Forget Davies: Conte must start £27m-rated Spurs "beast" today, could be game-changing - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action later this afternoon and manager Antonio Conte is facing a number of selection dilemmas.

The north London outfit welcome a resurgent Newcastle United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they’ll be looking to gain ground on the race for a top-four finish following Manchester United’s draw to Leicester City on Saturday evening.

There have been a few injury concerns heading into kickoff, with midfield academy graduate Oliver Skipp still thought to be nursing an issue, whilst Wales international Ben Davies should be available despite withdrawing from international duty.

“Ben is okay. He had a little problem, but he’s available,” the Spurs boss said of the 28-year-old defender ahead of the game (via the club’s official website).

However, given the opposition, it may not be the best decision to put him straight into the starting XI today.

Eddie Howe’s Magpies side have won three of their last five matches in the top-flight and will be looking to respond from their late 1-0 defeat to a struggling Everton team last time out.

The former AFC Bournemouth boss has quite the threat up top in Chris Wood, and his physical and towering presence could cause a lot of trouble to Conte’s backline, especially if he opts for Davies over someone like Davinson Sanchez.

At just 5 foot 11, the Welshman doesn’t possess the height to combat the 6 foot 3 marksman. Davies is losing 1.8 of his four attempted headers per 90 in the Premier League this season, whereas the Colombian colossus has won 2.7 aerial duels per 90, as per WhoScored.

Furthermore, the £27m-rated centre-back is averaging more tackles (2.1) and interceptions (1.4) than his makeshift counterpart, albeit starting five fewer matches.