In a thrilling display at White Hart Lane, Spurs thrashed Millwall 6-0 on Sunday afternoon to progress into the semifinals of the Emirates FA Cup. But the match began in worrying circumstances.
After Harry Kane was released down the right channel, he surged into the box and had a shot at goal, during which he had a tangle of legs with a Millwall defender and when he came down he twisted his ankle.
Panic rang around White Hart Lane. In the last ever FA Cup tie at the old ground and Spurs had lost their talismanic striker, top scorer and captain on the night, to injury within just 10 minutes. But on came Christian Eriksen, whose sublime strike put Spurs ahead on the half-hour mark. Then two wonderful goals either side of half-time from Heung-Min Son buried Millwall. Spurs added three more before full-time to ensure spectacular progression into their first FA Cup semifinals since 2012.
The England striker is Spurs’ main source of goals having scored 24 times this season and is the joint-leading goalscorer in the Premier League with 19 goals, along with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. Speaking after the match, manager Mauricio Pochettino said that the injury looked similar to the ankle problem Kane had suffered earlier in the season, that led to him missing seven weeks of action.
The extent of the injury, however, is yet to be determined with early reports saying that it could be up to seven weeks. But if Harry Kane’s injury turns out to be serious and he ends up missing several games, just how would Spurs line-up in his absence?
Defence
Hugo Lloris has been the undisputed choice between the sticks and rightly so. The captain is a vital presence on the field and will continue in goal.
Mauricio Pochettino has the personnel at his disposal to use either a 4-2-3-1 formation or a 3-4-2-1. But we expect him to continue with the three-man defence that has become a norm in recent weeks. That would mean Eric Dier will slot in at the right-side of the three-pronged back-line. Alongside him will be the brilliant Toby Alderweireld who is the mainstay of the Tottenham defence and completing the trio will be Alderweireld’s compatriot Jan Vertonghen, who is fit and firing again.
Midfield
At the right wing-back role, Kyle Walker is the obvious choice. The Englishman has been one of the best full-backs in the league this season and his forward forays are pivotal for Tottenham.
In the middle of the park, the well-oiled machine of Victor Wanyama and Moussa Dembele will continue. The two midfielders have been nothing short of brilliant this season and complement each other well, providing the steely cover, along with the drive going forward.
On the opposite flank, with Danny Rose still ruled out for a few weeks, it will be Ben Davies who will take the field. The Welshman has put in some improved displays in recent weeks and will look to continue his resurgence.
Attack
The two-pronged attacking midfield for Tottenham will comprise of the excellent Christian Eriksen, who came onto have a devastating effect against Millwall and Dele Alli, who is the second-highest goalscorer for Tottenham.
With Harry Kane feared to be out for a considerable time, Pochettino is left with two options to lead the line during the talisman’s absence. But as we saw in the first-half of the season, it will be Heung-Min Son who will spearhead the attack for Tottenham ahead of Vincent Janssen.
The South Korean star had impressed in the absence of Kane earlier in the season, and scored a brilliant hat-trick on Sunday. Janssen, meanwhile, has struggled to get going, but scored his first goal from open play against Millwall. However, with the competition for the top-four spots so close, it will be unlikely that Pochettino will use the misfiring Dutchman ahead of Son.