Tottenham Hotspur have been hit with an injury crisis taking out most of their key men. Deli Alli, Christen Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Serge Aurier have all been sidelined due to various issues.

Vital games coming up in Europe and at home against Barcelona and Manchester City will put pressure on Maurico Pochettino to call on the right guys to cover his thinning roster.

The wrong call could see vital points slip, with Spurs already coming home empty-handed following a late capitulation at the San Siro having held an early second half lead.

Another defeat in the Champions League could see Tottenham struggle to progress to the Round of 16, as Inter Milan will look to continue building momentum by easing past PSV.

In the Premier League, the story is eerily similar with Spurs flip-flopping for form and sitting on the edge of the top 4. If Pochettino calls on the wrong players, further ground could be lost with Arsenal snapping at their heels.

Here are three players that must prove they are able to fill the voids in the coming weeks…

Fernando Llorente has a heavy weight on his shoulders, having arrived at Tottenham over a year ago but yet to show why Daniel Levy was willing to sign off on his transfer fee.

In sporadic spells in the side, Llorente was able to contribute just a single goal in the Premier League last season. It just so happens that goal came against his former team Swansea.

As for cup appearances, the Spanish striker, 33, found finding the net far easier than in the Premier League, notching three goals in seven FA Cup games.

Harry Kane isn’t currently on Tottenham’s injury list but with so many key players absent, Pochettino will feel a greater need to protect his star man in the coming weeks and Llorente offers the England skipper some invaluable respite.

It was far from a perfect loan spell at Burnley for Georges-Kevin Nkoudou last season, starting eight games and making a further six substitute appearances without scoring.

But the start-of-the-season success story for Lucas Moura should leave Nkoudou quietly confident that he can follow in the Brazilian’s footsteps and forge a first-team spot for himself.

The French winger still has age on his side but the injuries to Alli and Eriksen have presented an opportunity to jump in sooner.

Nkoudou started pre-season strongly for Tottenham with a goal in the International Champions Cup, but he is yet to make a competitive appearance this term.

Following the transfer of his almost namesake, Kyle Walker-Peters was handed a chance to play for the first team by Mauricio Pochettino in the 2017/18 season.

In all of his three starts, Tottenham went on to pick up all three points as Walker-Peters impressed in his early senior games. The London-born full-back showed he has more to his game than just defending too, getting forward to set up a goal .

The improving form of Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier across the remainder of last season saw Walker-Peter’s first-team chances reduce. But with Aurier ruled out due to a thigh injury, the Englishman could now act as the rotation right-back with his countryman.

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Crystal Palace’s slow and steady revival under Roy Hodgson last season created the perception of a club capable of so much more than simply battling it out to avoid relegation every year.

In fact, if you ignore the first seven games of last term in which the Eagles failed to score a goal or pick up a point and extrapolate their remaining return of 1.4 points per match across a 38-game season, they would have finished 2017/18 level with Burnley in seventh place.

But the new season has conjured up many of the old problems. It’s not been anywhere near as disastrous this time around, however the South Londoners have only managed seven points from eight games and scored the third-fewest goals of any side in the division.

Were it not for Cardiff, Newcastle and Huddersfield’s utterly pathetic starts, Palace could easily be within a defeat’s distance of the relegation zone and now due to face Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United in their next five top flight games, the Eagles could well find themselves involved in the scrap for survival come the start of November.

The big problem has been hitting the net and while the obvious cause is the sheer profligacy of Hodgson’s strike options – Christian Benteke, Alexander Sorloth and Jordan Ayew – Palace are also falling victim to their own successes as well. Last season, because they were widely perceived as a relegation team, opponents naively gave Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend the kind of space on the counter-attack they were born to thrive in.

This year, teams are setting up a little deeper and a little more cautiously; suddenly, Palace’s greatest weapon – their sheer explosiveness on the break – has not only been blunted but made almost irrelevant.

That’s when you need technical playmakers to come to the fore, and the finger must be pointed at how the management and the board have failed to find the players to really evolve this Eagles side, to make it more than one-dimensional. Instead, Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, players with the vision and flair to make something happen in front of a defence rather than the space behind it, left Selhurst Park.

Barring Max Meyer, who Hodgson for whatever reason doesn’t seem to completely trust, Palace are now absent of that orchestrating figure in midfield. Aside from another goalscorer, it’s surely where the club’s attentions will be focused in January.

Counter-intuitively though, the coming run of tough fixtures could be what truly explodes Palace’s troubled campaign into life. The absence of a No.10 type playmaker remains a long-term issue, but one that isn’t so gravely damaging against a higher calibre of team.

Because the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal will set their defences much higher up the pitch, Palace’s forward passes won’t require the same precision – they just need to reach Zaha and Townsend in the space they can eat up on the break – and there will be more room for the Eagles’ two wide attackers to burst into.

In fact, this Palace side is almost tailor-made for such occasions – facing superior teams who will naturally give them opportunities to counter-attack. It’s when Palace are given the ball by sides of similar or lesser ability, which has been the case this season at home particularly with their average possession jumping up from 48% last term to 53% this year, that they struggle to break the opposition down.

It’s certainly no coincidence then, that Hodgson kick-started Palace’s 2017/18 with a surprise win over reigning champions Chelsea, at almost exactly this time last year.

That’s not to say Palace will go on a winning run at the expense of some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs – last season, they only took four points in total off the top six. But there were plenty of promising showings against that calibre of opposition, losing to Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham by just the one goal, and because this side undoubtedly has the quality already to keep themselves clear of genuine relegation bother, a strong performance against a top side is probably as beneficial as results as this point in the season – a display that gives a much-needed confidence boost, even if it doesn’t add to Palace’s points tally.

The majority of Eagles fans will no doubt be fearing the worst, understandably considering how hyperbolic the Premier League has become and how quickly clubs can fall off their perch these days. But this could well be the very moment where their disappointing start to the season begins to turn around.

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Liverpool have been linked with several wingers as they look to build out their squad, and the latest reports claim they could move for Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Rai Sport (via 90min.com), both Liverpool and Chelsea are eying a move for Napoli’s Insigne.

The 27 year-old recently extended his contract until 2022, and is valued at a whopping £58.5m by Transfermarkt.

The Reds have already been linked with moves for several creative attackers, such as AC Milan-bound Lucas Paqueta and PSV wonderkid Steven Bergwijn.

The report claims Jürgen Klopp is willing to go toe to toe with Chelsea in the race to sign the red-hot winger.

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Would he be a good signing?

Insigne will certainly be fresh in Liverpool fans’ minds, as he scored Napoli’s late winner in the Reds’ recent Champions League defeat.

The diminutive winger has seven goals in 10 games so far this season, and is certainly good enough to challenge Liverpool’s current front three for a starting place.

However, the Reds don’t really need another winger after the summer capture of Xherdan Shaqiri, and should really be focusing on reinforcing their midfield.

Klopp’s middle trio has lacked any real creativity in the last few weeks, and a player who can directly replace Philippe Coutinho and create from deep should be the priority.

Insigne is a fantastic player, but neither he nor Sadio Mane would be happy dropping further back, meaning at least one of them would be wasted.

So, Liverpool fans, would you like to see a big money move for Insigne? Or should the midfield be the priority? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Steve Bruce may have been sacked at the start of the month, but the blame still lies at his feet, according to these Aston Villa fans.

Bruce was let go after picking up just six points from a September run featuring six games, leaving Villa as close to the drop zone as they were to the automatic promotion places.

Dean Smith has since stepped up to the plate and taken charge of Aston Villa for two matches, seeing the claret and blue side beat Swansea and lose to Norwich in ties decided by a single goal.

The Swansea win would have brought a glimpse of optimism to Villans, but defeat so soon in will have acted as an immediate wake up call to anyone getting carried away as it showed the fans and the new boss just how much work remains to be done at Villa Park.

Obviously the time between taking charge and the first taste of defeat is too short for any manger to make long term adjustments with the players at their disposal left by the old regime, even if some fans suggested more than just the honeymoon was over.

Time will be needed for Smith to stamp his mark on those players, and utilise the January window where he sees fit, but the 47-year-old can take comfort in these fans who acknowledge the workload he has to overturn Steve Bruce’s mess.

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Newcastle United must make a long trip to the south coast this weekend in order to face fellow strugglers Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium. 

The Magpies are currently at the bottom of the Premier League table, with nine matches played, and are yet to register a win in the competition. With just two points to their name, they are already four points from safety. The Tyneside outfit certainly need a win and the longer they go on without it the more pressure will mount upon manager Rafa Benitez.

Considering the Saints are also in poor form though, Saturday afternoon offers Newcastle an excellent opportunity to break their barren run. However, in order to emerge with those desperately needed three points, the Magpies must remain solid at the back.

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The club’s captain and talismanic figure, Jamaal Lascelles, is an automatic pick as one of Benitez’s two starting centre-backs. Who will partner him in the heart of the defence is less clear. Federico Fernandez has played that role – taking over from Ciaran Clark – in recent weeks. However, poor results show that once again change may be in order.

Summer signing Fabian Schar has had little opportunity to shine for his new club, with only one league outing under his belt to date. The 26-year-old Switzerland international has proved on both the international stage and for his previous clubs – including Basel, Hoffenheim and Deportivo La Coruna – that he is a top class defender though. 

Benitez ought to hand Schar an opportunity to prove his worth in England, starting with Saturday’s clash with Southampton.

Many of the St James’ Park faithful, though, would rather see Fernandez retain his place, with 76% voting for him in our poll. 26% were in favour of Schar’s inclusion. See the full results below.

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Geoff Cameron joined Queens Park Rangers on loan from Stoke City during the summer, and the American has scored once in nine Championship appearances for the R’s.

Indeed, Cameron was deemed surplus to requirements by Stoke, but QPR were more than happy to take him for the 2018-19 campaign.

QPR have kept clean sheets in four of their last five Championship matches, and Cameron has played a key role in that excellent run of form.

The 33-year-old has certainly shown his quality for the London club this season, and his form has been recognised.

Indeed, Cameron was named in WhoScored’s Championship Team of the Month for October, which brought a host of responses from the QPR fans.

The United States international has largely played in midfield since arriving at QPR, and he provided the assist for Pawel Wszolek’s goal in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Friday night.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the QPR fans can be seen below:

Arsenal’s hopes of staying in the English Premier League title race took a major blow Sunday after they failed to beat Premier League new boys Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates, drawing 1-1.

The Gunners have not won any of their matches in November, also drawing against Sporting Lisbon and Liverpool.

It was another sluggish start to a 90 minutes for Unai Emery’s men, with Arsenal now one of only two sides in the top-flight not to be leading at half-time in any of their matches so far this season.

The visitors took the lead early on through Ivan Cavaleiro after midfielder Granit Xhaka, rated as worth £36m by Transfermarkt, failed to control a simple pass, allowing an onrushing Wolves attack to flood the Arsenal box.

It was the kind of error that has defined Xhaka’s career at the club and many fans have now had enough, with some even calling for the player to be sold in the January transfer window.

These supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to voice their disapproval at rumours linking the club to Real Madrid playmaker Isco.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Champions League holders ‘do not trust’ the 34-cap Spanish international, and are willing to listen to offers for his services with the Citizens ‘attentive’ to the situation.

Los Blancos signed the 26-year-old from Malaga back in 2013 for a fee of £23m, but the 5′ 9″ midfielder has never really had a continued run in the first team despite flashes of brilliance.

City were interested in the player at the time of his arrival in the Spanish capital, but lost out to the Spanish giants.

The centre attacking midfielder position is not a priority for Pep Guardiola at the moment, as he currently has Bernardo and David Silva at his disposal, as well as Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

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A left-back and a long term Fernandinho replacement are at the top of his wishlist, but club officials may be tempted to go back in for a player previously in their sights.

City fans, however, are having none of it…

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West Ham United could welcome back Andy Carroll and Jack Wilshere to help them overcome a tough test against Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday, according to Sky Sports News.

What’s the update?

Unfortunately for the pair, spending time on the treatment table is a regular occurrence.

In fact, Carroll has not played one minute of competitive action for the Hammers this season due to an ankle injury.

Wilshere started the first four league matches of the season after joining on a free transfer from Arsenal, but an ankle problem has kept him on the sidelines ever since.

The midfielder has been dogged by injury issues throughout the majority of his senior career, but he had surgery in September in the hope of rectifying his latest ailment.

Now, Sky Sports News are reporting that both could be included in the squad for Saturday’s visit of City to the London Stadium.

Will it make much of a difference?

From Manuel Pellegrini’s perspective, having extra options to choose from is certainly a positive, particularly in a game of this magnitude.

However, due to the fact that both Carroll and Wilshere have been on the sidelines for a significant spell, it is unlikely that either will make the starting lineup.

Having Carroll on the bench, though, could prove to be a big boost if the Hammers feel that they can get something out of the game late on.

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The striker has an aerial presence in the box, therefore bringing him on as a substitute could cause City some problems.

Having said that, West Ham are taking on a team that are flying in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola has been without his best player in Kevin De Bruyne for the majority of the campaign, but his team have not missed him.

They remain unbeaten and have a two-point advantage at the top of the table.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that Sadio Mane had agreed fresh terms at Anfield. The Senegalese winger has impressed since his move from Southampton, and he seems to be getting better every week under Jurgen Klopp.

Make no mistake, signing him down to fresh terms is a huge boost for the Reeds, and that’s just as important, if not more so, than bringing in a new face in January.

The importance of keeping Liverpool’s core group of players together cannot be undervalued, and so now, it’s time for the Reds to turn to another one of their most useful individuals – Andy Robertson.

Robertson’s current deal still has a couple of years left to run – it expires in 2021 – but the Scotland captain isn’t a player they can afford to lose any under circumstances.

Despite having a tough start to life at Anfield, Robertson waited for his chance, and when he finally got it, he took it with both hands. Now, the left-back is the undisputed main man on the left-hand side of the Liverpool defence, and his importance to the team is clear.

A willing runner, he links up with Sado Mane brilliantly on the left-hand side, whilst he’s also increasingly solid and robust defensively.

When he was signed, he was a bit of an unpredictable capture. He wasn’t a big name, and given his slow start, the Scottish international’s long-term future immediately became unclear. That’s not the case now, as he simply couldn’t be more important.

With so many of Liverpool’s squad now tied down long-term, with the likes of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and, now, Sadio Mane – Robertson must be the next target as he’s just as important.

Thoughts?