Can Spurs striker Fernando Llorente force his way into the squad for the Manchester United clash with a solid performance in midweek?
Spanish striker Fernando Llorente will be hoping that he can play his way into the Tottenham side to face Manchester United on Saturday with a solid performance against West Ham in Carabao Cup action in midweek.
Since picking Spurs over London rivals Chelsea in the summer, Llorente has played just 140 minutes of football in the Premier League and Champions League, finding his opportunities generally limited to cup outings.
The Spaniard won’t be happy to sit on the bench for the entirety of his Spurs stay and will be keen to impress Mauricio Pochettino in the cup on Wednesday night against West Ham, where he is likely to start as the spearhead of the attack.
The former Juventus striker’s chances of forcing a way into the side for Saturday’s clash with Manchester United seem slim, however.
After a convincing 4-1 home win over Liverpool, Pochettino will likely stick with his favoured 3-4-3 system and with only one spot for a central striker and talisman Harry Kane in fine goalscoring form, it seems Llorente will likely find himself among the subs once again come Saturday.
However, grab a couple of goals against The Hammers on Wednesday night and there’s nothing to say Pochettino may revert back to the 5-3-2 that snatched a draw away against Real Madrid in the Champions League, with Llorente partnering Kane and Eriksen dropping into a deeper role.
A solid performance in Carabao Cup action would give the former Southampton boss a real selection dilemma, especially with Son Hueng-min impressing against Liverpool last weekend. And having demonstrated a willingness to throw curve ball tactics for opponents, notably at the Bernabeu, the likes of Llorente will be eager to impress their boss when they get the chance.
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