Tottenham Hotspur has once again been unable to avoid injury setbacks. This time, Dejan Kulusevski (25, Tottenham Hotspur), the 'right arm' of manager Ange Postecoglou, has collapsed.

According to Britain's 'Football London' on the 5th (Korea time), "Postecoglou has faced a nightmare scenario. It is reported that key player Kulusevski will miss the first leg against AZ Alkmaar due to a foot injury."

Tottenham will play the first leg of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) Round of 16 against AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar, Netherlands, at 2:45 a.m. on the 7th (Korea time).

However, ahead of the match, a setback has occurred. Kulusevski, who is actively contributing as a key resource alongside Son Heung-min in the Tottenham attack, has collapsed. This will mark his first time missing a match due to injury since January of last year.

'Football London' reported, "Kulusevski is undergoing tests to determine the extent of the injury. However, he is expected to miss both the Alkmaar match and the Bournemouth match this weekend."

Kulusevski has scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists in 42 matches across all competitions this season. He has injected vitality into the Tottenham attack by switching between the flanks and central positions based on his vigorous work rate and breakthrough ability.

However, Tottenham will have to play for a while without Kulusevski. According to 'Daily Mail', there is a possibility that he may return only after the international break in March. If that happens, he will also miss the second leg against Alkmaar.

For manager Postecoglou, this is an emergency situation. The UEL is Tottenham's last chance to keep their hopes of winning alive. With the team currently in 13th place in the Premier League (PL), they cannot aim for the league title, and they have already been eliminated from the League Cup and FA Cup. If they are also eliminated from the UEL, their hopes of ending a 17-year trophy drought will be thwarted.

Postecoglou has also claimed that he will go all in on the UEL. In the 27th round against Manchester City, he benched Son Heung-min, Kulusevski, and Jed Spence. It was a strategy to conserve the fitness of these three key players and focus on the UEL. However, the situation has been disrupted with Kulusevski's injury.

Ultimately, the burden on captain Son Heung-min has increased. He is responsible for the most assists on the team this season with 9 assists. Son Heung-min and attacking midfielder James Maddison (5 assists) have no choice but to disrupt the defense and deliver creative passes in Kulusevski's absence.

Brennan Johnson is likely to fill Kulusevski's void. However, it is difficult to expect detailed plays or explosive power from him in tight spaces. Johnson should be tasked with making runs into space using his speed or taking simple finishes. Therefore, Son Heung-min must create differences from the left or central positions.

The somewhat encouraging news is that striker Dominic Solanke and center-backs Cristian Romero and Mickey van de Ven are expected to return. However, due to a lack of match experience for several months, they are likely to remain on the bench rather than starting.

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