Tottenham Hotspur fans were hit with news on Wednesday that attacker Dejan Kulusevski has undergone surgery on an injury sustained against Crystal Palace last weekend.
The Swede will be sidelined along with James Maddison on Friday against Aston Villa, though captain Son Heung-min is available and may appear in order to build his fitness ahead of next Wednesday’s Europa League final.
Boss Ange Postecoglou may field an attack consisting of Son, Brennan Johnson and Richarlison, though it would not be surprising if he substituted the former two to avoid possible injuries.
Midfielder Lucas Bergvall has been ruled out as a result of an ankle issue, and his absence could lead to the selection of Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr in the middle of the pitch.
While central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven did not start against Palace and may therefore need minutes before the Europa League final, they are prone to picking up injuries, so perhaps they could come on from the bench.
Should the prior duo not start, expect Kevin Danso and Ben Davies to protect goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, while Pedro Porro and Djed Spence could appear as full-backs.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Gray, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Son
> Click here to see how Aston Villa could line up for this match
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