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Alasdair Gold & Rob Guest

Bentancur starts, Richarlison and Son debate - Tottenham lineups Conte should pick vs Man City

The games do not get any easier for Tottenham as they return to Premier League action against Manchester City following their North London Derby defeat. Losing 2-0 in N17 on Sunday evening, Antonio Conte's men really need to get back to winning ways to ensure they keep pace with the rest of the top four.

City, on the other hand, are also in need of maximum points after falling eight points behind league leaders Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's team are the odds-on favourites to win on Thursday evening but Spurs did spring a major surprise in the same fixture last season.

So who will Conte name in his Tottenham XI as they aim to bounce back from their derby defeat? Our football.london reporters have named the sides they would select to take on the reigning champions.

READ MORE: Every word a spiky Antonio Conte said on supporter criticism, tactics and Daniel Levy speaking

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Pape Matar Sarr impressed once again for Spurs but if Conte believes Rodrigo Bentancur is fit enough to start then he's going to bring the Uruguayan back in for a match he excelled in last season.

Elsewhere Richarlison will be pushing for a start after more time on the training ground with Son Heung-min perhaps the most vulnerable of the front three and Conte could decide to bring in Ben Davies for Clement Lenglet in the back three.

Other changes could come with the wing-backs with either one or both of Ivan Perisic and Emerson Royal coming into the side.

Gold's team: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.

Rob Guest - Tottenham Hotspur reporter

Antonio Conte has a couple of big decisions to make ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium, including whether Rodrigo Bentancur is in a position to start following his return to fitness. The other important call the boss has to make is regarding how many he starts in midfield as he may want to match up with City as they were overrun by Arsenal's midfield three last weekend.

Tottenham did win playing their usual 3-4-3 setup at City last season, though, and it is going to be vitally important to have three attacking outlets available as they really need to make it count when they get on the ball on Thursday evening. So, Spurs stick with a midfield two and Bentancur comes in for Pape Matar Sarr to partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Ivan Perisic is another to come back into the side, taking the place of Ryan Sessegnon at left wing-back. As tempting as it would be to start Richarlison following Son Heung-min's struggle for form, it may come too soon for the Brazilian to get the nod as he only returned from injury last weekend.

It could be at Fulham on Monday when Son drops out of the team for his teammate if he has another off day at the Etihad.

Guest's team: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Doherty, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son

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