Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham have the luxury of a rare midweek without a game. Having to contend with a hectic schedule since September due to their European and domestic cup commitments, Spurs now have a free midweek slot for the first time since the turn of the year.

It is very much a rarity for the north London club this campaign and it is something they have to try and make full use of before the games start to pile up once again. Going so long without a free midweek slot, it is a case of London buses for Tottenham as two come around together as their top-eight Europa League finish means they also go without a midweek game next week.

Tottenham were on the losing side on Sunday evening as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa following a 2-1 defeat in the Midlands. Speaking after the game, Postecoglou was asked what he and his players will be doing with their free midweek.

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"I'm just going to keep on working like I have," he admitted. "The ones who have been playing we've got to give them some time off. We've got the early part of the week and we'll give them some time off.

"The boys who are coming back, we'll get the opportunity to give them a whole week of training which is great. So come Tuesday we should have three or four who have been missing, we can give them a full week of training instead of a couple of sessions and then throwing them in.

"By the time we get to the back end of the week we should have something resembling a squad of players to prepare for a big game. That then folds into the following week when again we've got seven days and no midweek game to prepare for the next game.

"So that gives us a real good opportunity to get some work into the guys who have been out for quite a while and give some rest to the guys who have been going at it. So by the time we get back to being in Europe and having midweek games we'll be in a much better shape."

Tottenham's next fixture sees Manchester United make the trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday evening. So what exactly will be on Postecoglou's to-do list this week? football.london takes a look below.

Reintegrate injured players

Postecoglou mentioned in his press conference on Friday morning that Spurs are hopeful they will have "at least two, maybe three" players back for the Manchester United game. Injuries have hit Tottenham hard over the course of the season and they are desperate for a boost on the injury front with their form so mixed.

As Tottenham remarkably have the luxury of two free midweeks without a game after such a packed calendar since September, those nearing their return will have the opportunity to build up their fitness before the whole squad comes together to prepare for the Manchester United match. It is something Postecoglou and his coaching team will be keeping a very close eye on over the coming days as a squad boost could make all the difference to their results on the pitch.

Rest days

As Postecoglou stated in his post-match press conference on Sunday evening, those who have been playing relentlessly over the past couple of months will be given some time off to recover. Tottenham's schedule has been unforgiving since September, with a real lack of depth due to injury causing them major issues.

Players have been pushed to the limit and the boss has been unable to give them a rest when they have required it. The free midweek slots over the next two weeks are exactly what the squad need before the midweek games return from the end of February onwards.

Devise Manchester United plan

Tottenham go into Sunday's game against Manchester United two points behind their opponents after 24 games of the Premier League season. They have the opportunity to leapfrog United in the standings and also record a treble over them this campaign.

Victorious at Old Trafford in September with a convincing 3-0 win, Spurs then beat Ruben Amorim's side 4-3 in December in the quarter finals of the FA Cup. Tottenham have had the upper hand over the Red Devils this campaign and they will be looking to keep it that way.

Postecoglou's previous plans against Manchester United have worked and it may be a case of more of the same as they attempt to back up their victory over Brentford last time out in the league. Spurs have sufficient time to finetune their plan and hopefully it results in another victory.

Danso and Tel opportunity

A rare week without a midweek game will give Postecoglou's squad the opportunity to rest and recuperate after such a busy schedule of late. These free midweeks don't come around very often for Spurs and they need to take full advantage of it because it won't be long until the calendar features fixtures every three of four days.

The week will allow new signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel sufficient time to get used to Postecoglou's philosophy and demands as time on the training ground was in short supply last week. Both players want to make a fast start to life in the capital and a decent amount of time on the training pitch over the next fortnight with Postecoglou and their new teammates can help them do just that.

Make midfield call

Amid the amount of injuries Spurs have to deal with at present, they do look rather strong in midfield numbers with the vast majority of the players available for selection. Although James Maddison has played no part for the team since the Europa League win over Hoffenheim, Postecoglou has had Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Lucas Bergvall available to him.

The trio of Bentancur, Bissouma and Sarr did not work at Anfield in midweek, with the boss opting for Bentancur, Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski against Aston Villa on Sunday evening. However, that area of the pitch once again proved problematic as Villa cut through them time and time again with ease in the first half.

Midfield was Tottenham's strength in the first few months of Postecoglou's tenure but it would later turn into a weakness due to the amount of chopping and changing that had to take place due to a variety of different issues. The boss has to try and find his best midfield formula for the remainder of the season, ideally ahead of Sunday's Manchester United showdown.

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