Ange Postecoglou could lose another Tottenham ace with triple suspension risk in nightmare period.
There’s the potential for things to get a whole lot worse for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham when it comes to absent players. Already missing a host of stars due to injury and suspension, the north London club received another major blow in Thursday evening’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Ben Davies had to make way on 62 minutes with what appeared to be a hamstring issue and Postecoglou mentioned after the game that the defender will now be out for a period of time. Already extremely short at centre-back due to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s respective injuries, Archie Gray finished the game alongside Radu Dragusin after initially starting the game as a right-back.
Tottenham need to bounce back this weekend but they have the small matter of in-form Chelsea making the trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The last thing Spurs need right now given their form is for more players to join some of their teammates watching on from the stands.
There is now the possibility of Yves Bissouma doing exactly that before the month is out after he received a caution in the Bournemouth loss. The midfielder was shown a yellow card for a cynical foul on Justin Kluivert as the Dutchman tried to start a counter down the right flank in the first half of the game at the Vitality Stadium.
Bissouma is now on four yellow cards in the Premier League for the season, meaning he is one away from receiving a one-match ban. As ever, players who receive a total of five yellow cards in their first 19 fixtures will be given a one-match suspension.
Tottenham have a further five league games to play before they pass the halfway stage of the season, with their home showdown against Wolves on Sunday, December 29 their 19th league game of 2024/25. A booking in one of the next five league fixtures for Bissouma and he will receive a one-match suspension as a result.
It means the Mali international will be walking the disciplinary tightrope against Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Van de Ven are also in the same boat as their teammate at present as they each have four yellow cards to their name. The former is currently serving a seven-match domestic suspension but he is due to return against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day unless Spurs are successful with their appeal to reduce the length of his ban.
Bentancur will find himself back on the touchline upon his return if he is to receive a yellow card against either Forest or Wolves. A possible one-match ban for Van de Ven will all depend on when exactly he returns to the Tottenham squad from his current hamstring injury.
Spurs will certainly be hoping to have him back sooner rather than later as they have very few options at centre-back right now. Dejan Kulusevski is next in line behind the aforementioned trio on three bookings for the season in the Premier League.
