AZ Alkmaar and Tottenham Hotspur will go head-to-head in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday evening at the AFAS Stadion, with both sides looking to boost their chances of reaching the next round of the competition.
Maarten Marten's side reached this stage of the tournament with a sensational 6-3 aggregate win over Galatasaray, and come into this game on the back of a 3-1 league defeat away to Heerenveen. Ange Postecoglou's side skipped the last round after securing a top-eight finish in the league phase and had the weekend off, with their last outing coming in a disappointing 1-0 loss to Man City.
Both managers have some injury issues to deal with and decisions to make, so this is how GIVEMESPORT expect the teams to line up.
AZ Alkmaar Team News
Van Bommel doubtful
The Eredivisie outfit have a series of injury issues that Martens must deal with ahead of this game, including forward Ruben van Bommel who is a doubt alongside Mex Meerdink and Sem Westerveld.
Jayden Addai and Sven Mijnans are both ruled out, but former Spurs striker Troy Parrott is in line to start up front.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Martens shared an update on his squad.
"They are ready. Mexx Meerdink is back on the field, but the match comes a bit too early for him. Mees de Wit is back. He has been ill. We have more and more guys. We are still waiting for a few. Sven Mijnans will be out a bit longer and Ruben van Bommel and Jayden Addai also have to return. That means that other guys can show themselves again as they have done before."
AZ Alkmaar Predicted XI
Parrott to start
AZ Alkmaar Predicted XI: Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Koopmeiners, Clasie; Poku, Buurmeester, Lahdo; Parrott.
AZ Alkmaar Predicted Substitutes: Verhulst (GK), Dijkstra (DEF), Martins-Indi (DEF), Dekker (DEF), Kasius (DEF), De Wit (DEF), Smit (MID), Belic (MID), Van Duijn (FWD), Addai (FWD), Daal (FWD), Sadiq (FWD).
Tottenham Team News
Kulusevski ruled out
Tottenham were thought to be overcoming their injury woes but have been rocked by news that Dejan Kulusevski will be ruled out until at least after the international break with an injury picked up in training.
Richarlison and Radu Dragusin are still injured while there are doubts over Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Ben Davies and Dominic Solanke. Timo Werner, Antonin Kinsky, Fraser Forster and Sergio Reguilon are ineligible.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou shared an update on his squad.
"Deki [Kulusevski] is the only one (who hasn't travelled). He's had a knock on his foot. He's not really sure when (it happened) to be honest.
"It's been sore last couple of weeks, but he has been able to train and play and still get through it, but it wasn't getting better, so we did some further investigations but there's no real clarity. We're just waiting on a couple of things to find out the extent of it.
"But he's unlikely to be back before the international break. It's nothing serious, it's nothing surgical or anything but he hasn't travelled.
"He [Van de Ven] is training and we're mindful, you know... the last time, while he came back and played half a game (against Elfsborg), we still felt and he still felt like he just didn't feel right.
"We've taken a different sort of road with him this time and he feels really good, he's been training for the last week and a half, he's in a good space and I guess it's a timing thing now, and when we reintroduce him.
"Again, we'll be gauged by how he feels, in terms of when he gets out there and has a run about, but, in terms of training, how he looks in training and how he feels, he certainly feels very confident that once he's back in the team he'll be all good."
Tottenham Predicted XI
Maddison to start
Tottenham Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Maddison, Son; Tel.
Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Austin (GK), Romero (DEF), Van de Ven (DEF), Udogie (DEF), Sarr (MID), Bissouma (MID), Odobert (FWD), Scarlett (FWD), Moore (FWD), Solanke (FWD).