Ange Postecoglou has already found a surprise James Maddison replacement at Tottenham  

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Ange Postecoglou may have already found a surprise short-term replacement for James Maddison at Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs suffered their third consecutive defeat in the Premier League on Sunday against Aston Villa. Postecoglou experimented heavily with his starting line-up due to the ongoing injury crisis at Tottenham. 

The Aussie named a makeshift backline made up of four full-backs as he continues to experiment in the absence of defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. 

He also sprung a couple of surprises in midfield, with Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Bentancur making their first starts of the Premier League campaign.

Yet, the decision that raised a few eyebrows ahead of kick-off was Dejan Kulusevski operating in an advanced midfield role. 

With James Maddison sidelined until the new year, Spurs looked devoid of ideas in the 2-1 defeat to Wolves.

But with Kulusevski moved into a central position against Villa, Postecoglou certainly solved Tottenham’s creative issues.

Postecoglou may have found surprise Maddison replacement

Kulusevski has mainly operated off the right-hand side during his time at Spurs.

The Swede has been a regular under Postecoglou this season and his creativity is a huge weapon for Tottenham.

But he hadn’t been used in a central position before Sunday’s game, despite him admitting he prefers to play through the middle.

Indeed, Kulusevski told Football.London just yesterday that he enjoyed his new role over the weekend and feels he can step up in Maddison’s absence.

“I felt so good today, I felt like the real Dejan. I felt like myself today and the coach decided where to put me. I enjoyed and I had real fun playing today. It was a great day for me,” he said.

“Absolutely. I’ve done it all my life so it’s nothing new to me. Of course in the second half I played right wing but I felt good. Physically I feel really good so I’m happy and I know I’m on the right path to make better and continue to play like this.”

The 23-year-old rattled the woodwork in the opening five minutes of the game and provided a constant threat for Spurs.

His influence reduced slightly in the second half after Postecoglou moved him back out to the right-hand side in an attempt to freshen things up.

But the opening 45 minutes gave us an insight into how good Kulusevski could be in a central position.

The Swede boasts the required quality on the ball to play in midfield and also has a keen eye for a pass.

Maddison will undoubtedly come straight back into the side when he returns from injury. But until then, Kulusevski may just be the man to fill the creative void left by the Englishman.