Even though Tottenham managed a spirited 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the last league match, Mauricio Pochettino would have been happy to see the international break disrupt the domestic campaign. Since the previous international break, Tottenham’s form has plummeted and the club are in danger of wrecking their campaign. The draw against Arsenal was the fourth consecutive stalemate for the club in the league. Even with this poor form, the club are only five points off the top but they cannot afford to continue with this form any further.
A major reason for the drop in performance has been down to the injuries. Key players like Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld have been unavailable during this period. Injuries, though, have been mounting and placing a huge problem on Pochettino’s small squad. As Spurs prepare for the return of league football with a game against another London rival, West Ham, the manager now faces another player being unavailable for the game. Christian Eriksen is reportedly set to add to the seven players already receiving treatment, according to the reports from Standard Sports. Apart from Eriksen, the same source has stated that Erik Lamela and Toby Alderweireld will be having their late fitness test before the game and Dele Alli is still doubtful, as he picked up a knee injury in training a few days back.
Furthermore, defender Ben Davies is also set to miss a couple of weeks with an ankle injury he suffered in the clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
Eriksen’s form may have been questioned heavily by Tottenham supporters, but he has been showing improvements of late. The midfielder reportedly picked up a knock while playing with Denmark during the international break. He is set to face late fitness test in order to determine his participation against West Ham. Slaven Bilic’s team remain just outside the relegation zone, but they have always made the London derby much tougher.
Pochettino would like to have his fully fit squad sooner rather than later with the crucial December fixture list fast approaching, and Spurs have been linked with a number of players as transfer targets for January. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who won numerous league titles in his time with the Red Devils, says that the Tottenham’s failure to strengthen significantly in the summer is the primary reason for their current struggles.
Rather than ‘statement of intent’ signings, Spurs went for the ‘value for money’ options like Vincent Janssen. Much of the summer signings apart from Victor Wanyama have been disappointing. Janssen will be one of the players struggling to make it to the West Ham game, but fans are unlikely to complain much. The former AZ striker is yet to score from open play this season despite playing in more than 700 minutes of action across the Premier League and Champions League.
One of the few positives for the club at this moment would be the potential return of Alderweireld, who has not played since the draw with West Brom more than a month ago. Meanwhile, Harry Kane was also released earlier from England duty in order to continue his rehabilitation after having just returned from a long-term injury.
