Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to get back to winning ways when they travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa in the Premier League this evening, kick-off 7:30pm.
Spurs, who have not faced Villa yet this season, crashed out of the UEFA Europa League in catastrophic fashion on Thursday evening, losing 3-0 to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
Despite having won the first-leg 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs were powerless to stop Mislav Orsic from weaving his magic and netting a hat-trick to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory for the Croatian outfit, leaving Jose Mourinho's men to reflect on one of the most damaging nights in their recent history.
With the defeat in Zagreb having marked a second away defeat in five days, the first of which came at the hands of north London rivals Arsenal, serious questions have been raised about Spurs, forcing head coach Jose Mourinho to answer some difficult questions after Thursday's Europa League exit.
When asked if he was worried if some of his players were not taking on board instructions and and listening to his methods, Mourinho explained: "Of course it concerns me. Of course it concerns me.
"We worked very hard, we tried to provide the best conditions for the players to perform. Of course it concerns me.
"My position as a head coach is the position that stops me, or at least makes me uncomfortable to come in front of the cameras and go deep in analysis. I hope you can understand that.
"I believe all of us have to be humble enough to accept any criticism that you can make of our work. It is not for me to go on that."
With that in mind, Mourinho will be desperate to see his side produce a response against a Villa side who will be without star man Jack Grealish this evening. The England international has missed the last five matches with a shin problem and will not return against Spurs.
While that is a major blow for Villa, it is an advantage for Spurs, as it means Mourinho's defence will not have to deal with the creativity Grealish is renowned for offering.
Speaking of creativity, though, Spurs are not likely to be able to call upon Son Heung-min for the second game in succession through injury. The South Korea international pulled up in the early stages of last Sunday's clash with Arsenal with a leg injury, ruling him out of the trip to Zagreb.
And speaking ahead of the trip to Croatia, Mourinho admitted that it was unlikely he would return against Villa.
Mourinho said: "Sonny has no chance for this match, no chance at all. I even feel it’s very doubtful for the weekend.
"I believe he will need the international break to recover totally."
The only other absence Mourinho will have to contend with this evening is that of Erik Lamela. Despite scoring against the Gunners last weekend, the Argentine picked up two yellow cards, meaning he must now serve a one-match ban.
Elsewhere, Mourinho is likely to rotate his pack, with the likes of Serge Aurier, Toby Alderweireld, Sergio Reguilon, Steven Bergwijn and Gareth Bale all pushing for recalls.
Full Tottenham squad available to face Aston Villa:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Joe Hart & Alfie Whiteman.
Defenders: Serge Aurier, Matt Doherty, Marcel Lavinier, Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon, Ben Davies & Dennis Cirkin.
Midfielders: Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko, Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Alfie Devine, Steven Bergwijn, Gareth Bale & Lucas Moura.
Strikers: Harry Kane, Carlos Vinicius & Dane Scarlett.
