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Sport
Alasdair Gold

Predicted Spurs team vs Crystal Palace: Pochettino to spring a big surprise for stadium opener?

Mauricio Pochettino is set to name the first official Tottenham Hotspur senior side to play at the club's new stadium.

Spurs take on Crystal Palace at their new 62,062-seater home and the manager has plenty of decisions to make about his starting line-up.

Eric Dier, Erik Lamela, Fernando Llorente and Serge Aurier are all out injured while Harry Winks will return to the bench.

Pochettino must decide whether to freshen up his side just three days after the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool or stick with the team that played well in the second half at Anfield.

Son Heung-min was on the bench that day with Lucas Moura getting the nod and scoring.

As well as deciding whether to stick with the back three that didn't quite work against Liverpool and had to be changed, Pochettino might just make a big decision in midfield.

With the Argentine saying Winks won't start, it wouldn't be out of the wildest realms of possibility for Pochettino to hand 18-year-old Oliver Skipp a surprise start in the midfield.

Skipp is a more all round midfielder than Victor Wanyama and started the last match against Palace in the FA Cup. He has also already played at the new stadium as the U18s beat Southampton last month so will not be distracted by his surroundings.

It would also be fitting for the new stadium opening to be graced with a homegrown player who is being tipped for big things, with academy product Harry Kane up front and Winks on the bench.

Here's the team we'd like to see Pochettino go with against the Eagles:

(4-2-3-1) Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Skipp, Sissoko; Son, Eriksen, Alli; Kane.

Daniel Levy's need for perfection at Spurs' new stadium - from the toilets to his favourite room

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