Familiar Names for Tottenham Hotspur Group Stage Opening XI

Tottenham’s Big Bench

Following the Covid-induced experimentation of last season, UEFA decided to stick with the expanded rosters and expanded substitution rules for the Group Stages and beyond in both Champions League and Europa League. This means Tottenham can have just about everyone on the bench, and given the players not available for various reasons – Dier, Tanganga, Fernandes, Gazzaniga, and Rodon – this leaves Mourinho with exactly 23 total senior players available to him, the exact number he can take to the game.

So, when you may have heard the quote from Mourinho is he taking everyone on the bench, that literally, minus the exceptions noted, is the case. This means, Bergwijn, Bale, Lo Celso, Vinicius, Reguilón, Lloris, Lamela, Dele, Sissoko, and Aurier are all on the bench and available to Mourinho. Additionally, given the numbers Jack Clarke should be on the bench, then either Alfie Whiteman as the third keeper or maybe another youngster like Harvey White.

Either way, there will be a deep bench, which could produce a line-up that could win many a match and hopefully we see five of them play, including some faces we have not seen before or much of late anyway.

What do you think, who starts, who sits, who is in the stands?