Injuries are once again proving problematic for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham as we approach the end of the year. Rewind the clock back to November 2023 and Tottenham were delivered a hammer blow with Micky van de Ven and James Maddison facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
Suspensions to key players Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma also didn't help matters for Postecoglou and his team. Twelve months on, Spurs find themselves in a similar boat with the head coach having limited options in certain areas of the pitch right now.
Van de Ven is not expected to return from a hamstring injury until the middle of December, Romero is also unavailable for Saturday's game against Man City and both Richarlison and Wilson Odobert face extended spells in the treatment room. The Lilywhites will now have to do without Rodrigo Bentancur for seven domestic games due to a ban from the FA.
It's exactly what Postecoglou does not need as he bids to address the team's mixed start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign. Spurs do have alternative options in the squad to select from but it's fair to say that their substitutes' bench has a rather youthful look about it at present.
Tottenham were active in the summer transfer market as Postecoglou's squad was given a much-needed refresh. Dominic Solanke has made a difference up front but Spurs' other incomings have yet to make a real impression due to a lack of Premier League action coming their way.
Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have so far had to settle for regular minutes in cup competitions as pitch time in the league has been extremely hard to come by. At a time when Tottenham need some experience in their team to replace the missing players, many have pointed to the club's transfer strategy of targeting players for the years ahead.
While of course Spurs could reap the rewards in the years to come as they have some very talented players on their hands, their lack of experience in the club's hour of need has perhaps given Tottenham a transfer lesson. It could in turn possibly have an impact on Postecoglou and Johan Lange's plans for the January transfer window.
The above was all discussed on the latest episode of the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast. football.london's Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest also reflected on Bentancur's seven-match ban and Tottenham remastering their brand identity, as well as also previewing Saturday's Premier League encounter away at Manchester City.
You can listen to the podcast by clicking here or watch on YouTube right here. Alternatively, you can watch the podcast below.
Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.