Potential solutions to the striking problem facing Tottenham Hotspur

| 18 February 2020

Without Kane and Son, who can Tottenham turn to up front?

Tottenham Hotspur face a striker crisis following the news that Son Heung-min will be out for several weeks after he fractured his right arm in Sunday's win against Aston Villa.

The injury leaves Jose Mourinho desperately short up front, with first-choice striker Harry Kane also a long-term absentee with a hamstring problem.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the options available to the Spurs boss in the absence of his two main goal threats.

Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn

Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur – UEFA Champions League – Semi Final – Second Leg – Johan Cruijff ArenA — Lucas Moura celebrates with the match ball after his hat-trick in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Ajax (Adam Davy/PA)

Moura and recent signing Bergwijn could form a forward pairing in a 5-3-2 formation. Their pace and mobility running in behind opposition defences would cause teams problems. Bergwijn scored 14 goals for Ajax last season while Moura showed he is capable in front of goal with 15 strikes last season, including two hat-tricks – most famously in the Champions League semi-final against Ajax. The problem with the formation is that if Mourinho sees his team being dominated in midfield and wants to go long, Moura and Bergwijn are not going to win many aerial battles.

Dele Alli as a number nine

Everton v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Goodison Park — Six of Dele Alli's eight goals for Tottenham this season have come since Jose Mourinho took charge as manager in November (Nick Potts/PA)

Alli is good in the air and has the physical attributes to hold off defenders, together with the skill and intelligence to find space between the lines and beyond the last line of defence. Dropping deep would also allow Moura and Bergwijn to run beyond him, which plays to both of their strengths. The issue here might be shape. If Alli spearheaded the attack in a 4-2-3-1 line up with Moura, Bergwijn and probably Erik Lamela behind him, it would require the attacking midfielders to do a lot of work tracking back when Spurs are defending – leaving Alli isolated.

A fluid 4-3-3

Middlesbrough v Tottenham Hotspur – FA Cup – Third Round – Riverside Stadium — Injuries have left Jose Mourinho with a problem to solve (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Mourinho tried it at Watford a month ago, with a midfield trio of Harry Winks, Alli and Giovani Lo Celso assisting a front three of Lamela, Son and Moura. Although Spurs did not find the net that afternoon, the game finished goalless, they created several chances to score. The addition of Bergwijn might see this tactic used again. Though known mostly as a winger, the January signing often found himself as the most advanced forward at his previous club PSV Eindhoven.

Troy Parrott

Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — Troy Parrott during his Premier League debut in December (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The news on Son, combined with Kane's absence, might have provided a window of opportunity for academy graduate Parrott. However, at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Spurs' Champions League tie against RB Leipzig Mourinho said: "My thoughts are that Troy Parrott is not ready," having said last month that the 18-year-old was "not ready at all" to fill the void as the main striker. The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup defeat at Colchester in September before making his Premier League bow against Burnley in December.