Tottenham Hotspur host Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night at their own stadium, with head coach looking to bounce back from a difficult display in the Premier League against Brentford last weekend.
The fixture, kicking off at 7.45pm BST and being broadcast on Sky Sports+, arrives at a time when Spurs are weighing up squad options following a disappointing showing at the Gtech Community Stadium. That result has left the manager searching for a reaction from his players as the club looks to build momentum in the early weeks of the campaign.
Among the main talking points ahead of kick-off is the potential debut of new signing Savio, whose registration with the club was confirmed and approved by the FA on Tuesday, clearing him to feature. Despite that, the club's manager remains uncertain over whether the winger is prepared to be thrown straight into contention for a starting berth or whether he will instead be introduced from the substitutes' bench.
"Savio, I don't know if he's ready to play if everything is ok to play or on the bench," the manager said during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon, leaving the door open for either scenario depending on how the winger trains in the final hours before the match.
There was less encouraging news regarding Mohammed Kudus. The attacking midfielder has returned to full team training after recovering from a significant quad problem, but he has not yet been passed fit enough to be included in the matchday squad for the Charlton visit.
On the defensive side, there was more positive news for supporters. Both Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, who were omitted from the squad that traveled to face Brentford due to fitness concerns, have recovered sufficiently to be included among the substitutes for this cup tie. Their availability offers Spurs some much-needed depth at the back as the club juggles competing demands across multiple competitions.
Academy prospect Luca Williams-Barnett is also poised to be involved from the bench, having impressed significantly during pre-season training. The teenager came close to making his senior Premier League debut against Brentford, with the head coach admitting he had seriously considered handing the youngster his first taste of senior football before opting against it at the weekend.
Up front, striker Dominic Solanke is in contention to start after making an appearance from the bench in the Brentford defeat. His inclusion could provide a focal point for the Spurs attack as they look to find their attacking rhythm on home turf.
One of the more delicate decisions facing the head coach concerns midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who struggled to cope with the physical intensity Brentford brought to the recent Premier League encounter. Whether the young midfielder retains his place in the starting eleven or is given a breather remains to be seen.
The predicted lineup for Tottenham sees Dubravka in goal, with a back four of Gray, Van Hecke, Davies and Udogie. In midfield, Bentancur, Tonali and Fernandes are tipped to feature, while Moore and Tel could support Solanke in attack. James Maddison remains sidelined alongside Kudus.
With squad rotation likely and fringe players given the opportunity to stake their claim, Wednesday's cup tie offers Tottenham a chance to address recent shortcomings while giving fans a first glimpse of potential new faces in the squad.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.