Spursvs.AZ

The hosts find themselves 1-0 down from their last-16 first leg in the Netherlands last week, but despite scoring the own goal that saw Spurs fall to defeat, Lucas Bergvall could be recalled from the side that started in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Sunday.

Archie Gray has also played a big part in Spurs' European campaign so far, starting nine matches on the continent, and if he is chosen alongside Bergvall in midfield, he will become the first English teenager to start 10 European matches in a single season.

The experienced Son Heung-min was also left in reserve at the weekend, but scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot after drawing a foul from Kepa Arrizabalaga, and the club captain is expected to be included from the start here.

That is also due to Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison currently being absent for Ange Postecoglou's men, and that will be a big blow considering the Swede has contributed to 20 goals across all competitions, and the latter netted the only goal when Spurs beat AZ 1-0 during the league phase.

There is better news in defence, where Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both returned after lengthy layoffs at the weekend, and that is well-timed, given the recent injuries suffered by Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.

Romero started against Bournemouth and was extremely ropey in the first 45 minutes, almost handing the Cherries a goal inside 20 seconds, but some of that can be attributed to the fact he has not played since October.

Van den Ven was a second-half substitute and must be managed carefully after suffering two recurrences of the same hamstring injury due to being rushed back too soon over the past few months, and while Postecoglou may have some second thoughts about throwing him straight in here, the magnitude of the fixture may make the decision for him.

The other player who will be unavailable is midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose first-leg yellow card means he is suspended, leaving a spot open in the engine room for the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.

Timo Werner is currently injured and also unregistered, along with Antonin Kinsky, as the club did not have enough available changes to include him in the Europa League squad following his January move from Slavia Prague.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Pedro Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Bergvall, Gray, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Written by

Andrew Delaney