Three creative ways Tottenham can cope without Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven

Ange Postecoglou is facing the worst injury crisis of his coaching career "by a fair stretch" after losing centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to new muscle injuries against Chelsea on Sunday.

Postecoglou will be without nine first-team players for Thursday's Europa League game against Rangers here in Glasgow, with Ben Davies, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert (all hamstring) and Guglielmo Vicario (foot) also sidelined, Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon ineligible and Mikey Moore still recovering from illness.

Midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, who are expected to start at Ibrox, are suspended for Sunday's visit to Southampton in the Premier League.

The decision to restore Romero and Van de Ven to the XI against the Blues following lay-offs now looks highly questionable, with reports in Argentina claiming the former will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a quad injury and Van de Ven thought to be facing up to three weeks out with another hamstring strain.

Archie Gray, 18, is expected to partner Radu Dragusin at centre-back against Rangers but Postecoglou has acknowledged that he will have to “get creative” going forward, with Spurs facing six fixtures before January - when they could sign a new centre-back and have the option recall Ashley Phillips from his loan at Stoke.

Assuming Gray and Dragusin stay fit, they look set to start the majority of games before the turn of the year but what else could Postecoglou consider before his injured defenders are available again?

Play someone out of position

Gray is not a centre-back by trade and Postecoglou may have to call on another player to fill in out of position over the festive schedule.

Last season, the head coach used full-back Emerson Royal and midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of defence, while Davies now spends more time at centre-back than left-back. Neither Pedro Porro nor Destiny Udogie, however, appear especially well-suited to deputising in the middle.

Perhaps Bissouma could do a job in a crisis but, really, there are few compelling options as auxiliary centre-halves in Postecoglou's squad.

Turn to youth and exiled players

Centre-back Alfie Dorrington, 19, is among the young players to have made the trip to Glasgow and could be called upon to make his senior debut before long.

Malachi Hardy, a highly-rated England youth international, has also been on the bench recently but he is just 16 and unlikely to be thrust into action yet.

Spence and Reguilon are not part of the Europa League squad but Postecoglou will likely have to consider using one or both in the weeks ahead.

Spence is still yet to start a game this season but did help rescue the Carabao Cup tie against Coventry in September with a late equaliser from the bench, while Reguilon is not part of Postecoglou's plans but remains in the Premier League squad.

Change the system

Postecoglou has used a back three before, notably when he was in charge of Australia, and a change of system, while drastic, may ease the burden on his available defenders.

Gray, Dragusin and Udogie could conceivably line-up as a back three, with Porro and Spence as wing-backs.

Given the knock-on effect it would have on the rest of the team, a new formation seems the least likely solution to Spurs' severe centre-back shortage.