Ange Postecoglou will once again be in front of the media on Wednesday afternoon as he previews Tottenham's Europa League clash against Elfsborg. In a very good position to qualify for the knockout phase of UEFA's second club competition after last Thursday's win at Hoffenheim, three points will ensure that Spurs avoid a two-legged knockout phase play-off tie next month.

Postecoglou, of course, will be quizzed about the team's Swedish opponents but all the focus will be on the injury and transfer front. There is now less than a week remaining in the transfer window for Tottenham to bolster their squad, with the window closing for business at 11pm on Monday, February 3.

Not only is it a pivotal week for the club when it comes to transfers, it is also huge on the pitch for Spurs as they attempt to seal a top-eight finish in the Europa League and also stop their alarming slump in the Premier League. Heading into this week's games, Postecoglou will be hoping for positive injury news as there are question marks over Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison at present.

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Maddison did not feature at all in Sunday's defeat to Leicester, with Richarlison and Sarr making way nine minutes into the second half as part of a double change. Speaking after the game, Postecoglou revealed that the Brazilian had an issue with his groin and his midfielder should not have played as "he obviously wasn't fit".

Already without a host of key players, Spurs cannot afford for both Richarlison and Sarr to join the already huge numbers in the treatment room at Hotspur Way. The potential loss of Richarlison to another injury would be a devastating blow for Tottenham at a time when Dominic Solanke is out for six weeks with a knee problem.

That is why signing a new attacker may now be at the top of Tottenham's transfer priority list prior to next Monday's transfer deadline. Heading into January, a new centre-back was the undoubted priority for the club after losing Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies to injury.

The lack of numbers has meant that Archie Gray has taken on an unfamiliar role since the beginning of December after moving into the heart of defence to partner Radu Dragusin. Gray has done extremely well at centre-back but his positional change has just highlighted how light the team are in such an important area of the pitch.

Tottenham look set to receive a boost in defence very soon with Romero and Van de Ven finally making their return from long-term injuries. That in turn will allow Dragusin and Gray to have a much-needed breather and also give Postecoglou and the team a huge lift in their hour of need.

Regardless of the fact that the first-choice centre-back pairing are returning, Spurs really could still do with adding to their numbers at centre-back before 11pm on Monday as there is no guarantee that the team's injury luck will magically transform in the weeks ahead. Amid the upcoming defensive boost and the lack of options in attack right now, a new attacker surely has to be at the top of Johan Lange's list before the window closes for business.

Spurs are very light in the final third after losing Solanke, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson to injury this month, with the trio subsequently joining fellow attacker Wilson Odobert in the treatment room. The return of Richarlison, who has scored two goals in four appearances since making his comeback, has come as a big boost but there is now the possibility that he faces time out once again after his early exit against Leicester.

That will all become clear on Wednesday afternoon when Postecoglou issues an injury update when previewing the Elfsborg match. Even if Richarlison is fit enough to play against the Swedish side on Thursday night, Tottenham really cannot afford to gamble on the ex-Everton man as their only experienced striker over the next month or so due to his wretched luck with injuries since joining the club.

Scoring goals has not been a problem for Tottenham this season but it could become a major issue in the weeks ahead if their main two strikers are out at exactly the same time. At a time when Spurs are battling on four fronts, it is nothing something they can chance, especially due to the fact they could potentially be five points away from the relegation zone going into Sunday's game at Brentford.

When it comes to bringing in an attacker ahead of the deadline, a frontman who can operate centrally and out wide would be the perfect move for the club to ensure Postecoglou has sufficient options across the frontline. Whether that is actually the case remains to be seen, though.

As vital as it is for Tottenham to strengthen at centre-back and in attack over the coming days, what looked to be the club's transfer priority at the beginning of January now appears to have changed four weeks on. What Postecoglou says in his press conference on Wednesday afternoon could well confirm that is now very much the case.

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