Antonio Conte’s projected XI as Tottenham travel to Bournemouth
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Hotspur is as desperate for a win as they have been all season as they head south to Bournemouth; here is the XI Conte will use to get Spurs three points.
A season that started with much promise for Tottenham Hotspur is beginning to hang in the balance as Spurs struggle through a massive run of games. Injuries to players have left others overworked, leaving the team struggling to play at peak capacity for 90 minutes.
Regardless of the overwork, injuries mean some players cannot get a rest, with two of them leading the line for Tottenham.
Projected Starting Forwards for Spurs
While there are some arguments to be made for using a 3-5-2, having only Kane and Son as the forward options places even more of a burden on the duo than they already carry, thus having three forwards and a third outlet into the attack is critical to making it through this stretch.
Left forward – Heung-min Son
The idea early in the season that Richarlison could replace Son is long gone, not because the South Korean is playing particularly well but because the Brazilian is hurt. We saw Son’s effectiveness off the bench, but that is not an option. Maybe Son gets back in a purple patch and can carry the team, but ultimately we hope he, like Kane, can hold out and not get hurt.
Center-forward – Harry Kane
Whatever miracle elixir the late game-winning goal Harry Kane scored on Wednesday would have provided was painfully extracted by VAR midweek. Now the question is how Tottenham and especially Kane respond. Harry doesn’t strike me as the “woe is me” kind of bloke, but rather, the kind of player that can generate some “us against the world” mentality. That is the Kane we need.
Right forward – Lucas Moura
Lucas Moura seems fit in his return from injury, but we have yet to see the Brazilian firing. He is nearly unplayable when he is fully in form, those instances have been too rare the last several seasons, and one has to wonder if he can find that kind of form again. While we’d like to see Bryan Gil, Lucas will likely get the call.