Tottenham: If Son plays he should not start vs Chelsea for Spurs

Tottenham superstar Heung-Min Son may or may not be available for Spurs against Chelsea, however, even if he is available, he probably should not start. 

Harry Kane may be the best footballer in the Tottenham squad but there is little doubting that Heung-Min Son is the most important. Whereas Son can do a job subbing for Kane, there is no one on the team who can do what Sonny does for Spurs.

It is obvious to anyone watching that the team desperately needs what Son can bring, however, even if Son is available, which apparently is a big if, he should not start against Chelsea on Sunday, and here is why.

Son is too important to Tottenham to lose long term

The extent of Son’s calf injury has been kept quiet by the club, which clearly indicates it is more serious than anyone would have wanted. Looking at the schedule over the next fortnight, Spurs still have four matches to play after Chelsea across three different competitions.

As we saw on Thursday with Stephen Bergwijn it can only take one tackle or incident to aggravate a knock and make a problem even worse. With a series of four very winnable games after Chelsea, including the north London derby, having Son closer to 100% for the next two weeks after Sunday is more important from the big picture perspective that is trying to get an hour out of Son on Sunday.

Risk in the Premier League is not the same as in Europe

You might think that if Tottenham risked Bergwijn in Europe, why not risk Son in the Premier League. The short answer is the number of substitutes allowed. In European competition, Tottenham is afforded four substitutes to go along with the expanded 12 man bench.

Whereas the nine-man bench in the Premier League is bigger than a few years ago, teams still only are allowed three substitutes. If Son were to start and then like Bergwijn re-aggravates his injury halfway through the first half, that would leave the team quite hamstrung for changes the rest of the match.

Players that start are expected to play at minimum the first half and really at least 60 minutes before many managers will want to make their first change. With the run ahead – that includes World Cup qualifiers for South Korea during the international break – asking Son to push himself in a game Spurs are not really expected to win does not make a ton of sense.

Son can be the impact substitute to rescue a point or win the game

There is a big difference between asking a footballer coming off an injury to go out and run hard and take the kind of abuse Son will as a starter and as a substitute. As a starter, Son is going to get the freshest and best Chelsea has to offer.

Even under the best circumstances, Son is the kind of player that finds himself knocked to the turf more than most players do, although he does not draw nearly as many fouls as he should. Taking the kind of punishment and physicality that the Blues are going to employ from the off is almost harsh given the circumstances.

Alternatively, if Son is fresh and comes into the match with Tottenham down a goal or even level with 20-25 minutes to play it is a different story. If Son has the burst and to play, that burst against a tired Chelsea defence is likely to be more effective than against the team from the off.  Coming in late Son could be the spark to turn the tide, save the game, or even finish the job.

If the circumstances were normal and Tottenham had everyone, including Son fully available, then, of course, Sonny is starting. However, if you take a breath and try to look at the big picture of the season and the next two weeks, then protecting Son from Chelsea and likely himself for most of the match is the best idea.