Antonio Conte's Tottenham side haven't got off to a bad start. Spurs beat Southampton 4-1, in the first game of the season and got a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last week, after a Harry Kane 96th minute equaliser.
Despite securing a point against Chelsea, it was a poor performance produced from the Lilywhites and something they need to improve on, to get back to winning ways. Conte has started with the same line-up in both of Tottenham's first two matches, but Saturday could be when the first changes start to be made.
Ahead of Spurs' next fixture which is against Wolves in N17, the Italian was asked if the subs who made a major impact in the London derby, could be in contention to start at the weekend. "We are exploiting this time to bring players like Richy [Richarlison], [Clement] Lenglet and [Yves] Bissouma, [Ivan] Perisic and all the players we signed," he said.
READ MORE: Every word Antonio Conte said on Cristian Romero, FA charge, Destiny Udogie, Spence and Skipp
"The same also for [Djed] Spence, to go into our idea of football. We are taking the right steps. We are ready for when we have games every three days to make rotations and it will be good for us."
This perhaps suggest that the new arrivals may not be introduced into the starting XI as quickly as some fans would like. However, Saturday's match could also be a good chance to give them the opportunity to prove themselves.
One position there could be changes is in midfield. With the arrival of Bissouma, Conte now has Pierre Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, Oliver Skipp and the Mali international to choose from.
Skipp has been very unlucky with injury this season, missing the end of the 2021/22 campaign and the start of this one. However, the 53-year-old did provide a positive update on the youngster, when speaking to the media on Thursday.
"The other player not available for Wolverhampton is Skipp but good news about him because today or tomorrow he will run again. This is really good news," he explained.
"I hope this player to be a bit lucky because since January he started to have a problem. But I think hopefully he will be ready quickly.
"We need his performance, he’s a really good guy, and for sure he’s suffering a lot to stay outside, but I think for the period where we have to play a lot of games he will be available, which is really good news for us," Conte added.
This leaves the Spurs boss with a strong trio to choose from. Hojbjerg and Bentancur have been given the nod, after creating a solid on-field bond last season.
The duo perhaps got a bit settled in their roles, with no major competition at the end of last season, for players to replace them. But this season, there is going to be a much bigger battle for regular game time.
Against Chelsea, Hojbjerg was one of the better players on the day, amongst a team who didn't perform at the level now expected. The Dane played his part at both ends of the field, making four tackles, six clearances and scoring the first equalising goal for Spurs.
In both matches so far, Bentancur has made way for Bissouma, suggesting that Hojbjerg is top of the pecking order. The Uruguayan made three tackles, two clearances and produced two long balls at Stamford Bridge.
However, as the game went on, Bentancur seemed to start to struggle with the intensity of the game. The 25-year-old has still only been in north London for just eight months and the impact he has made, has made a real difference.
The midfielder could still be getting used to playing the intensity of the Premier League and having a slight drop in form, when the rest of the team also don't play great, is nothing to be concerned about. It now may make Conte gives Bissouma his first league start for Tottenham though and see how he does for a chunk of the game, alongside Hojbjerg.
When Skipp returns it will be interesting to see if the Italian reverts back to the youngster playing alongside the Dane. There are plenty of games Spurs have to play this season, meaning a lot of rotation is likely to be seen.
Hojbjerg is one of the more senior players and acts as a leader in the middle of the field, meaning he is a player who can help others settle in to the central midfield position in a Conte system. The Italian will still need to experiment with the midfielders, to see who is the strongest partnership, but the only way he'll be able to see this is in a game situation.
Bissouma has looked bright when he has been given time on the pitch so far. The ex-Brighton man has shown glimpses of his potential and it was his deflected shot that kept the corners going in the final minutes of the Chelsea game, which led to the added-time second equaliser.
Many fans have been calling for him to be given more game time and Saturday could be a great time to see how much he can impress. There is no rush for Conte to find his best midfield partnership, with all four being strong contenders.
However, the London derby highlighted that all of them need to put in the hard work to earn their place and there is still more work to be done to improve.
READ NEXT:
Richarlison and Perisic in, Emerson decision - Tottenham line-up Conte should pick vs Wolves
Tottenham's Champions League pot and teams Antonio Conte's side can face in group stage draw
Emerson Royal reveals the one thing Antonio Conte repeats at Tottenham ahead of Wolves clash
Full Tottenham Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Tottenham's summer transfer business assessment as Antonio Conte continues to strengthen
