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As has become a trend for Tottenham Hotspur this season, one of the clubs first-choice defenders looks set for a spell on the sidelines. This morning, Spurs' manager Tim Sherwood confirmed that centerback Jan Vertonghen would miss the upcoming Sunderland match, as would striker Roberto Soldado. It wasn't all bad news though as Emmanuel Adebayor, Vlad Chiriches, and Paulinho will all be back in contention.
#thfc Sherwood says Soldado and Vertonghen are out of action for Monday's match but Adebayor, Chiriches and Paulinho are back in contention.
— Ben Pearce (@BenPearceSpurs) April 4, 2014
Chiriches' return comes at a perfect time for the both the team and the player. With Vertonghen down and Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul putting in some lacklustre performances, Chiriches could get in a good run of games to close the season. The Romanian captain could certainly use more seasoning at the Premier League level and this final string of matches, against some fairly mediocre competition, could be good for Vlad heading into the offseason.
For Paulinho, this represents an opportunity to state his case for inclusion in the Brazilian national team squad this summer, and possibly put himself in the shop window for Zenit St. Petersburg or some other club. Adebayor might also be putting himself in the shop window, or attempting to prove that he will be worth the astronomical wages Spurs will have to pay to keep him around next season. Regardless of his motivations though, it will be good to have the big Togolese striker back spearheading the Tottenham attack.
