IT was all going so smoothly for Ange Postecoglou… and then Chelsea came to town.
Ninety minutes of chaos – plus 21 of injury time – have taken a wrecking ball to his squad.
James Maddison, Richarlison and Micky van de Ven are all out injured, while Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero’s red cards against the Blues mean they are suspended for the match against Wolves.
Such is Spurs’ injury crisis they are just one player short of having a full line-up of unavailable players.
It leaves Postecoglou with a real selection headache at the back and in midfield.
In defence, he could be bold and throw in 18-year-old Ashley Phillips, signed this summer from Blackburn for £2million but yet to make his debut.
Alternatively, he could go with full-backs Ben Davies (if fit) or Emerson Royal as Eric Dier’s partner in the heart of the backline.
In midfield, Maddison’s absence is a huge loss given his playmaking skills.
The most like-for-like replacement is Giovani Lo Celso, but Postecoglou has regularly overlooked the Argentina international this term.
Rodrigo Bentancur will surely reclaim a first-team spot eventually but after eight months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, it would be risky to start him at Molineux.
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Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has shown himself a dependable option of late but a trio of the Dane, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr would lack creativity.
A left-field (or, more to the point, right-field) option would be to play right-winger Dejan Kulusevksi in the Maddison role – the Swede said last season No10 was his preferred position – and give Bryan Gil a go out wide, though the floppy-haired Spaniard has only just returned from injury himself.
Decisions, decisions…
POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR ANGE
Lo Celso could provide some of the creativity missing from the loss of Maddison, with Emerson featuring at left-back as he did against Crystal Palace at the end of last month.
Davies could partner Dier despite the pair both rarely playing this season.
Bentancur would add more protection in midfield but Postecoglou risks aggravating his injury by bringing him back too early.
The Uruguyan is unlikely to last 90 minutes and it would be a risk to play both him and youngster Ashley Phillips.
Hojbjerg replaced Maddison on Monday and has a solid if unspectacular Tottenham career.
Emerson featured at centre-half against Chelsea but it is an unfamiliar role for the Brazilian.
Gil is another player who has not featured much under Postecoglou so this would be a risky line-up.
However the Australian has proved he likes to gamble after sticking to his high line and his press principles against Blues, even with nine men.
Oliver Skipp is another midfielder Postecoglou could call upon.
This is perhaps the most pragmatic line-up for the Spurs boss, and one that offers the best midfield balance.
