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The four Tottenham changes Mauricio Pochettino could make against Man City
Spurs visit the Etihad Stadium for the third time since April
Rob GuestTottenham Hotspur Writer
Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen react after the win over Borussia Dortmund (Image: Jörg Schüler/Getty Images)
Spurs are going to have to be at their very best on Saturday evening if they are to start off the new Premier League season with successive wins.
Fresh from clinching a late 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Mauricio Pochettino's team face a mouth-watering clash against Man City at the Etihad Stadium.
Although Spurs did lose both games in Manchester back in April, the first defeat proved to be a cause for celebration as it was enough to see them advance to the Champions League semi-finals.
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Everyone connected with Tottenham will be hoping to celebrate on Saturday but it will be extremely tough with the champions hitting West Ham for five on the opening day.
The manager could choose to make some changes to his team this weekend following Jan Vertonghen's absence and Christian Eriksen's place on the bench against Villa.
Here we take a look at the changes Pochettino could potentially make for the game against Pep Guardiola's side.
Pochettino: My original plan did not work against Aston Villa
It would be a major shock if the Dane remained on the substitutes' bench against Man City following his outstanding display in the win over Aston Villa.
Not named in the starting XI with Erik Lamela preferred to him, Eriksen entered the pitch in the 65th minute and completely changed the game as Spurs ran out 3-1 winners after earlier trailing 1-0.
The midfielder underlined his importance to the team in his 25 minutes on the pitch and now Pochettino will be looking for a repeat performance against the Premier League champions.
Christian Eriksen warms up for Spurs against Aston Villa (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The only real decision he will have to make is whether he sticks with the same formation from the first half or he goes with the 4-2-3-1 that finished the game against Villa.
Jan Vertonghen
Spurs fans were left shocked ahead of kick-off on Saturday with Vertonghen absent from the starting XI against Aston Villa.
The Belgian defender was left out of the 18-man squad completely and it was Eric Dier, who missed all five of the club's pre-season games through injury, that was the defensive cover on the bench.
Giovani Lo Celso and the tweaks Mauricio Pochettino can make to replace Christian Eriksen
All eyes will be on the teamsheet at the Etihad Stadium this weekend to see if the 32-year-old is back in the squad against Guardiola's team.
Pochettino is going to have to name his strongest possible team against City and that may see Vertonghen come back in ahead of Davinson Sanchez.
Time will tell if he does indeed return for the first time this season.
Aurier had to watch on from the substitutes' bench on Saturday after only just returning from the hand injury he suffered while representing Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Serge Aurier during the training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre
Kyle Walker-Peters was the man to start against Aston Villa and he did catch the eye with a brilliant performance as he looks to make the position his own this season.
Nobody has the right-back spot nailed down at present following Kieran Trippier's exit, with Juan Foyth, Walker-Peters and Aurier all set to battle it out for the position over the course of the season.
The England U21 international certainly did nothing wrong in his 90 minutes on the pitch but there's the possibility that Pochettino could change things up at the Etihad Stadium and go for a bit more experience at right-back.
Giovani Lo Celso
Supporters are desperate to see the summer signing in action for the very first time following his move to the club on transfer deadline day.
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Not named in the squad for Saturday's win over Aston Villa, Lo Celso could be selected for the game against Man City after having a full week training with his new teammates.
Spurs had limited attacking options on the substitutes' bench at the weekend and the Argentine would certainly give the team a much-needed boost on the bench if selected.
However, there's also the possibility that Pochettino could throw him straight into the side against Man City.
You would have to say that's unlikely given who the team are playing, yet you can never say never when it comes to the manager selecting his team.
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