Tottenham Hotspur facing potential injury crisis for Chelsea derby

Headline prognostications of injury crises rarely turn into actual injury crises, but Tottenham Hotspur could be facing one for Sunday’s super showdown against Chelsea. Let’s call it a concern, at the very least.

An already sizable injury list saw two more names added to it last night, as neither Steven Bergwijn nor Lucas Moura were able to finish their 2-2 draw against Stade Rennais in the Europa Conference League. Spurs were already without Son Heung-Min, Eric Dier, and Ryan Sessegnon through various injuries, while the trio of Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso, and Davinson Sanchez were all still quarantining in Croatia following their international break activities.

Those three are expected to arrive back in England on Saturday, which should make them available for Sunday’s game — assuming they’re match fit after spending the week training and semi-circumventing UK quarantine rules (they were allowed to train in Croatia; would not have been allowed to train in England). The status of the other five players is even less certain at the moment.

“It’s been terrible [last few weeks]. I must be honest. Let’s not hide behind nothing. After the Watford game, everything that has happened has not been very good for us.

“But this is football and we know it’s a moment we have to overcome. Today, we tried to show the players solutions, thinking about the game on Sunday. But it’s about overcoming obstacles. That will make us stronger for the future, for sure.

“[We] have to match these situations and try to improve on our quality. But we are on the way. We want to build and become stronger.”

-Nuno Espirito Santo; source: Metro

Spurs will also be without young defender Japhet Tanganga, who is suspended after his sending off last weekend, but they will undoubtedly be very much up for this game regardless of their squad health. Derby days are no like none other.