The timing of Harry Kane’s third ankle injury setback in as many seasons could not have been worse for Tottenham Hotspur and Mauricio Pochettino. Not only are the club entering a pivotal point in their season with an EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea and a Champions League double-header with Borussia Dortmund looming on the horizon, they also had to bid farewell to Heung-Min Son on Monday, with the South Korean jetting off to the United Arab Emirates to compete in the Asian Cup. With Kane set for at least six weeks on the sidelines after damaging the ligaments in his left ankle and Son potentially absent until the start of February, should South Korea (as expected) reach the Asian Cup final, Pochettino is suddenly lacking his two most reliable goalscorers at a crucial juncture of the campaign.
Of the 70 goals that Spurs have scored in all competitions this season, Kane has managed 20 and Son a further 12. Between them, Kane and Son account for just under half (45%) of Spurs’ total goals this season while they have also weighed in with a considerable number of assists too. That is some strike force to replace.
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Kane has missed 16 games in all competitions for Spurs due to injury, with all but two of those due to ankle problems. Pochettino’s Plan A to compensate without Kane has generally been to play Son as a False 9 as he did to great effect during the 2-0 win over Manchester City in October 2016 to inflict a first Premier League defeat on Pep Guardiola.
Son’s pace, movement and directness, offered Spurs a great outlet through the centre but his absence means that Pochettino will have to find an alternative. The most natural replacement in that regard is Lucas Moura, with the Brazilian offering similar qualities, if not quite the cuteness of Spurs’ No.7. Lucas started the campaign in great form, scoring three goals in his first three games, predominantly while being deployed as the team’s most advanced player, with Kane dropping into a No.10 position whenever the two were paired together. He is a doubt for Fulham on Sunday, however. The other options to play as a mobile centre forward in a fluid system are Erik Lamela and Dele Alli. Of the two, Alli has the better pedigree as a goalscorer with 41 Premier League goals over the past three-and-a-half seasons. While predominantly a midfielder, Alli excelled in a shadow striker position in 2016-17, ghosting into the penalty area to score 22 times in all competitions.
Alternatively, Pochettino could opt to swap one out-and-out striker for another by giving Fernando Llorente a run in the side. The 33-year-old has been the subject of interest from his former club Athletic Bilbao as well as Galatasaray this month, although he now looks set to stay in London. One player who definitely won’t feature is Vincent Janssen, with Pochettino stating definitively after the United game: ‘He is not in my plans.’
