THE LILYWHITES HAVE ONLY TASTED DEFEAT ONCE IN THEIR FIRST SIX COMPETITIVE OUTINGS ACROSS ALL COMPETITIONS, WITH THIS EVENING’S CLASH AGAINST THE LEAGUE ONE SIDE THEIR FIRST IN THE LEAGUE CUP FOR 2025/26.
SUCH A GAME WILL NO DOUBT ALLOW THE DANE TO ROTATE HIS FIRST TEAM SQUAD AND HAND VALUABLE MINUTES TO PLAYERS WHO HAVE STRUGGLED TO NAIL DOWN A REGULAR STARTING ROLE. IT’S CRUCIAL THAT THE MANAGER FINDS THE BALANCE BETWEEN YOUNGSTERS AND SENIOR FIRST-TEAM OPTIONS, WITH GRANT MCCANN’S SIDE ALREADY DUMPING OUT CHAMPIONSHIP OPPOSITION IN MIDDLESBROUGH EARLIER THIS TOURNAMENT.
FRANK MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME BOLD CHANGES TO HIS SIDE, POTENTIALLY DROPPING ONE PLAYER WHO’S ALREADY BEEN IN TREMENDOUS FORM DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE CAMPAIGN. WHY RICHARLISON SHOULD BE DROPPED AGAINST DONCASTER.
USUAL NUMBER NINE DOMINIC SOLANKE HAS BEEN OUT INJURED FOR THE OPENING STAGES OF THE SEASON, RESULTING IN RICHARLISON BEING GIVEN THE NOD TO LEAD THE LINE BY THE NEW MANAGER.
THE BRAZILIAN HAS FAILED TO IMPRESS OVER RECENT SEASONS, BUT FRANK’S ARRIVAL HAS GIVEN HIM A NEW LEASE OF LIFE, ALREADY FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET ON THREE OCCASIONS. HE NETTED TWICE ON THE OPENING DAY OF THE SEASON AGAINST BURNLEY, WITH THE LATTER OF HIS TWO STRIKES BEING NAMED AS THE CLUB’S GOAL OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST.
THE 28-YEAR-OLD ALSO FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET IN SATURDAY’S CLASH WITH BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION, GETTING THE BALL ROLLING AFTER BEING 2-0 DOWN WITHIN THE FIRST HALF AN HOUR. THE FORMER EVERTON STAR HAS FEATURED FOR 348 LEAGUE MINUTES OF THE LEAGUE SEASON, POTENTIALLY BEING IN NEED OF DESPERATE REST TO AVOID PICKING UP ANOTHER INJURY.
IT MAY APPEAR A CONTROVERSIAL DECISION GIVEN HIS RECENT FORM IN NORTH LONDON, BUT HE MAY NEED TO BE BENCHED TO ALLOW ONE PLAYER TO MAKE A RARE START FOR THE LILYWHITES. THE SPURS PLAYER WHO SHOULD MAKE HIS FIRST START TONIGHT.
DURING THE OFF-SEASON, SPURS MADE NUMEROUS IMPRESSIVE ADDITIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY STRENGTHENED THE OPTIONS AT FRANK’S DISPOSAL FOR HIS FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM.
MOHAMMED KUDUS WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE OF THE SUMMER ADDITIONS, COSTING £55M FROM LOCAL RIVALS WEST HAM UNITED – ALREADY MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN NORTH LONDON. THE GHANAIAN HAS ALREADY REGISTERED FOUR ASSISTS FOR THE CLUB, SUBSEQUENTLY BECOMING THE FIRST PLAYER SINCE JAMES MADDISON TO REGISTER TWO ASSISTS ON HIS DEBUT FOR THE CLUB.
PLAYERS SUCH AS XAVI SIMONS AND JOAO PALHINHA HAVE ALSO ARRIVED DURING THE OFF-SEASON, SUBSEQUENTLY CEMENTING THEIR PLACE AS REGULAR STARTERS IN THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD. HOWEVER, THE SAME CAN’T BE SAID ABOUT MATHYS TEL, AFTER THE FRENCH STRIKER JOINED ON A PERMANENT BASIS FROM BAYERN MUNICH DURING THE SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW.
SUCH A MOVE GENERATED HUGE EXCITEMENT WITHIN THE FANBASE, BUT HE’S YET TO MAKE A HUGE IMPACT UNDER FRANK IN THE FIRST MONTH OF HIS SPELL IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE. THE 20-YEAR-OLD HAS ONLY MADE A SINGLE APPEARANCE IN THE LEAGUE, ONLY FEATURING FOR A TOTAL OF 98 MINUTES IN ENGLAND’S TOP-FLIGHT IN THE 2025/26 CAMPAIGN TO DATE.
SUCH A LACK OF ACTION COULD BE A SURPRISE GIVEN HIS IMPRESSIVE TALLY OF THREE GOALS IN HIS 20 APPEARANCES FOR THE LILYWHITES LAST SEASON, WITH TONIGHT THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO HAND THE FRENCHMAN A RARE START. TEL, WHO’S BEEN LABELLED “INCREDIBLE” BY ONE ANALYST, HAS STILL MANAGED TO IMPRESS DESPITE HIS LIMITED ACTION, REGISTERING AN 81% PASS ACCURACY RATE AND A 50% DRIBBLE SUCCESS RATE.
HE’S ALSO WON 5.5 DUELS PER 90, WHILST WINNING 1.8 FOULS PER 90, OFFERING A CONSTANT THREAT TO THE OPPOSITION BACKLINE – SOMETHING WHICH FRANK WILL WANT TO UTILISE AGAINST THE LEAGUE ONE OUTFIT. GIVEN HIS EXCLUSION FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD FOR THE 2025/26 CAMPAIGN, THE CARABAO CUP COULD BE AN EXCELLENT CHANCE FOR TEL TO GAIN VALUABLE FIRST-TEAM MINUTES.
IT’S ALSO A CHANCE FOR RICHARLISON TO GET A NEEDED REST AFTER HIS NUMBER OF MINUTES EARLY ON THIS CAMPAIGN, POTENTIALLY GIVING THE FRENCHMAN A CHANCE TO STAKE HIS CLAIM FOR A STARTING ROLE.
