Tottenham Hotspur travel to Brighton on Sunday for their next Premier League game, but the Lilywhites will have to do so without their captain, Heung-Min Son, after Ange Postecoglou confirmed the South Korean will not be fit in time.
After a disappointing start to the campaign, which saw Spurs drop points against Leicester City, Newcastle United, and fierce rivals Arsenal, Postecoglou's men have now gone on a five-game unbeaten run. Progress in the EFL Cup, back-to-back wins in the league, and two wins from two in the Europa League have certainly lifted the mood around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the club will be looking to keep that momentum going when they visit the Amex Stadium this weekend.
However, this will now be the third game where the North London side cannot call on their skipper to lead the line, as Son's hamstring issue will keep him out of action until after the international break.
Son Sidelined for Spurs
Tottenham captain will not be fit for next game
Son had featured in all of Tottenham's games this season, until he had to pull up in the 70th minute of the Europa League clash with Qarabag on September 26. Though it was initially thought the 32-year-old was feeling fatigued, it would now appear his condition is more serious.
In his latest press conference (via Football.London), Postecoglou was asked about his injury list, and confirmed that no new issues had arisen after the trip to Hungary on Thursday, but that Son would be unavailable for the weekend.
Postecoglou said:
"First things first, last night, all good. Obviously, fairly tired but physically no issues from last night’s game. Then, out of the guys who sort of stayed back, Destiny [Udogie] we think will be okay. We have training today and tomorrow so he has to get through that.
"Sonny unlikely. He’s pushing hard, but I just don’t think the turnaround will be quick enough for him to be available at this stage. And then that’s it, the others are kind of long-term."
Postecoglou Has a Decision to Make
Postecoglou must choose between experience and youth
Postecoglou will now have a big decision to make regarding who starts the game against Brighton. Timo Werner has started on the left-wing for the last two games, but has come in for criticism for his inability to take chances in front of goal.
Instead, many Spurs fans will be crying out for Postecoglou to hand a first Premier League start to teenage sensation Mikey Moore. The 17-year-old academy product started the Europa League tie against Ferencvaros on Thursday night and proved he is more than ready for first-team football. Indeed, the young winger created chances, played with bravery and adventurousness, and handled the physicality of the game, too.
Whether Postecoglou will trust Moore from the start in the league against considerably more dangerous opposition like Brighton remains to be seen, and the likelihood is that the Spurs boss will lean on the more experienced Werner for one more game.