Tottenham's trip to Wolves now looks like a daunting prospect.

Monday night's 4-1 loss to Chelsea proved more damaging than a typical derby defeat, with centre-back Micky van de Ven forced off with a bad hamstring injury and his partner Cristian Romero out for the next three matches after receiving a straight red card.

James Maddison was also substituted having suffered an ankle injury, while Destiny Udogie faces a suspension following his dismissal for two unnecessary bookings.

Ahead of Spurs' visit to Molineux, we consider how Ange Postecoglou's depleted side can get back on track.

Deputy Dier

The most pressing issue for Tottenham is in defence, with both first-choice centre-backs unavailable.

That is likely to mean Eric Dier, out of favour under Postecoglou, will fill in at Wolves.

The England international came on against Chelsea and did his best to keep the opposition at bay in difficult circumstances.

He very nearly scored a memorable equaliser for nine-man Spurs, too, only for his superb volley to be ruled offside.

A major concern for Postecoglou could be the lack of pace in his rearguard. Van de Ven, in particular, is extremely quick and his recovery runs have been a feature of his impressive start to the season.

Romero is no slouch either — but with Dier and midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the back against Chelsea, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson repeatedly raced in behind to create chances.

Ange's adaptability

Postecoglou was praised for his principled persistence in the Chelsea defeat.

Spurs continued to play an aggressive high defensive line even with nine players — a bold approach which in the end proved unsuccessful.

Postecoglou said: "It's just who we are. As long as I'm here, that's what we're going to do.

"Even with five men, we'll have a go."

Despite the Australian tactician's admirable idealism, some pragmatism might be required against Wolves.

The defensive line may need to drop a few yards, as Dier is likely to be starting at centre-back alongside either Hojbjerg or Ben Davies.

Some attacking tweaks will be necessary too, with Maddison undoubtedly a big miss.

The 26-year-old has been hugely influential for Tottenham, providing five Premier League assists and creating a team-high 31 chances since his summer move from Leicester.

Without him, the emphasis will be on the likes of Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski to create for top scorer Heung-Min Son.

The Tottenham way

It is clear that Postecoglou will persist with his dynamic and front-footed approach, regardless of the players at his disposal.

That will please Spurs fans, many of whom had grown tired of the functional football played under Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

However, it will also encourage Wolves, who will be keen to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Sheffield United in front of their home crowd.

The big test for Postecoglou is maintaining the tactical familiarity and fluidity developed throughout the opening weeks of the season with several key players missing.

If he can do that and lead his side to victory at Molineux, Tottenham will have further proof that they are in safe hands this season.