- Tottenham already have multiple players ruled out through injury at the moment
- Ange Postecoglou has revealed two more players have picked up injuries
- Inside Postecoglou’s Tottenham: IAKO looks at culture and philosophy changes
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed midfielder Pape Matar Sarr could miss Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa.
Spurs are already without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until 2024 due to injury, while Cristian Romero is serving a suspension after being sent off against Chelsea earlier this month.
Sarr has now emerged as a doubt and did not train on Friday, while young defender Ashley Phillips has been ruled out for up to a month having picked up a knock during the international break.
‘We’ve had a couple of issues out of the international break,’ Postecoglou said.
‘Phillips picked up an ankle injury and out for a little while, perhaps a month out. Checking with Sarr, who has an issue. See how he is tomorrow, he didn’t train today.’
Pape Matar Sarr did not train today and has emerged as a doubt for Sunday’s match
Ashley Phillips (pictured) has also been ruled out for up to a month after picking up a knock
Ange Postecoglou is looking for his side to bounce back from successive losses before the international break
Sarr and Phillips’ setbacks are bad news for Tottenham as they look to bounce back from successive defeats before the international break.
Postecoglou’s side had topped the table in the opening weeks of the season, with the Australian winning three consecutive manager of the month awards in August, September and October.
But their losses against Chelsea and Wolves have seen them slip to fourth in the table.
If Sarr is unable to play, this could hand Oliver Skipp an opportunity to impress, having fallen down the pecking order in recent weeks.
Postecoglou has been pleased with Skipp’s efforts in training, and backed him to rise to the challenge if given a rare start.
Oliver Skipp could be handed a rare chance to impress if Sarr is ruled out on Sunday
‘Skippy has been working hard at training. He stayed back with us and did a lot of good work last couple of weeks. He’s working hard and waiting for the opportunity,’ Postecoglou added.
Rodrigo Bentancur is also pushing for a start after returning from a long-term knee injury, and Postecoglou believes the Uruguayan can cover multiple roles for the team in midfield.
‘I think he can play a couple of different areas. He can play as a No6 or further forward as a No8,’ Postecoglou said.
When asked if Bentancur could be better suited to play a little deeper as he recovers from a lengthy lay-off, Postecoglou replied: ‘Potentially. It’s probably why Marcelo [Bielsa] probably used him like that for Uruguay. He did it really well and he can play there.’