Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has a positive selection conundrum at last after spending several weeks assembling a roster that was nearly empty.

Some players at Hotspur Way are gradually making a comeback to the field, although others like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are still out with injuries.

On Thursday, December 7, during the 2-1 loss to West Ham, Cristian Romero scored his first goal after serving a three-match suspension. Three days later, during the 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, Pape Matar Sarr earned his first start since the international break.

Some of the players who have been expected to step up in the absence of many Postecoglou’s first-team stars have done well, despite the club’s five-match winless streak suggesting otherwise.

Giovani Lo Celso, an Argentina international midfielder, is one of these players. The 27-year-old’s rapid ascent to prominence included goals in back-to-back games against Manchester City and Aston Villa, coupled with some comparatively impressive displays.

During the 2-1 loss against Villa on November 26, Lo Celso contributed defensively by making four tackles and winning seven of his thirteen ground duels. He also completed 92% of his passes, three of which were crucial.

He performed admirably against City as well, finishing an incredible 100% of his passes. Postecoglou made a hard choice to bench Lo Celso for Newcastle’s visit, even if he wasn’t as good against West Ham as he was that evening. Not many players in white shirts were on form.

But, the Australian’s decision to play Dejan Kulusevski at number ten turned out to be the right one. The Swede had one of his best games of the season thus far, finishing 92% of his passes, five of which were crucial.

Removing Kulusevski following his performance would seem like a very harsh decision.

but Lo Celso reminded his manager that he is also available and ready to play a part with his positive cameo against Eddie Howe’s men.

Having replaced Richarlison in the 73rd minute, the former Real Betis man helped his side to see out a much-needed three points, completing 92 per cent of his passes, succeeding with one of his two dribbles and making two tackles during his 17 minutes on the pitch.

Now, as he leads his men to the City Ground for a matchup with a struggling Nottingham Forest squad on Friday, December 15, Postecoglou will be scratching his head over which lineup to choose.

Although Lo Celso and his goal-scoring threat should be kept off the field, starting Kulusevski in the Midlands could be expensive. Postecoglou would be inclined to select a more offensive lineup that includes Kulusevski and Lo Celso in light of Forest’s difficulties and propensity to give goals away.

In any case, rather than being short on players, the Australian will just be relieved that his difficult team selection process is the result of an abundance of good players.