Tottenham Expect Danny Rose Back in Early April
By Ryan Wrenn
Tottenham are hoping for Danny Rose to return from injury in time for a trio of early April Premier League fixtures.
The Evening Standard reported on Tuesday that Tottenham are expected to have a clearer idea of Rose’s fitness following March’s international break.
Rose suffered a knee injury in the January 31st match against Sunderland and has sat on the sidelines since.
His absence initially seemed as if it would hurt Spurs considerably, especially with Jan Vertonghen also out with an ankle issue. Tottenham struggled to a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough just four days after Rose’s injury, then underwent perhaps their lowest slump of the season.
A loss to Liverpool in the Premier League preceded a particularly shameful exit from the Europa League at the hands of Belgian side Gent. Rose’s absence from those fixtures was palpable.
Part of the problem was that Rose’s usually reliable understudy Ben Davies suffered under the weight of expectation in those initial games. He looked particularly woeful against Liverpool, where his inability to mark Sadio Mané gave the Reds a decisive edge.
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Vertonghen’s return from injury helped matters. Finally Davies had more robust support alongside and behind him and therefore could more easily replicate Rose’s contributions in the side. The Welshman improved so much, in fact, that Mauricio Pochettino felt comfortable returning to the 3-4-2-1 formation in which Rose thrived.
Even if Davies is crawling out of Rose’s shadow in the left-back/wing-back role — even earning a possible contract renewal — it is unlikely he holds onto the place when Rose returns. The fact is that, prior to his injury, the England international was having the best season of his career and could rightfully be considered one of the best left-backs in the world.
Particularly when paired with the similarly adventuresome efforts of Kyle Walker on the opposite flank, Rose was borderline unplayable. Most teams faced a choice: either risk exposing yourself by sending both your wingers and full-backs forward, or sit back and hope to contain the 26-year-old.
Both strategies have been employed against Rose — and neither prove especially effective. The problem is that Rose is a truly multi-dimensional player. He will supplement all of defense, midfield and attack depending on the phase of play. If you force him wide, he will be there with devastating crosses into the box. You allow him to cut inside, and he will try to score — and occasionally succeed.
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Pochettino will welcome back Rose with open arms come April. Davies might still find a role in rotation, but with the only other competition left to Spurs outside of the Premier League being the final stages of the FA Cup, that seems unlikely.