But while Postecoglou's logic was understandable, it was still contentious to bench three of his best players in the circumstances, particularly as Spurs now have a week off before the first leg in Alkmaar, and both Spence and Kulusevski played 90 minutes in the 4-1 win over Ipswich on Saturday.
Though their league campaign will be hard to salvage, the visit of City was also a potentially significant game for Spurs, a chance for Postecoglou's side to beat the champions for a third time this season and build-up some momentum in the top-flight with a fourth straight win.
Last season, Spurs prioritising the long-term ahead of short-term results - best exemplified by their set-up with nine men in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea - was understandable but more than 18 months into Postecoglou's project, there has to be more focus on winning the games at hand, rather than prepping for the future.
It was easy to make sense of Ange Postecoglou's decision to leave Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Djed Spence on the bench for Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Better for Postecoglou to have Udogie, Johnson and Odobert fully up to speed for the crucial two-legged tie against AZ Alkmaar in the last-16, either side of a league visit from Bournemouth, than risk the trio being undercooked or, worse, breaking down again during an intense three-game cycle.
