Tottenham Hotspur will be welcoming the League one side Gillingham FC this Wednesday and will be looking forward to mark their route into the fourth round of the EFL Cup. The Lilly-Whites recently outnumbered the Premier League side Sunderland with a marginal scoreline of 1-0, and Harry Kane was the lone scorer of the game, but the English international won’t available for the fixture after an ankle injury.
Well, this fixture could well be a blessing for the side as this will provide a real opportunity to give some key senior players a rest. Many academy players, who impressed the manager during the pre-season might get their chances in the game and here is how the manager can line his team up:
Goalkeeper: Pau Lopez-
The French number one, Hugo Lloris, has retained his starting spot but the manager might look to offer him a much-deserved rest. With that being said, the manager will be having two options, namely, Michel Vorm and the new signing Pau Lopez. Vorm did nothing wrong in the absence of Lloris in the League games, but this time around, the manager might look to give Lopez his chance.
Defence: Trippier; Wimmer; Carter-Vickers; Davies-
As mentioned before, the manager will surely rest his first team players and in that case, Kevin Trippier will fill the void of Kyle Walker. The former Burnley man has always stepped up whenever the team needed him and is likely to do the same this time around.
We might see a completely different defensive line in the fixture as the manager might go with the young American Carter-Vickers, who really impressed the spectators during the pre-season, alongside Kevin Wimmer. The 23-year-old Austrian did a great job last season in the absence of Vertonghen and will be a key figure for the side.
With Danny Rose still out, the manager might look to go with Ben Davies yet again. The Welsh international has really impressed the crowd with his strong performances and will be hoping to continue his good work.
Holding Pair: Wanyama; Carroll-
Both Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele were taken off during the Sunderland’s fixture, the manager might opt to go with the new signing Victor Wanyama.
With Wanyama playing a much deeper role, the manager will use the 24-year-old Tom Carroll a bit centrally. Carroll, who has 50 Tottenham appearances to his name, could well be the engine of the team.
Attacking Trio: Lamela; Edwards; Onomah-
The Argentine international was left on the bench against Sunderland, and he is expected to start tonight. The new signing Kevin-Nkoudou is also an option, but he might just make a cameo in the game.
Furthermore, the manager will surely be resting Dele Alli and in this scenario, the fans would love to see Marcus Edwards on the spot. The 17-year-old is surely a promising player in the industry and has something great to offer.
On the left side, Josh Onomah might start for the side. And again, Tottenham do have some upgrades for the spot, but the 19-year-old deserves to start the game as games like these can surely help him to grow as a player.
Striker: Vincent Janssen-
With Harry Kane out injured, the striking task will be on the shoulders for this former AZ man. The Dutch international is yet to make a mark in the Premier League, and this could well be his stage to conquer the hearts.
