Exclusive: Robinson suggests benched Spurs star to return to XI v Norwich after early team news
Paul Robinson suggests that Tottenham midfield Eric Dier will be brought back into the starting XI after Jose Mourinho was handed a double blow versus Norwich City.
The former Spurs and England goalkeeper, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, says that the central enforcer is almost nailed on to play against the Canaries.
Mourinho will be missing both Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks after the pair both picked up their fifth yellow card of the season against Brighton, leaving them suspended for one game.
With Mourinho admitting his hand has been forced when it comes to his team selection in midfield, Robinson says Dier is almost a guaranteed starter for Saturday’s clash.
Robinson told Football Insider: “It looks like Eric Dier will have to come back in. Jose’s stuck with Dier and he brought him on in the 75th minute (v Brighton) to shore it up, he brought Lucas Moura off.
“Whether that forces him into a change of system, because he’s not got that many defensive midfielders if Ndombele is not fit.
“He’s lost Winks, Sissoko and Ndombele and that’s normally two out of the three, Dier will come in, there’s your four holding midfielders and he’ll pick two from that. He’s potentially only got one, in Eric Dier, fit so that could lead to a change of formation.”
Dier, 25, has been a mainstay for Mourinho since the manager’s arrival in north London, with Boxing Day just the second Premier League game he has not started under the Portuguese boss.
He was hooked at half time in the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, while he sat unused in the 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
In other Tottenham news, Robinson has been left blown away by one Spurs star’s “touch of magic”.