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Tottenham Hotspur projected XI for season opener vs Manchester City

By Aaron Coe

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Portuguese head coach Nuno Espirito Santo (L) and Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola watches his players from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Wolverhamptom Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 2, 2021. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by CLIVE BRUNSKILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Portuguese head coach Nuno Espirito Santo (L) and Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola watches his players from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Wolverhamptom Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 2, 2021. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by CLIVE BRUNSKILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Tottenham, Harry Kane
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur is closed down by Joao Cancelo of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 13, 2021, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Tottenham bench and full team

Thanks to the wisdom of the Premier League there will be a lot of names on the bench but we will only see a few of them actually play. Teams are allowed to name up to nine players in the reserves but still only have three substitutes – and a head injury replacement. With the idea that Spurs will either want to see out the match or chase the game, there will be ample offense and defense on the bench for Santo to choose from.

Defensive substitutes available

Even without Romero being among the listed back-ups, Tottenham will have five defensive players on the bench. Gollini is in as the backup keeper. Besides the Italian, Tottenham will have one player as cover for each defensive position with Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon, and Ben Davies all getting named to the squad. Rodon is the first choice if they go to a back three and Doherty likely gets the call if they need to try to get more attack in from the back. Ideally, none of the five see the field and the substitutes come from the backup midfielders and attackers.

Midfield and forward substitutes are available

If Harry Kane is part of the 20 and we are including him, that means a healthy senior player is going to be left out or Dane Scarlett gets left out. For us, we would rather and hope Santo would rather see Sissoko out and Scarlett in. Besides Kane and Scarlett, midfielders Harry Winks and Giovani Lo Celso will join the group.

Even with Kane and Lo Celso on the bench, you can see why a signing like Bryan Gil has the chance to impact the team but that impact will have to come on a different day.

Full Tottenham Team

Tottenham Substitutes

Gollini, Doherty, Tanganga, Rodon, Davies, Kane, Lo Celso, Winks, Scarlett

So that is our XI and our substitutes, who do you think Santo and Tottenham will play?

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