Tottenham Hotspur play host to West Ham United on Saturday in what is a hugely important game for both sides.
Spurs face the nightmarish situation of having up to seven first-team players unavailable for the visit of London rivals West Ham in their crucial derby clash on Saturday, following a bitterly frustrating international break for Mauricio Pochettino, as quoted by the Evening Standard.
The north London outfit currently sit five points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, and will be desperate to reassert themselves in the title race following the resumption of their Premier League duties this weekend.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and Danny Rose with Christian Eriksen
Their task could be made all the more difficult now, though, after the report from the Evening Standard cited the seven players that could be missing from Pochettino’s squad come Saturday.
The report suggests that Spurs could be without Mousa Dembele, Vincent Janssen, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, and Toby Alderweireld for the game against the Hammers, while both Dele Alli and Ben Davies are definitely out after sustaining more long-term injuries.
Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele
The only consolation for Tottenham fans will be the manner in which Pochettino strengthened his squad over the summer, and those smart acquisitions would have been made in preparation for times like this.
All Premier League sides suffer a mini injury crisis throughout the course of the season, and it is how the squad copes with the absence of their key players that usually determines whether or not they manage to mount a serious challenge for the title.
The jury is still out on Tottenham with regards to that.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
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