Here is our Tottenham predicted XI for the Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Newcastle at St James’ Park
All eyes are on Thomas Frank’s team selection as Tottenham make the long journey to the North East to face Carabao Cup holders Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Spurs have already been battling fixture congestion since the return of club football and with a tasty Premier League derby with Chelsea on the horizon, Frank will be cautious that he needs to keep his squad fresh.
Despite that, the League Cup represents a chance for the Dane to win his first trophy as Tottenham boss and he is unlikely to take the competition too lightly, particularly given the strength of the opposition.
But history shows that last season, when Frank was in charge of Brentford, he wasn’t afraid to rest key players as star man Bryan Mbeumo was left out of his Bees’ starting XI for the quarter-final defeat against the Magpies.
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football.london expects plenty of changes, notably in midfield and in attack.
Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie’s injuries mean Spurs are light on the ground at the back, so Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso and Djed Spence could well be asked to go again after marshalling Tottenham to a clean sheet at Everton.
Antonin Kinsky should replace Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks after featuring in round three against Doncaster Rovers.
Porro, Danso, Joao Palhinha and Spence could make up the back four. Micky van de Ven has played a huge chunk of football this season and there is a high likelihood he will be rested.
The Dutchman is so important, however, it wouldn’t be a major surprise if he featured after his brace at the Hill Dickson Stadium as Spurs bid to continue their impressive defensive momentum.
In that case, he would likely sit out next week’s Champions League group match against Copenhagen.
Palhinha previously slotted in at centre-back against Doncaster and scored in the 3-0 victory. The experienced Portuguese stalwart could be a makeshift option, though 16-year-old Jun’ai Byfield is also pushing for first-team minutes.
In midfield, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr could return to the side with Lucas Bergvall ahead of the duo as Frank’s No.10.
Then in attack, Richarlison looks poised to lead the line and he could be supported by Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert on the flanks.
Mathys Tel is well rested after missing the Champions League draw at Monaco as he’s not registered to play in Europe.
The Frenchman also only played the final minutes at Everton after coming off the bench in stoppage time. If he started, it wouldn’t be a major shock, either.
Academy talents Luca Williams-Barnett, Tynan Thompson and Callum Olusesi could also make the bench.
Predicted Tottenham XI to face Newcastle: (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Palhinha, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Johnson, Bergvall, Odobert; Richarlison.
