The fourth round of the FA Cup Tottenham Hotspur make a short trip to Essex as they take on League 1 side Colchester United in Saturday’s early kick-off.
Colchester’s season has been plagued with inconsistency, and they seem to be on the verge of relegation, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t put up a good fight in England’s oldest Cup competition.
The League one side have a terrible defensive record having conceded 65 goals in 28 games this season – going up against a fluid attacking side such as Spurs, Colchester should expect to concede as Pochettino will definitely look to test his team’s attacking prowess against a significantly smaller side.
Spurs go into the game off the back of a 3-1 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park – a game which produced what could very well be the goal of the season as Dele Alli scored an impressive goal against the Eagles.
Alli seems to very confident at the moment, and will be hoping to continue his exhilarating form against Colchester on Saturday.
Spurs know they have a chance of winning some silverware if they advance further in the competition, so Pochettino will definitely rally his troops in an attempt to see off the challenge of Colchester.
Team News
Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen suffered a knee ligament injury following the 3-1 win over Palace in their last Premier League outing.
Kevin Wimmer is expected to fill in for the Belgium international on Saturday.
Considering the relative simplicity of the fixture Pochettino might opt to rest some of his key players so as to introduce some youngsters into the fray.
Players such as Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen are not expected to feature in the clash – although they could come in off the bench if need be.
Predicted Lineups
Colchester possible starting lineup:
Kean; Brindley, Eastman, Wynter, Shorey; Ambrose, Gilbey, Garvan, Montour; Sordell, Porter
Tottenham possible starting lineup:
Vorm; Walker, Dier, Wimmer, Davies; Carroll, Bentaleb; Lamela, Alli, Chadli; Son