Postecoglou makes three changes as James Maddison starts

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Ange Postecoglou has made three changes to his Tottenham team to face Manchester City on Saturday evening in the Premier League.

The Spurs boss has found his options limited in certain areas as he takes his side to face the Premier League champions while Pep Guardiola has a number of his key players back fit and ready to face the visitors. In contrast, Postecoglou has lost yet another one of his big names with vice-captain Cristian Romero unavailable with a persistent toe injury and he joins a Tottenham absence list that includes the banned Rodrigo Bentancur, the hamstrung Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert and the virus-hit Mikey Moore.

City do have some problems in central midfield with Mateo Kovacic ruled out for a month, adding to a lack of options in the defensive midfield role with Rodri out for the season. The two sides met last month in the Carabao Cup with much-changed sides with Tottenham coming out on top on that occasion.

From the side that lost to Ipswich and prevented Spurs from climbing into third place, Postecoglou has brought Yves Bissouma in to replace the suspended Bentancur while Ben Davies comes in for Romero. James Maddison comes back into the team for a 28th birthday start with Dejan Kulusevski moving up to right wing and Brennan Johnson on the bench.

Sixteen-year-old Malachi Hardy, the England U17 captain, the only natural centre-back option among the substitutes with Archie Gray also able to play there and 17-year-old midfielder Calum Olusesi is also among the subs.

Here's the team Postecoglou has selected to face Guardiola's men at the Etihad Stadium.

Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son. Subs: Forster, Spence, Hardy, Gray, Bergvall, Olusesi, Johnson, Werner, Lankshear.