Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou planning to include Richarlison in his starting XI against AZ Alkmaar

Tottenham Hotspur are set to face AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their third game of the Europa League campaign.

Ange Postecoglou’s side returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday, beating London rivals West Ham United 4-1 at home. It was a dominant display from the north London outfit, showing great resilience and character after falling behind early via Mohammed Kudus’s goal.

Spurs shift their attention to the Europa League where they’ve enjoyed an ideal start with two wins in as many games. Ange Postecoglou dropped the team news in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, revealing that Son Heung-min will miss the AZ Alkmaar clash after feeling a ‘bit sore’ following the West Ham game.

With Son Heung-min ruled out, this could open up the door for a forward who has recently returned from injury. According to an exclusive report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham boss Big Ange is planning to hand Richarlison a start against the Eredivisie side on Thursday evening.

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The Brazil forward’s time at White Hart Lane since arriving from Everton in 2022 has been marred by persistent injury problems. Unfortunately for him, he has spent a significant period on the sidelines and missed a lot of action already this season. The 27-year-old was injured in training ahead of Spurs’ away loss to Newcastle United in September, resulting in him missing nine games across all competitions.

Richarlison returned to action on Saturday, coming on as a substitute for just nine minutes in Spurs’ big win over the Hammers. Despite claims that he will be carefully integrated into the squad following his injury, GIVEMESPORT reports that Big Ange is planning to include Richarlison in his starting XI in the Europa League fixture to help kickstart his season.

The arrival of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer has resulted in Richarlison having fresh competition for a spot in the Spurs’ attacking line. Moreover, an untimely injury before the game at Newcastle in gameweek 3 disrupted the Brazilian’s rhythm and kept him out for a sustained period.

Spurs are planning to carefully manage the South American star’s fitness levels and improve his form to not only make Big Ange’s forces more potent but also push Solanke. The aforementioned report adds that plans are already made behind the scenes to help the forward remain injury-free, get back to peak fitness levels and improve his value before selling him at the end of the season.

However, it is also important to note that Richarlison requires game time under his belt in order to improve match sharpness, which is perhaps why our gaffer is looking to start the £90,000 per-week ace in the upcoming continental encounter.

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With Son ruled out, this could be the time for Richarlison to step up and stake his claim in the side whilst kickstarting his campaign.