Tottenham projected starting 11 vs Manchester United
By Gary Pearson
![LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 07: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 7, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 07: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 7, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/01a6c026dfe035bbc99b08fc9f79a07c0e28cfca2b0ff98e222f4a43380b38bc.jpg)
Toby Alderweireld, who was ruled out against Newcastle after missing his COVID-19 test upon return from international duty, is back in contention and should start. Spurs badly need his experience, craft and poise against the Premier League’s second best outfit. His partner, whomever that turns out to be, could also use Toby’s leadership and guidance.
Davinson Sanchez endured one of his worst performances of the season against Newcastle. It begs the question of whether he deserves the start after such a costly display on Tyneside.
Unfortunately Jose doesn’t have many viable centre back options at his disposal. Joe Rodon has shown signs of improvement. Is he, however, ready to do battle against one of England’s best? He played well against Chelsea earlier in the season but committed a costly error versus Liverpool in his second fixture against an elite opponent.
He’s probably preferred to Eric Dier, whose performances have condemned him seemingly eternally to the bench. The out of sorts Englishman was an influential part of Spurs’ European unravelling in Croatia.
Personally I’d prefer to see Rodon and Toby start but my intuition says otherwise. Look for Sanchez and Toby to start. Serge Aurier and Sergio Reguilon should start on either side of defence.