Tottenham Hotspur have received a huge defensive boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League tie with Chelsea.
The Lowdown: Problems at the back
Despite winning their opening three league games of the season, Nuno Espirito Santo suffered his first defeat as Spurs boss last weekend as Crystal Palace ran out 3-0 winners.
Tottenham were without Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez and Giovani Lo Celso due to their involvement with Argentina and Columbia, with the trio currently training in Croatia with a member of the Spurs coaching team.
With Japhet Tanganga being sent off and Eric Dier limping off after only 12 minutes at Selhurst Park, Nuno’s options at the back are slim, but he is now set to be handed a huge boost ahead of the meeting with the European champions.
The Latest: Defensive boost
In a report by the Daily Mail, Spurs’ defensive concerns will be eased as Romero and Sanchez are set to return to the side, with the duo arriving in England on Saturday.
Sanchez and Romero, alongside Lo Celso, have been training in Croatia together to avoid having to self-isolate for ten days after returning from red-list countries.
The report claims that the trio will arrive in London 24 hours before the meeting with Chelsea so are available for selection against Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The Verdict: Eases the blow from Palace
Spurs’ defensive woes were evident in the drubbing at Selhurst Park, with Tanganga losing his head and receiving two yellow cards and Dier being forced off the field.
The return of Romero and Sanchez, the latter of whom was lauded as ‘a beast‘ by Mauricio Pochettino, will be pleasing news for Nuno.
Last season, Sanchez produced 2.2 tackles per game, 4.7 clearances per game and won 60% of his aerial duels, and he has started the current campaign off in top form too.
With Romelu Lukaku bagging goals for fun at the moment for Chelsea, having the return of these two extremely physically strong defenders will certainly make Sunday easier and potentially help Spurs return to winning ways.
In other news, Spurs top target for 2022 has been announced after making no bid this summer. Find out more here.
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