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Alasdair Gold

Predicted Tottenham team to face Ajax: Is Pochettino about to spring a selection surprise?

Mauricio Pochettino has plenty to chew over when it comes to his Tottenham Hotspur team selection to face Ajax in the Champions League semi-final second leg.

The Spurs boss has a few more options for the second leg despite losing one of his defenders.

Erik Lamela and Jan Vertonghen are both available for selection for the match. Serge Aurier is back in training but has been left back in the UK to train at Tottenham's Hotspur Way complex as he looks to regain his fitness.

Son Heung-min, who was suspended from the first leg of the European tie, is back and available.

Harry Kane and Davinson Sanchez are both out through injury but have flown over with the team to support them. Harry Winks is back home, having commenced on-field rehabilitation after his groin injury while Dutch striker Vincent Janssen is not registered for European competition.

Pochettino sometimes likes to spring a surprise in his Champions League team selections and there's the chance he could throw the fresh Fernando Llorente into his line-up to help Spurs keep the ball up front as he has done before in Europe, notably at the Bernabeu when Tottenham drew 1-1 against Real Madrid last season.

What the Ajax fans did to disrupt Tottenham's preparations for Champions League semi-final clash 

However, he may also look to have the experienced Spaniard on the bench alongside Lamela as an option to change the game if needed, having had no attacking players on his bench in the first leg.

He must also decide between a back three, which didn't work in the first leg, or a back four and whether he plays Danny Rose or the fresher Ben Davies on the left.

There is also Victor Wanyama or Eric Dier, who both played a half each at Bourneouth with Dier in particular putting in an erratic display.

Here's how we reckon Spurs will line up:

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

Behind the scenes of Spurs' training sessions at Ajax & that awkward Pochettino press conference

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