Forgotten £13 million Tottenham signing must start vs Crystal Palace

This might just be the biggest fixture the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ever hosted, but not for the reasons any Spurs fans would've hoped for. The Lilywhites are now without a win in ten Premier League matches, thereby firmly entrenched in the relegation battle, just four points clear of the drop zone. Forget a bounce, Igor Tudor has overseen more of a new manager splat, losing both games to date. So, ahead of Thursday's huge clash with Crystal Palace, he must make a change at left-back, dropping Archie Gray and bringing in Souza.

A major reason behind Tottenham's alarming form is their enormous list of absentees. Richarlison returned during the North London derby, before scoring at the weekend, while Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso were both back in at Craven Cottage, but Spurs could remain without ten first-team players.

Tottenham's current injured and suspended players

This week's clash will be the fourth and final match of Cristian Romero's four-game suspension, meaning he will make his long-awaited return at the Metropolitano against Atlético Madrid next Tuesday. The Argentine aside, of the injured players, only Djed Spence is remotely close to a return, meaning Tudor has to work with what he has got.

In the absence of Udogie, Davies and Spence, Archie Gray filled in at left-back during Sunday's defeat to Fulham. That was his 33rd Premier League start for the club, the second-most of any teenager, behind only Aaron Lennon (39), a record he won't break as his 20th birthday is next Thursday. Well, these appearances have come in a wide variety of roles, spending an elongated period of last season at centre-back as Ange Postecoglou endured a similar injury crisis.

However, while there is no doubting Gray's potential and talent, when he is at left-back, this team lacks balance. This is especially the case given who is playing ahead of him. None of Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel or Randal Kolo Muani are a width-providing left-winger. Wilson Odobert, the only player really capable of offering this is sidelined long-term during a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, which means everything comes inside and frankly goes nowhere.

Thus, Tudor should turn to Tottenham's forgotten man at left-back. During the January transfer window, Spurs signed Souza from Brasileirão side Santos for a reported fee of £13 million. The 19 year old made 38 appearances for the Alvinegro, a regular starter in Brazil's top-flight in 2025.

Since arriving in North London, he's made just two appearances, coming off the bench at Old Trafford and Craven Cottage, an unused substitute on three occasions. Upon his arrival, then manager Thomas Frank described him as a "talented, promising young full-back, who is forward-thinking and technically very good". If true, this is exactly what this Spurs side are crying out for right now.

Of course, the jump up from the Brasileirão to the Premier League is a big one, but perhaps not as gigantic as you might think. According to Global Football Rankings, Brazil's first division is the ninth strongest in the world, just below the Primeira Liga and two places above the Eredivisie.

So, while Souza is far from an ideal solution, one would not wish to throw a teenager with little expirence into this mess, he is the best they have. Rather than putting square pegs into round holes, Tudor should give this kid a chance, otherwise why did Spurs spend £13 million to sign him?