Tottenham probable starting 11 for opener vs. Aston Villa

After a whirlwind week off the pitch, Tottenham must quickly turn their focus to their Premier League opener tomorrow, with newly promoted Aston Villa invading London. 

Spurs aren’t starting the 2019-20 campaign with a full bill of health, with numerous regulars out of contention due to injury. Juan Foyth will be out until September after injuring his ankle against Bayern Munich, while Dele Alli is out with a slight hamstring strain. Mauricio Pochettino will show restraint as far as Dele is concerned, especially with the repetitive nature of his injury.

Ben Davies is also out after recently undergoing successful groin surgery. Son Heung-Min is serving his second of a three match ban and Ryan Sessegnon won’t feature due to an ankle knock.

While Giovani Lo Celso is healthy, don’t expect him to feature too much against Villa. The Argentinian will be given time to adapt to his new environment.

The starting team

Kyle Walker-Peters should get the nod at right back, giving both Spurs supporters and Pochettino another look at him in a high intensity top flight match. Saturday’s match will be a great litmus test for the 22-year-old. Danny Rose will take his rightful place on the left, lining up beside stalwarts Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele will try their new partnership on for size, a highly anticipated duo in the heart of the midfield. Moussa Sissoko, who is currently left out of this version of the side, should be preferred to Christian Eriksen. The Dane is well and truly out of favour and might ride the pine while the club sorts his future out. The version below is more likely for tomorrow’s match.

Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela should support Harry Kane up front, giving Lamela a chance to prove his worth in the first team. The Argentinian is quickly falling down the pecking order and must come up with an inspirational performance to show the gaffer he’s still worthy of a starting place.