vs. CHE

Out: Son Heung-min (hamstring), Gareth Bale (knee), Japhet Tanganga (thigh)
Doubtful: Moussa Sissoko (illness)

> Click here for Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Predicting Tottenham's starting lineup for this match is mostly an exercise in guesswork - the only thing which does seem for certain is that Mourinho will make a host of changes.

Indeed, despite the strength of their opposition, the rivalry with Chelsea and the EFL Cup providing Spurs with their best chance of ending their trophy drought, it would not be a surprise to see an entirely different XI to the one which lined up against Newcastle just two days earlier.

The unforgiving schedule already appears to be having an impact on the Spurs squad, with Son Heung-min picking up a hamstring injury against the Magpies which is due to keep him out for "a while".

Such a blow is arguably on par with losing Harry Kane right now, and Son's injury makes it all the more likely that Mourinho will wrap his star striker in cotton wool and not subject him to two games in a little over 48 hours, particularly as he played the full 90 minutes against Newcastle.

With no new striker having arrived yet and Troy Parrott out on loan, that will likely leave Mourinho without a recognised centre-forward for this match, so Lucas Moura or Steven Bergwijn could lead the line.

Returning hero Gareth Bale is still not ready to make his second debut for the club, but his fellow summer arrival from Real Madrid Sergio Reguilon could make his Spurs bow at left-back after being an unused substitute at the weekend.

The need to rotate and rest players appeared to open the door to Dele Alli again after he was notably left out of the squad entirely for Newcastle's visit, but he is once again set to be omitted to leave his future at the club in serious doubt.

Moussa Sissoko was set to be on the bench for that game but pulled out 30 minutes before kickoff due to illness, and the quick turnaround in fixtures makes him a doubt for this one too.

The improving Tanguy Ndombele could start, though, while other fringe players such as Ryan Sessegnon, Gedson Fernandes and Joe Hart will be hopeful of an opportunity.

Mourinho may well have earmarked three vastly different starting lineups for the three games his side face in the space of five days, though, so if those players do not start on Tuesday then they might do on Thursday instead.

> Click here to see how Chelsea could line up for this contest

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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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Thiago Silva in EFL Cup action for Chelsea against Barnsley on September 23, 2020
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