Tottenham Team For First Premier League Game At Crystal Palace?
By Logan Holmes
With less than a fortnight to Tottenham’s opening match of the season against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, it is very difficult to know who Andre Villas-Boas will have available for selection so anyone who tries to predict his team could look very foolish.
Will Paulinho make his Tottenham debut at Palace? [Photo: Alan Hill]
Last August I wrote a blog on who would be in AVB’s first Tottenham team for the game at Newcastle. I thought it was a difficult task trying to predict the new manager’s thoughts but looking back I was right in all but one player. The surprise selection of William Gallas as captain with Jan Vertonghen on the bench caught me out. This year, however, it is looking even more difficult to know who will be playing for Spurs against Palace. Before the start of the season, there are a number of issues which need to be resolved.
Issues
- Will Gareth Bale still be a Spurs player and if so, will he be fit and in the right frame of mind to play?
- How serious are the recent injuries to Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Jermain Defoe and Lewis Holtby?
- How close to playing are the two long term absentees, Sandro and Younes Kaboul?
Answers
- Bale – on which side of the debate do you stand? Nobody knows whether he’ll be off or not or even if it’ll be resolved by the start of the season.
- Vertonghen looks unlikely to be ready for the start of the season but should be available quite shortly after, Dawson could be out for some time while Holtby hasn’t been involved in any preseason matches. Defoe probably came off against Monaco as a precaution to avoid any serious damage.
- Neither Sandro nor Kaboul look to be ready for first team football although it is hoped that the midfielder will play some part in Saturday’s friendly against Espanyol.
The Team for Palace
Leaving Bale out of the equation at the moment as he could be unavailable for any one of a number of reasons, a number of players are sure to start against Palace, if fit, with some making their Tottenham debut. Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Mousa Dembele and Aaron Lennon would expect to be in AVB ‘s team along with new signings Nacer Chadli, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado. Danny Rose appears to be getting the opportunity to show what he can do at left back ahead of Benoit Assou-Ekotto which leaves the central defensive positions and one player for midfield.
Central Defence
In central defence Vertonghen would start if he had recovered from his injury. With the lack of cover, Spurs will almost certainly be looking to sign a central defender capable of stepping straight into the team. The young Romanian player, Vlad Chiriches, could well be that option. If Vertonghen hasn’t recovered and there are no new signings, the worst-case scenario is perm two from three – Jake Livermore, Zeki Fryers or Tom Huddlestone – not an easy choice against a team who will be eager to impress in their first match after promotion while Ian Holloway will have them well buoyed up for the occasion.
Will Scott Parker be in the team at Palace? [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]Midfield Three
While expecting Dembele and Paulinho to start, the third member of the midfield three could be between Scott Parker and Glyfi Sigurdsson. For this game, away from home and a London derby against a newly promoted side, I would expect Parker to play. He would bring a competitive edge to the central midfield as the newcomer Paulinho, adjusts to the rigours of the Premier League.
My Team:
It is impossible to know how the central defensive partnership will pan out but I will assume and hope that Vertonghen makes a speedy recovery. If there are no further signings and without Bale, the team could look like this:
Lloris; Walker, Livermore, Vertonghen, Rose; Paulinho, Parker, Dembele; Lennon, Soldado, Chadli. Subs: Friedel, Naughton, Fryers, Sigurdsson, Huddlestone, Townsend, Defoe
Over to You!
What do you expect to be the Tottenham team for the game against Palace?