Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Matt Doherty is facing the axe from manager Antonio Conte ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for Newcastle battle...

Antonio Conte will be hurting after his side slumped to a 2-0 midweek defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Spurs failed to truly exert any serious control over proceedings and lacked a real threat in the final third, with Lilywhites supporters now hoping that the team can put in a much more convincing performance against Newcastle this afternoon.

Eddie Howe's men won't be pushovers, though, as the Magpies have conceded fewer goals than any top-flight side and travel to north London unbeaten in their last six outings.

Conte may have a few key decisions to make today, and some of them are certain to revolve around his all-important wing-back roles.

The Latest: Doherty facing Conte axe...

According to reports, it appears that Republic of Ireland international Doherty is facing the axe for Newcastle's visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/" title="Tottenham latest news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

The Evening Standard claim that the defender is 'likely' to be dropped to the bench in favour of Emerson Royal, with the Brazilian now coming back from suspension.

Indeed, it appears that the latter could actually come 'straight back in' for Doherty.

The Verdict: Right move?

Emerson has shown dedication, with reports suggesting he has significantly invested to become a better player in his personal time during his suspension.

However, there have also been question marks around his suitability for the role, with Doherty earning praise from Conte for his stellar outing against Everton last weekend.

Called an 'exceptional player' by former Ireland international Gary Breen, we believe that dropping the 30-year-old would be a questionable call by the Spurs boss.