Bentancur starts, Udogie wait - Ange Postecoglou's strongest Tottenham team to face Aston Villa
Here we take a look at the strongest Tottenham XI Ange Postecoglou can name for Sunday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team will be looking to bounce back with three points when they return to Premier League action against Aston Villa on Sunday. Starting the 2023/24 season so well but going into the final international break of the year on the back of two successive defeats, Spurs need to get a win on the board as they aim to keep pace with league leaders Man City.
That will be easier said than done, however, as Villa are the visitors to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Transformed by the appointment of Unai Emery as boss last year and going on to pip Spurs to a Europa Conference League place on the final day of last season, Villa have started this campaign in outstanding form and currently sit one place and one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham.
Winning all six of their games at Villa Park this term, the Midlands club's form on the road has been rather mixed to say the least after registering two wins, one draw and three defeats from six matches. Tottenham will be hoping to inflict a fourth defeat upon them but they will have to be at the top of their game if they are to prevail in the mouth-watering clash.
Without Micky van de Ven and James Maddison until early next year through injury, the Lilywhites will also not be able to call upon Cristian Romero as he serves the second game of his three-match ban. Yves Bissouma is another who is unavailable as he is now suspended for one match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the defeat against Wolves.
Already missing some key players from his XI, Postecoglou will have his fingers crossed that none of those currently away on international duty return to Hotspur Way later this week carrying knocks. So what is the strongest starting Tottenham XI the 58-year-old can name to take on Aston Villa? football.london takes a look below.
Guglielmo Vicario
Pedro Porro
Eric Dier
Ben Davies
Destiny Udogie