Ange Postecoglou to consider three Tottenham changes vs Burnley as Oliver Skipp decision looms

It is imperative that Tottenham record three points at home to Burnley on Saturday as they bid to end a dreadful run of form in the Premier League. Having lost against Newcastle United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool recently, Spurs have the opportunity to get back to winning ways when they take on Vincent Kompany's relegation-threatened side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Burnley have to win in N17 to give themselves a chance of survival, with a defeat or even a draw seeing them immediately return to the Championship. For Tottenham, three points is also a must when it comes to the fight for Europe.

A Champions League finish looks highly unlikely now due to Aston Villa's seven-point advantage but there is still a possibility Tottenham can gatecrash the top four as they do have one game in hand still to play. The worry for Spurs now is that Newcastle are only four points behind them and, like themselves, have three games left on the calendar.

So, following last Sunday's 4-2 defeat at Anfield, how exactly could Tottenham line up at home to Burnley? football.london takes a look at the changes Postecoglou could potentially make for the team's penultimate home game of the 2023/24 term.

Oliver Skipp/Radu Dragusin for Emerson Royal

The first alteration Postecoglou could make is at left-back as Emerson Royal suffered a torrid afternoon at Anfield. Unfortunately playing a role in two of Liverpool's four goals, the Brazilian was hooked on the hour mark with Oliver Skipp introduced in his place.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou has Tottenham wildcard and three other options as he makes left-back decision

READ MORE: Devine and Phillips transfer interest, more Ndombele woe and Veliz boost - Tottenham loan latest

Due to Spurs' lack of full-back options at present with Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies out injured, Postecoglou elected to put midfielder Skipp at left-back for what remained of the game. The former England Under-21s international impressed in his game time and played a role in Son Heung-min's strike after picking out Richarlison in the box.

Following that good cameo appearance, Postecoglou must now decide whether or not to start Skipp at left-back. Radu Dragusin could also be an option in defence, with Micky van de Ven moving across to operate as a full-back.

James Maddison for Rodrigo Bentancur/Pape Matar Sarr

James Maddison started on the bench for the second successive game last weekend as Tottenham lost at Liverpool. The England international was introduced on the hour mark and he did help Spurs' attacking play as they started to up the pressure on the hosts.

Struggling for form recently, Maddison will be hoping that he can carry on from his performance on Merseyside and come into the Tottenham starting XI at home to Burnley, with one of Rodrigo Bentancur or Pape Matar Sarr likely to drop out if that's the case. It probably is the right time for the ex-Leicester City man to come back in.

Richarlison for Dejan Kulusevski

One player who should most definitely come into the Tottenham XI on Saturday afternoon is Richarlison. Not starting at Liverpool last weekend as back-to-back games would have been too much for him after his recent return from injury, the attacker changed the game for Spurs following his introduction when the team were 4-0 down.

Immediately creating an opening for Pedro Porro, Richarlison caused a whole host of problems for the Reds and deservedly got a goal to his name with a neat finish from close range. He then added an assist not long after as he teed up Son to give Spurs a glimmer of hope.

Tottenham do look much better for having Richarlison in the team as he does provide Postecoglou's men with a focal point up front, something Son unfortunately doesn't give them. If he can take his form from last weekend into the Burnley game then the ex-Everton star could have a huge say on the encounter in the capital.

Dejan Kulusevski is probably the player most at risk of missing out in order to accommodate Richarlison, with Brennan Johnson and Son impressing in a front three with the Brazil star in the closing stages.

Want breaking and top Tottenham stories sent straight to you? Join our Spurs WhatsApp community by clicking this link. If you're curious you can check out our privacy policy here.

Catch up with this week's Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.