The injured Harry Kane (£11.8m) is missing from the Tottenham Hotspur squad this evening as Ryan Mason takes temporary charge of the Lilywhites for the first time.
Tonight’s match against Southampton is the second instalment of Spurs’ Gameweek 32 double-header, following the 2-2 draw with Everton last Friday.
Kane scored twice at Goodison Park en route to a 12-point haul.
The England international was widely captained in Double Gameweek 32, with over 95% of the top 10k handing him the armband and around 22% of this leading group using the Triple Captain chip on him.
They’ll have to be content with his double-digit return on Merseyside, however, as the ankle injury he picked up late on in that clash with the Toffees has left him unable to play this evening.
Speaking ahead of the match, Mason said optimistically of his star forward’s fitness:
It’s difficult, we are still not sure yet. We are just treating it day by day. The hope is he might be on the pitch at the end of the week but like I say, at the moment, it’s a day-by-day thing.
Jose Mourinho was dismissed by the north London club on Monday, with Mason handed the reins until the end of the campaign.
He has made three changes to the side that his predecessor named in his final game in charge, with Joe Rodon (£5.0m) and Moussa Sissoko (£4.7m) dropped and Kane sidelined.
Giovani Lo Celso (£6.9m), Gareth Bale (£9.2m) and Lucas Moura (£6.7m) are recalled to a more attack-minded side.
As for Southampton, there are five alterations from the starting XI that were sent out to face Leicester City in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.
One of the changes sees Alex McCarthy (£4.4m) replace Fraser Forster (£4.0m) between the posts.
As a result of Forster’s demotion, more than one in four of the top 10k will be without a playing goalkeeper in Double Gameweek 32.
That’s because Forster is paired with either Bernd Leno (£5.0m) or Edouard Mendy (£5.2m) in over 26% of these squads.
Those more expensive custodians were rested by Arsenal and Chelsea respectively over the last few days.
Ryan Bertrand (£5.0m) is injured, while Nathan Redmond (£6.4m), Moussa Djenepo (£5.4m) and Ibrahima Diallo (£4.5m) drop to the bench.
Mohammed Salisu (£4.3m), Nathan Tella (£4.3m), Theo Walcott (£5.8m) and Che Adams (£5.8m) are all handed recalls.
The reverse fixture of tonight’s game finished 5-2 to Spurs, with Son Heung-min (£9.5m) racking up a 24-point haul in the process.
The South Korea international will be part of a three-man forward line with Bale and Lucas Moura this evening.
Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso Ndombele, Bale, Son, Moura
Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Salisu, Tella, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Walcott, Ings, Adams
3 years, 5 months ago
This City - Villa game would be perfect time for a 1-1 both OGs.