3 Questions for Tottenham Hotspur heading into friendly with OGC Nice

Tottenham Hotspur has another opportunity to prepare for the Premier League to return, with a friendly against Nice, and will hopefully answer some questions in the process.

The return of Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League football is less than a week away and for fans is as anticipated as any holiday celebration. Before Spurs battle Brentford on Boxing Day, Tottenham has one more opportunity to sharpen the saw before games again count for real. With one final mid-season friendly opportunity to prepare for the Bees, the Lilywhites will be trying to answer some critical questions.

Question 1 – What will be Conte’s approach to the game?

With a real match less than a week after the midweek friendly with Nice and less than a full complement of first-team players available, we have to wonder: How is Conte planning to approach the game?

On one hand, Conte has more first-team players available than he did against Motherwell, with returning World Cup participants and a few players back from injuries. With essentially the entire squad he will have on Boxing Day, Conte could use this as an opportunity to get his first team back into a twice-a-week rhythm of games.

Alternatively, knowing that he has several players still recovering from the cup and that the game does not count for anything more than practice, Conte could play more youth and use the game as an opportunity to expand his bench options. Getting more minutes for younger players that are rarely seen is positive for the club, and Wednesday’s friendly could be the last chance for a while.

Ultimately, Conte will use the first half as a dress rehearsal for Brentford and then bring on a slew of substitutes in the second half.