Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has suggested he will have no option but to play a strikerless system after losing Son Heung-min to injury and is adamant he will not be able to count on youngsters Troy Parrott or Ryan Sessegnon playing up front.
Son suffered a broken arm during Spurs‘ 3-2 win at Aston Villa on Sunday but was able to complete the match, scoring a last-minute winner to hand his side a vital three points.
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- Son has scored 14 Premier League and Champions League goals this season.
- Only Kane has scored more, netting a combined 17.
- But both are now sidelined with arm and hamstring injuries, respectively.
- Dele Alli has seven Premier League goals this season, while Lucas Moura has four.
- Mourinho confirmed he will play a strikerless system but won’t use Parrott or Sessegnon through the middle.
However, the 27-year-old requires surgery on the injury and may now miss the rest of the 2019/20 season, while top scorer Harry Kane is also sidelined with a serious hamstring injury.
Spurs face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday night and remain well in the hunt for a place in the Premier League‘s top four but with no strikers to call upon, Mourinho will now have to make some tactical tweaks to keep his side competitive.
However, the Portuguese tactician has insisted Parrott is “not ready” to lead the line for his side yet, while Sessegnon isn’t suited to a centre-forward role.
“My thoughts are that Parrott is not ready and that Sessegnon is not a striker,” Mourinho replied when asked if he’d use either player as a striker.
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“The situation couldn’t be worse. That is obvious. There is nothing we can do. We are going to play with the players we have available.”
When asked what his plan is to cover the cracks left by Son and Kane’s absences, he responded: “Playing without a striker.”
Lucas Moura remains the most likely option to be deployed up top, while Dele Alli has long been suggested as a potential candidate due to his physical presence.
Following their Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Wednesday, Spurs travel to London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.