Tottenham: Mourinho, Spurs to deprioritize Carabao Cup

Following a gut-wrenching point deduction in the Premier League on Sunday and before the final Europa League qualifier, Tottenham Hotspur must host Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

We knew well before the season was up and running that the fixture list was going to be a challenge early this season for Tottenham Hotspur.

That challenge kicks into full gear as Spurs play matches in three competitions over the next seven days.

Now with a disappointed side, already hurting from injuries to key men, Jose Mourinho is indicating he may deprioritize the Carabao Cup, so how do Spurs approach Chelsea and the quarter-finals on Tuesday?

No options for Tottenham

Tottenham hypothetically have two options at this point, select certain competitions to prioritize and rest some players this week for the first team, or throw caution to the wind and hope for no more injuries before the international break.

Of course, when you are Tottenham, the break is not really a break, as the team has more than a dozen recognized international players in the side. Based on his most recent interviews, it seems Jose Mourinho has made his decision, in terms of deprioritizing the Carabao Cup in favor of fielding a stronger side in the Europa League qualifying playoff game.

I recently wrote about the importance to the club of Europa League and the games that come with it and clearly Jose agrees, at least in his pre-match talking points, although Mourinho talks about the money not the games, but both are important.

The reality is the idea of just starting the strongest possible side four times over eight days, is just not realistic so Jose really has no option. He has to prioritize Europe and qualifying for the group stage, as it means more money, matches, and prestige than the Carabao Cup can offer.

Spurs B Team?

Okay, if Tottenham are not going to prioritize the Carabao Cup, what exactly does that mean? We know Heung-Min Son is out injured and may be out for a while. Based on his comments, it seems unlikely that Mourinho plays Harry Kane for 90 minutes either, but what exactly does an alternative Tottenham side look like?

Earlier this summer – before Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon were added to the side – we explored the idea of fielding two competing XIs from the Tottenham first team and with all the matches this week, that is essentially what Mourinho will need to do. This likely means seeing more of some people currently on the fringes of the squad and more of the youth that we saw in pre-season.

Players like Ryan Sessegnon, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Gedson Fernandes, and Juan Foyth are likely to get one last chance to shine for potential loan or demand more minutes in the team this season.

Likewise, players like Moussa Sissoko, Erik Lamela, and Dele Alli, who are currently on the fringes of the starting XI, will have another opportunity to impress and show that they have a major role to play. Toby Alderweireld was held back this past weekend and Reguilon has yet to feature, so there are going to be some fresh players.

The real question is how many of these “regulars” play or do we get a healthy dose of the youth we saw in preseason? Players like Harvey White or Dennis Cirkin could feature for the team and if they are going to play this season for the senior side, this may be their best chance.

It will be interesting to see exactly what team Jose fields and who is on the bench and even who comes in when as he works to manage the load, minutes, and health of the team as they fight on three fronts in one week.