Ange administers starting XI admission, with Dragusin to receive a 'good opportunity'

While it won't be Tottenham's first meet-up with Fulham this season, having won 2-0 last time out, this weekend's match will be Radu Dragusin's first start under Ange Postecoglou.

Since joining the North London side in January, Dragusin has yet to get much playing time, with his biggest feature coming during last Sunday's 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, where he played for 41 minutes (Transfermarkt).

Now, with Paul O Keefe reporting that Micky van de Ven will likely remain injured until the team returns from the international break, the time has come for the new signing to step into the starting lineup.

Speaking with the press ahead of Tottenham's Fulham fixture, the manager delivered the verdict on the Romanian footballer's likeliness to start (Football London):

"I’ll take the suspense out of it - he’ll start tomorrow. It’s a good opportunity for him. We obviously brought him in with a view that it was evident we were very short in that area, and he’d had a very good half-season in Italy. He’s had to be patient for his opportunity, which isn’t surprising because Micky and Cristian have been outstanding for us. And with only a game a week, and sometimes not even that, he’s had to be patient. And I said to him when we signed him I couldn’t guarantee him... or I couldn't tell him when he’d get an opportunity but he would get an opportunity. I thought he did well when he came on the other day."

Ange's admission also hinted at the fact that the lack of European competitions and domestic cups have put an increased damper on Radu's playing prospects, with the great form of Romero and VDV also playing an important role in that decision-making process. With this in mind, it's fair to assume that, should Spurs qualify for Champions League football at the end of the season, Dragusin could find himself into more staring XI's next campaign.

Continuing on the player's clean-sheet against Villa, Ange added additional praise:

"It was good that the team was already in a good rhythm but the scoreline was still 0-0 at the time. He contributed to how we finished the game. He’s a pretty assured young guy. He has belief in himself, he has really good people around him. I think he can bring something to the team. He’s a very strong defender, very good in the duels, and I think we’re going to need that tomorrow."

There's no question that in the absence of Micky, Tottenham will need a major supplement to come in and serve the dangerously high-lined defense. Hopefully, with the insertion of Dragusin and his strength, defensive awareness, and stamina, Spurs can collect another three points as they look to surpass fourth-place Aston Villa.