It says a lot about Tottenham’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele that he could easily have ended up at Saturday’s opponents, Manchester City.

Long before he inspired Lyon to a 2-1 win at the Etihad in last season’s Champions League group stage, City boss Pep Guardiola was a confirmed admirer of the Frenchman.

Mercifully for Spurs, the Premier League champions prioritised a different type of midfielder over the summer in Spaniard Rodri, while Ndombele’s performances in Manchester and the 2-2 draw with Man City in Lyon persuaded Spurs to act on their own long-standing interest in the 22-year-old.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has preached patience with Ndombele, who arrived in July with next to no grasp of the English language. But having spent more than £60million on the France international, the club expects him to make a quicker-than-average transition.

A crucial debut goal against Aston Villa last weekend has gone a long way to helping Ndombele settle and Spurs will be hoping he can carry them, as he did Lyon, at the Etihad.

The inclusions of Ndombele and Rodri will likely be the only notable alterations to two sides who have changed relatively little from their double-header in Manchester in April, when Spurs progressed to the Champions League semi-final before losing 1-0 in the League three days later.

While Rodri is a carbon-copy replacement for Fernandinho, Ndombele promises to transform Spurs.

Tottenham’s midfield that week was conspicuous by its near-total absence.

Spurs began the Champions League quarter-final second leg with Moussa Sissoko gluing a depleted side together. The Frenchman’s first-half injury, though, left Pochettino to rely on a core of Victor Wanyama, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen and the simplicity with which Kevin de Bruyne and the Silvas — David and Bernardo — tore through Tottenham was painful to witness. Three days later, Spurs’s only true midfielder was Eric Dier.

Guardiola’s City have made dominating possession into an art-form but Pochettino wants his team to play in much the same way, which was next to impossible at times last season. These are the reasons Pochettino made Ndombele his biggest priority in the summer: to help stem the tide of attacks on his vulnerable defence and restore some semblance of control to midfield.

After his goal last Saturday, Pochettino promised Ndombele had only played at “30 or 40 per cent” of his potential and in Manchester he will be expected to help his new side play at least part of the match on their own terms.

Ndombele alone will not be enough to subdue City, but if Spurs have more midfield buoyancy, Pochettino should have reason for encouragement.

If central midfield was one problem position for Spurs last season, full-back was another. Rather than spend big there, Spurs have had to make do.

Juan Foyth’s performance at right-back against Raheem Sterling in the League defeat at City persuaded Pochettino to convert the young Argentine to full-back, but he is missing through suspension and injury.

The task of shackling Sterling will therefore fall to either Kyle Walker-Peters or Serge Aurier, and for the chosen one it should be viewed as an opportunity to stake a claim to the right-back spot. On the left, transfer-listed Danny Rose plays, while Ben Davies and new signing Ryan Sessegnon fight their way back to fitness.

Tottenham squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 27 show all Tottenham squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 1/27 We run you through Tottenham's squad for the 2019-20 season... Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/27 Hugo Lloris Squad Number: 1



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Contract expires: 30/06/2022 AFP/Getty Images 3/27 Toby Alderweireld Squad Number: 4



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Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 4/27 Jan Vertonghen Squad Number: 5



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Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 5/27 Davinson Sanchez Squad Number: 6



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 6/27 Heung-min Son Squad Number: 7



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Contract expires: 30/06/2023 EPA 7/27 Harry Winks Squad Number: 8



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 8/27 Harry Kane Squad Number: 10



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 9/27 Erik Lamela Squad Number: 11



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Contract expires: 30/06/2022 REUTERS 10/27 Eric Dier Squad Number: 15



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Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Action Images via Reuters 11/27 Kyle Walker-Peters Squad Number: 16



Condition: Fit (On loan at Southampton)



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Action Images via Reuters 12/27 Moussa Sissoko Squad Number: 17



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Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 13/27 Giovani Lo Celso Squad Number: 18



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 14/27 Ryan Sessegnon Squad Number: 19



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Contract expires: 30/06/2025 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/27 Dele Alli Squad Number: 20



Condition: Hamstring (In contention)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 16/27 Juan Foyth Squad Number: 21



Condition: Knee injury (ruled out)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 17/27 Paulo Gazzaniga Squad Number: 22



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Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 18/27 Steven Bergwijn Squad Number: 23



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Contract expires: 30/06/2025 REUTERS 19/27 Serge Aurier Squad Number: 24



Condition: Fit (on compassionate leave)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 20/27 Lucas Moura Squad Number: 27



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 21/27 Tanguy Ndombele Squad Number: 28



Condition: Knee injury (ruled out)



Contract expires: 30/06/2025 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 22/27 Gedson Fernandes Squad Number: 30



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Contract expires: On loan until summer 2021 Getty Images 23/27 Ben Davies Squad Number: 33



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/27 Oliver Skipp Squad Number: 52



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Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Action Images via Reuters 25/27 Troy Parrott Squad Number: 52



Condition: Fit (lacking match fitness)



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 26/27 Danny Rose Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit (On loan at Newcastle)



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/27 Japhet Tanganga Squad Number: 39



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Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images/Tottenham Hotspur FC 1/27 We run you through Tottenham's squad for the 2019-20 season... Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/27 Hugo Lloris Squad Number: 1



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Contract expires: 30/06/2022 AFP/Getty Images 3/27 Toby Alderweireld Squad Number: 4



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Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 4/27 Jan Vertonghen Squad Number: 5



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Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 5/27 Davinson Sanchez Squad Number: 6



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 6/27 Heung-min Son Squad Number: 7



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Contract expires: 30/06/2023 EPA 7/27 Harry Winks Squad Number: 8



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 8/27 Harry Kane Squad Number: 10



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Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 9/27 Erik Lamela Squad Number: 11



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Contract expires: 30/06/2022 REUTERS 10/27 Eric Dier Squad Number: 15



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Action Images via Reuters 11/27 Kyle Walker-Peters Squad Number: 16



Condition: Fit (On loan at Southampton)



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Action Images via Reuters 12/27 Moussa Sissoko Squad Number: 17



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 13/27 Giovani Lo Celso Squad Number: 18



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 14/27 Ryan Sessegnon Squad Number: 19



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2025 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/27 Dele Alli Squad Number: 20



Condition: Hamstring (In contention)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 16/27 Juan Foyth Squad Number: 21



Condition: Knee injury (ruled out)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 17/27 Paulo Gazzaniga Squad Number: 22



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 18/27 Steven Bergwijn Squad Number: 23



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2025 REUTERS 19/27 Serge Aurier Squad Number: 24



Condition: Fit (on compassionate leave)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 20/27 Lucas Moura Squad Number: 27



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 21/27 Tanguy Ndombele Squad Number: 28



Condition: Knee injury (ruled out)



Contract expires: 30/06/2025 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images 22/27 Gedson Fernandes Squad Number: 30



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: On loan until summer 2021 Getty Images 23/27 Ben Davies Squad Number: 33



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/27 Oliver Skipp Squad Number: 52



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Action Images via Reuters 25/27 Troy Parrott Squad Number: 52



Condition: Fit (lacking match fitness)



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 26/27 Danny Rose Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit (On loan at Newcastle)



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/27 Japhet Tanganga Squad Number: 39



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images/Tottenham Hotspur FC

Pochettino must decide whether to restore Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen to his starting lineup after neither started against Villa. Eriksen, who could leave for a European club before the end of the month, changed the game as a 64th-minute substitute, while Vertonghen, who has also entered the final year of his contract, was left out of the 18, with Pochettino believing his fitness levels were poor

Dan Kilpatrick will be at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, and you can follow the match LIVE on Standard Sport.