Tottenham Hotspur travel to take on Portuguese league leaders Benfica at the Stadium of Light on Thursday night for the second leg of their Uefa Europa League round-of-16 clash in Lisbon, trailing 3-1 from the first encounter at White Hart Lane last week, and this is the starting XI we believe that head coach Tim Sherwood will go with …
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GK: Brad Friedel
The veteran former United States international gets the nod after first-choice Hugo Lloris did not travel with the rest of the north London club’s squad to Lisbon, and you get the feeling that the shot stopper may be in for a busy evening.
RB: Kyle Naughton
The young Englishman is set to shift over from the left-back role which he was employed in against the Portuguese giants in the first leg to the other side of his team’s back four on Thursday to accommodate for the return of Danny Rose.
CB: Sandro
Due to a plethora of untimely injuries at the back suffered by the visitors, under-pressure boss Sherwood is being forced to utilise the Brazilian in an unfamiliar centre-back role, which could make for some tricky moments at the Stadium of Light.
CB: Zeki Fryers
Equally concerning as far as Tottenham fans are concerned is the prospect of seeing the young left back operating as a central defender against Benfica’s experienced frontmen, although needs must.
LB: Danny Rose
The Englishman, who has been forced to endure an injury-ravaged campaign so far, is set to return on Thursday against the Portuguese to take up his normal role on the left-hand side of the Spurs defence, while also looking to provide some width in attack for the north Londoners down their left flank.
RM: Nacer Chadli
The Belgium international will be asked to hug the right-hand touchline in the Portuguese capital and to try and pose as many questions to the home back four as he can whenever Spurs gain possession of the ball.
CM: Gylfi Sigurdsson
The Iceland international has a key role to play if the north London club are to have any hope whatsoever of pulling off the great escape on Thursday, with the 24-year-old operating in the middle of the park and hoping to provide his team with an away goal
CM: Nabil Bentaleb
With all the injuries that Tottenham have picked up, the 19-year-old is set to get the nod to play alongside Sigurdsson in the key central-midfield berth, although in a slightly more withdrawn role as the Algerian looks to protect his back four
LM: Christian Eriksen
The twinkle-toed Denmark international was one of his side’s best performers in their first-leg loss at White Hart Lane last week, and boy does Sherwood need another eye-catching display from the playmaker at the Stadium of Light.
AM: Harry Kane
Another massively important night awaits the England Under-21 international in Lisbon, as the playmaker is asked to operate in the ‘hole’ just off the visitors’ lone frontman with the north Londoners needing to find three goals.
ST: Roberto Soldado
In the absence of Emmanuel Adebayor, an opportunity falls to the club’s record signing to score the goals to try and take Spurs through to the last eight of Europe’s second-tier competition.