Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Colchester manager Kevin Keen could call on the old heads of defender Nicky Shorey and midfielder Darren Ambrose for the tie with Tottenham.
Defender George Elokobi is fit again following a hamstring injury.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has said he may start England striker Harry Kane and midfielder Dele Alli on the bench for the FA Cup tie.
Austrian defender Kevin Wimmer is poised to deputise for Jan Vertonghen who is out with knee ligament trouble.
Editor’s Note: Tottenham will go into today’s Lunchtime encounter as clear favourites as they travel to League One basement side Colchester United.
Spurs are flying high after a win against Crystal Palace last Saturday in which Dele Alli grabbed all the headlines for his world class that put the North London side ahead with only 8 minutes to go. They ended up winning 3-1 at Selhurst Park in what was a game that could have gone either way but Mauricio Pochettino’s side came through that exhilirating encounter and are now 5 points clear of Manchester United in the race for the final Champions League position
The only negative to come out of that game was the fact that Jan Vertonghen has been ruled out for at least two months due to a medial ligament injury to his knee after falling to the ground thanks to Connor Wickham’s elbow, a move which should see the Palace Striker banned for 3 matches after it wasn’t picked up by the match officials on the day.
Kevin Wimmer is expected to take the place of Vertonghen for the foreseeable future, the fact he is Left footed will keep the balanced back four that Vertonghen and Alderweireld provided throughout the season. Eric Dier would be an able deputy but playing two Right Footed Centre Backs is not ideal, so Wimmer will get the nod and the opportunity to get more game time under his belt.
Apart form that Tottenham have no new injury worries and I would expect Mauricio Pochettino to make a few changes especially in the Midfield and Forward areas. Nacer Chadli could be in line for a start after coming off the bench and scoring late on Saturday to secure all 3 points while Heung Min Son will probably lead the line as Harry Kane is afforded some rest
Colchester aren’t having the best of seasons and although they beat Charlton Athletic in the 3rd Round of the Cup I really can’t see there being a giantkilling this lunchtime. This is a side which has conceded 65 Goals this season and sits at the foot of the League One table.
It should be nothing more than a comfortable away win for Spurs as they look to be in the safely in the hat for the 5th Round by the early Afternoon and then the focus shifts to Premier League action and a trip to Norwich. An away win for me.
