Tottenham will be hosting Barcelona in the Champions League later this evening. Not only are they playing in a makeshift stadium, but they’ll be going into the game with six of their senior squad missing owing to injury. This is made even more infuriating as Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed to sign a single player over the summer, becoming the first Premier League side ever to do so.
TEAM NEWS: @dele_official (hamstring), @ChrisEriksen8 (abdomen), @mousadembele (thigh), @JanVertonghen (hamstring) and @Serge_aurier (thigh) will not be available before the international break.#COYS pic.twitter.com/sKdFz6rzxT
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 2, 2018
Goalkeeper Michel Vorm is out of the clash, defender’s Jan Vertonghen and Serge Aurier and midfielder’s Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are the six stars who won’t be available. This makes worrying viewing for The Lilywhites and you’d imagine that Lionel Messi and co will be licking their lips at the opportunity to kick Pochettino’s side whilst they’re down.
It won’t be that simple, though. Harry Kane and those who are fit will be determined to inflict the same fate on Barcelona as they did to Real Madrid this time last year. The Lilywhites have started their Champions League campaign poorly, having lost to Inter at The San Siro to a late Matias Vecino header. Tonight the North London side will be desperate to put that right and try and get their first points on the board the Champions League group stages as they aim to better last season’s round of sixteen exit.
You can read The Lilywhites’ angry responses to the team news here:
Didn’t need any new signings anyway did we luckily it’s only Barca next glad I swerved that one! Never change Spurs
— Paul Clarkson (@PaulClarkson86) 2 October 2018
Good thing we signed players in the summer for when- oh wait
— Toby Tottenham Mad (@tottenhammad123) October 2, 2018
If only we had signings as back up
— Ⓜ️ (@_mevss) October 2, 2018
Thank god we spent sufficiently in the summer to improve our depth of the squad. Hats off Levy
— THFC Fans (@THFC__Fans) October 2, 2018
Going to sleep. Wake me up after the international break.
— James Harris (@JamesCHarris97) October 2, 2018
Good job we brought in all those players in the summer! Imagine if we’d bought no one
— Lee Penton (@Penton10) 2 October 2018
Jheeze! Is there anyone else left to play?
— Jo Mac (@Jomacjomac) 2 October 2018
You can understand the Tottenham fans frustrations at their injury news and they’ll be far from confident heading into the Barcelona clash now.
