Spurs can ease Porro blow by handing “dominant” ace his first start
Ange Postecoglou’s side will need to win today to keep a grip on their top four spot.
Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this afternoon and have a glorious opportunity to consolidate their spot in the top four with victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Aston Villa lost against Manchester United last time out but are only one point behind Spurs, and gaffer Ange Postecoglou will now need to engineer back-to-back victories for the first time in 2024.
With five successive home wins, Tottenham are in a good position to continue the revival under Postecoglou, but the Old Gold are as disciplined as they come and would only be too happy to complete an unlikely league double.
Spurs team news vs Wolves
In a big double blow to Tottenham’s preparations, star full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie are both expected to be sidelined against Wolves, with the former likely to be out for several weeks.
Captain Heung-min Son should start, however, after assisting Brennan Johnson’s late winner off the bench last weekend.
Spurs boast a fitter squad than has been the case for the majority of Postecoglou’s tenure but Porro’s absence will come as a massive blow, though there is a star waiting in the wings for just this scenario…
Replacing Porro will certainly not be easy; the Spaniard has supplied seven assists across 23 Premier League fixtures this season, also averaging 1.7 key passes, 2.9 tackles, 2.5 clearances and 5.7 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.
Dragusin might not appear as Porro’s natural replacement, that tag lies with Emerson Royal, but he has played at right-back before and has been hailed for his “complete & dominant” style by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 18% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 10% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref, so he clearly has the attacking acumen and marauding presence to fill in for Porro, all the while maintaining an aggressive defensive skill set.
Emerson Royal has only played at right-back three times this season and has been marooned on the bench for most of the campaign, save for moments of real urgency.
Dragusin also averaged 3.3 ball recoveries, 0.4 key passes and 4.6 clearances per game in Serie A this season, , so it would seem that he has the all-encompassing style that would allow him to play on the right side of the defence.
Ultimately, Porro has been incredible this term and replacing him is a daunting task for Postecoglou to consider, but Dragusin cost a pretty penny last month and now he must be unleashed from the outset.
