Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Tottenham begin their 2018/19 campaign amid a cloud of turmoil. Mauricio Pochettino was ultimately denied the 'transfer war chest' promised upon signing his new contract at the end of last season, and Spurs became the only club in Premier League history not to make a signing in the summer transfer window.
READ: The winners and losers of the summer transfer window
On paper, the squad that ended the 2017/18 season is strong — and a fully fit Lucas Moura with a full pre-season under his belt adds strength in depth — but with injuries continuously mounting and nine World Cup stars only recently returning to training, it leaves the Argentine with something of a selection headache on the weekend. The wrong sort, that is.
This assumes that Spurs use a 4-3-3, although the same points apply for a 4-2-3-1. Moreover, the caveat is that Pochettino could rush back his World Cup participants or spring a tactical surprise or two, but here are the three perceived weaknesses in Spurs' potential starting XI: