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Spurs took care of business on Wednesday at Wembley. They secured a spot in the Champions League for next season with one game to spare. That one game isn’t as important as it might’ve been had the result against Newcastle been different, but it still has meaning.
If Tottenham beat Leicester, they’ll finish third in the Premier League. Finishing third, ahead of Liverpool, would be nice, but it’s not as crucial as it was in the time when fourth place only guaranteed a spot in the playoff rounds of the UCL. Because of this, and certain injuries, we could see a much different looking Tottenham team on Sunday.
Here’s the final team news of the season.
TEAM NEWS: @HarryWinks continues his rehabilitation and is unavailable for selection. pic.twitter.com/SJJj28B5pK
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 11, 2018
It’s no surprise that Harry Winks was unable to recover before the end of the campaign. Injuries have robbed him of almost all of 2018 so far, so there was really no point in rushing him back.
Mousa Dembele’s absence also isn’t a surprise, but it is a major bummer. There have been quite a few rumors recently that Dembele might leave Spurs in the summer. He’ll turn 31 this summer, and has been linked with a move to China.
This means that Mousa may have played his last game for Tottenham. It’s always sad to see a fan favorite leave the club, so hopefully that’s not the case.
Serge Aurier also misses out again due to his hamstring injury, but we doubt it will be his last game played for the club.
Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking about some of the younger faces that might be in the lineup for this final game of the season.
#thfc Pochettino: "There are many temptations to give the possibilities to many players that don’t play consistently. I think Juan Foyth deserves to play...so maybe, I am thinking, maybe it is not crazy to see a player like him or Kyle Walker-Peters in the starting XI.”
— Ben Pearce (@BenPearceSpurs) May 11, 2018
It would be good to see Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters see some more action before the season ends. They’ve both looked promising and capable when they have had chances to play in this team.
Between Poch’s comments, the injuries, and the desire to give some players some rest before the World Cup, it seems like a safe bet that we’ll see some substantial rotation for this match.
Even if it’s not Spurs’ first choice lineup, they’ll still be expected to beat Leicester. The fans still hate the Foxes for a couple years ago, and third place sounds a good bit better than fourth does.