The Tottenham boss could give one of his first-team stars the chance to shine in the attacking ranks, ahead of Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham Hotspur can continue their unbeaten start to the new Premier League season with another positive result at home to newly-promoted strugglers Sheffield United this afternoon, with the Lilywhites currently on a run of three successive top-flight victories prior to the international break.
A statement 5-2 win away to Burnley last time out seemingly epitomised the fine start to life that new boss Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed in the Spurs dugout, with the 58-year-old having subsequently been named the division’s Manager of the Month for August.
The north Londoners’ strong efforts were also recognised further as summer signing James Maddison – who has two goals and two assists from just four league outings this season – followed his manager by being named the league’s Player of the Month, with the 26-year-old seemingly among those destined to feature from the off yet again against the Blades.
What is the Tottenham team news vs Sheffield United?
There will be a strong sense of relief for Postecoglou and co amid the news that both Heung-min Son and Cristian Romero are set to be fit to feature later today, despite the pair having suffered respective injury scares while away on international duty over the past week or so.
The Lilywhites are, however, likely to be without 27-year-old playmaker, Giovani Lo Celso with the Argentine still nursing a muscle injury, while long-term absentee Rodrigo Bentancur is still continuing his return to fitness.
With the rest of the squad all largely “fit, well and available” – as per Postecoglou – it should ensure that deadline day signing Brennan Johnson is in line for a debut, with the Wales international only watching on in the recent victory at Turf Moor.
Will Brennan Johnson play
Although as the old cliche goes no game in the top-flight is ever easy, it could prove an opportune time to ease the 22-year-old into the starting XI against a side who have picked up just a solitary point so far this term, with that coming against fellow relegation-threatened side, Everton last time out.
The Nottingham native is a player who “causes so many problems with his pace and vision” – as previously hailed by journalist Josh Bunting – with the Bramall Lane outfit seemingly aware of that fact as Spurs’ new man has two goals in just five meetings with today’s opponents in his career thus far.
Fresh off the back of a 2022/23 campaign that saw the youngster score eight times in his debut Premier League season, the hope will be that it is not too long before Johnson is shining in Lilywhite, helping to bolster an attacking unit that suffered the blow of losing talisman Harry Kane last month.
While recent hat-trick hero, Son is likely to keep his place through the middle, flanked by Manor Solomon – who registered two assists against the Clarets – down the left, the right-wing berth could well be where the £47.5m addition finds a permanent home.
Dejan Kulusevski has started every league game so far this term in that wide berth and scored against Bournemouth back in August, although the jury is out on whether the Swede is particularly well suited to Postecoglou’s demands, with 90min reporting earlier in the summer that the ex-Celtic boss was not overly convinced by the wing wizard.
As per respected insider Premier League Panel, playing on the right simply “doesn’t maximise Kulusevski’s ball-striking,large space ball-carrying,ability to turn with pressure on his back & weighting of [through] balls”, hence why a role in the midfield ranks could be a better solution.
With regard to Johnson, the 6 foot 1 superstar – whose potential has been described as “quite scary” by international colleague Aaron Ramsey – will no doubt be keen to hit the ground running in his new surroundings, with there perhaps no better time for Postecoglou to start the bedding in procees than today.
