Ange Postecoglou rules SIX Tottenham players out of Man City clash | Football
Tottenham are still dealing with a string of injuries and will be without six players when they host Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Spurs are coming off a hat-trick of Premier League victories over Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town, halting a worrying slide down the table.
Ange Postecoglou’s team will not be happy with 12th in the top flight, where they currently sit, but they are looking upwards again after the trio of wins.
Their injury headaches are easing but are not quite cured and Postecoglou will still be missing six players who were not available at Ipswich.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Australian said: ‘Will be the same squad as the weekend. Everyone who played is good.
‘With the injured guys, all still progressing and over the next 7-10 days we’ll be getting them back.’
Those ‘injured guys’ who are close to a return are Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with all four hoping to play against Bournemouth in the Premier League on 9 March.
Radu Dragusin is also out for an extended period of time due to an ACL injury, while Ben Davies will not play on Wednesday.
The Welsh defender is not in serious trouble, but Postecoglou wants to make sure he is fully fit for the run-in.
He explained: ‘He’s been carrying a knock for a little while and to be fair he’s played through it, but I’ve said before this is a key period and I want as many players in the best possible condition and after this game we have a seven-day break which leads into Europe, league, Europe League and those games are massive for us.
‘I don’t see need to push. He hasn’t re-injured. He’s just been carrying something that I don’t want to push at the moment.’
Timo Werner is an option for the Australian, saying of the German forward: ‘He has trained & is available for tomorrow.’
Postecoglou’s opposite number on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola, also addressed his big injury concern, although could not confirm whether Erling Haaland would be back in the Manchester City side or not.
The Norwegian has missed the recent defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool with a minor knee problem, but has been training.
‘Tonight we will know after training,’ Guardiola said of Haaland. ‘I hope (he will be fit) but I don’t know yet. He feels better but the last two games he could not play. We’ll see tomorrow.’
Asked for his view on Tottenham and specifically their manager, Guardiola said of Postecoglou: ‘I have a high opinion about him. I try to not judge results, you have to see the ideas; sometimes it’s going well, sometimes not much but I have a high, high opinion.
‘A fantastic team, individual quality that they’ve always had, the rhythm they play with, the intensity, incredible runners in transition. But I’ve seen lately they are a little bit more pause in the final third, more extra passes… Results dictate one thing, but my opinion of the team is completely the opposite.’
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