Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is at risk of being without a single senior centre-back for Sunday's Premier League home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As well as losing the game against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, Spurs lost Radu Dragusin to a late ankle injury and Djed Spence to a red card for two bookable offences.
Spence will definitely be unavailable for the visit of Wolves through suspension, and speaking in his pre-game press conference, Postecoglou could not guarantee that Dragusin would be fit either.
The Spurs head coach did confirm that Ben Davies (hamstring) had suffered a setback and will miss out, while Mikey Moore (illness), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Micky van de Ven (thigh), Cristian Romero (thigh), Wilson Odobert (hamstring) and Richarlison (hamstring) are no closer to returning.
Yves Bissouma saw out the Forest loss in central defence after Dragusin went off, but the time is surely nigh for Postecoglou to give talented teenager Alfie Dorrington his first senior start for the club.
Dorrington could partner fellow youngster Archie Gray in a central pairing with a combined age of just 37, while Spence's suspension will lead to a swift recall for Pedro Porro at right-back.
If Bissouma is not deployed as an emergency centre-back, the Mali international could still return to the first XI in his regular midfield role, potentially alongside Lucas Bergvall as Postecoglou rotates his resources.
A recall for James Maddison is surely inevitable too, most likely in place of Brennan Johnson as Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min continue in the final third.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Forster; Porro, Gray, Dorrington, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
> Click here to see how Wolves could line up for this game
Ben Knapton
