Ange Postecoglou major Tottenham decision in question in opening Europa League clash
Ange Postecoglou had to make a big call when it came to announcing his Tottenham squad for the 2024/25 Europa League campaign.
Given UEFA's regulations and Spurs' lack of club-trained players after the departures of Harry Kane, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp, Spurs could only name a 23-man squad for the newly-expanded league phase. With only Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman as club-trained players in the squad, Spurs had to reduce their squad size by two.
UEFA rules stipulate of your homegrown players, four must be club-trained and if you do not have four, the size of the squad is reduced accordingly.
That meant two senior players had to be left out. Sergio Reguilon was one easy choice, given he does not have a future at the club, but the other was up for debate. The suggestion was it would be between the rejuvenated Djed Spence and back-up keeper Fraser Forster.
Forster got the nod, meaning Spence has to sit at home and watch. And in the opening game of the league phase, that decision is already being called into question.
Postecoglou has named his team for the match with Qarabag at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Forster is on the substitutes' bench, alongside Brandon Austin. Guglielmo Vicario starts in between the sticks.
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You could argue this is one of Spurs' easier fixtures in the league phase, so if Forster were to get a chance, it would be in this fixture. However, that is not the case.
Given Spurs can choose from seven players to play at the back, having Spence as an eighth option would seem to make sense, particularly if you're not going to start Forster.
This is, of course, the first time Spence has really grabbed a chance to shine in the Spurs side with both hands, having had a couple of less than impressive seasons already in north London. And he can play in the knockout stages of the tournament, should Spurs make it through.
It remains to be seen if Forster will play in the subsequent Europa League games, but had Spence been in the squad, you would think he might have started tonight's match against the Azerbaijan side, either at right-back or left-back.