The UEFA Champions League, UCL, round of 16 continues tonight after an explosive return on Tuesday with a Heung-Min Son-less Tottenham set to host RB Leipzig at the very impressive Hotspur Stadium, London.
That encounter will be the first meeting between the two teams, but while Leipzig are facing their first-ever English opposition in the competition, Tottenham welcome another German side in the round of 16 for the second consecutive season after they knocked out Borussia Dortmund out last time out.
Spurs will be without two key players who helped them overcome Dortmund last year in forwards, Harry Kane and Son, who are both long-term absentees due to injuries.
Of the two players, South Korean, Son, is the bigger miss for Jose Mourinho and his team, not just because of his current form but also for his record in the competition for the club.
Son has scored six (6) goals in his last five (5) matches in all competitions for Spurs, which include a brace in his last outing against Aston Villa, where he suffered a broken arm.
In the Champions League, the Korean International boasts an equally impressive and rich record, having scored nine goals in his last ten (10) starts for Spurs.
He has also netted five (5) times in just seven (7) starts for Spurs in the knockout phase of the competition.
A huge miss for the English Side, especially in the aftermath of Liverpool’s defeat last night – the Premier League cannot afford another defeat.
Mourinho admitted during his press conference on Tuesday that the situation ‘couldn’t be any worse’ for his side but added that they will get on with it and give ‘everything’.
“The [ Son injury] situation couldn’t be worse in terms of options, ” Mourinho told UEFA.com.
“There is nothing that you can do. We are going to play with the players that we have available. The players are going to give everything, which is what they are doing.”
Tottenham have since provided an update on Son’s injury, with the talented forward expected to “undergo surgery this week” on his fractured arm.
He is expected to be out for “a number of weeks”, according to the club, thereafter with rehabilitation to follow immediately.
Son, who has scored nine (9) goals and assisted seven (7) in the PL this season, has been involved in seven goals, five (5) and two (2) assists, for Spurs in six (4 starts) in the UCL this campaign.
