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Igor Tudor says Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall will return to the bench for Tottenham’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Both have been sidelined since January but are set to return as Spurs try to overturn a 5-2 deficit to the Spanish side in their round of 16 tie.

Cristian Romero is also back in contention after missing the draw with Liverpool on Sunday due to a head injury, but Joao Palhinha is not ready to return.

Conor Gallagher also remains a doubt due to illness.

“Joao, no, but Destiny and Lucas will be on the bench tomorrow,” Spurs boss Tudor said.

“One part of the game, not too much because they just started to train with us but it’s good to see them.

“Romero can play, but Joao no. He’s a little bit worse but he can be back for the next game.”

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On Gallagher’s fitness, Tudor said: “We’ll see today what we can do because it’s asthma problems.

“He gets a virus and it’s not a nice thing so we’re going to see tomorrow if he’s able to be on the bench.

“It’s nothing dangerous but still he’s not able to play.”

Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield this Sunday in a game that feels very different from a few seasons ago.

On paper, Liverpool should be expecting an easy win against a Spurs side that have struggled for form and consistency this season. The pressure of an unexpected relegation battle is piling on the team.

Liverpool have also underperformed this season. Following a loss to the bottom club Wolves, their title challenge is gone, and attention now turns to maintaining their position among the European places.

A few seasons back, this was a top-of-the-table fixture, but now it is a must-win game for both sides eager to keep their seasons alive.

Liverpool’s wobble at the wrong time

Despite spending over £400 million this season, including around £315 million on attacking players, Arne Slot’s side have struggled to become the dominant force many had predicted at the start of the season.

With the final straight of the season ahead and the race for Champions League qualification heating up, Liverpool can ill afford another wobble. Despite enjoying a recent run of good results, including a 5-2 demolition of a resurgent West Ham side, Liverpool’s loss to bottom-of-the-table Wolves highlights their frailties. They will be keen to ensure it remains an isolated loss.

Liverpool have the quality and squad depth to end the season strongly; however, confidence can be a fragile thing. As pressure grows on Slot, he will need to keep the dressing room support to ensure Liverpool doesn’t end the season outside of the European qualifying places.

Spurs in the danger zone

Tottenham are another club that have struggled to build any momentum this season. After changing managers in February, they have continued to flounder near the relegation zone. With confidence low and the prospect of potentially falling out of the Premier League worryingly real, Spurs will want to capitalise on Liverpool’s confidence crisis and pull themselves closer to guaranteed safety.

Spurs have shown flashes of quality, but with both Kane and Son playing elsewhere, the club have struggled to replace their talismanic leaders.

Yet to win a game this year (at the time of writing), Spurs currently sit one point above the drop zone and have arguably the worst form out of all clubs within reach. Defeat at Anfield could see them pulled into the bottom three and dangerously close to the unthinkable.

Analysts at Casinos.com, a leading resource that ranks new casino operators for UK players, point to high-pressure survival fixtures as among the most unpredictable in the Premier League calendar.

Potential line-ups and key players

With both teams needing a win, expect Liverpool to run with their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Despite off-field problems this season, Mohamed Salah continues to be one of Liverpool’s core attacking threats on the right-hand side. At the same time, top scorer Hugo Ekitiké will fancy his chances of adding to his 11-goal tally. At the back, the Reds will need their centre-back duo of Konaté and van Dijk to be vigilant and nullify the Tottenham front line, easing pressure on Alisson in goal.

Spurs will likely start with a classic flat back 4-4-2. All hopes will be pinned on top scorer Richarlison, who will be eager to reach double figures for the season. Centre back Micky van de Ven, the club’s second top scorer, is suspended for the clash in a big blow for Tudor. With no one player stepping up to fill Son and Kane’s shoes, Tottenham will need to rely on all 11 men putting in a great performance if they expect to leave Anfield with any points.

Liverpool will be the more attacking side in the early stages, with their pressing and high-energy front line eager to test the shaky Tottenham defence early.

What’s at stake?

This game carries a weight that far exceeds traditional expectations. Both sides are in a state of flux, and a loss would be catastrophic to both teams’ season ambitions. Liverpool might not be in the title race. Still, they will want to get back to their winning ways, mount a charge back into the top three, and secure that automatic Champions League qualification for next year.

Tottenham will be desperate for a win to put some distance between them and the relegation places. With only nine games left in the season, Spurs will be keen to end on a high note and climb as high as they can. Having been knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round, Spurs will not be in Europe next season. A poor finish to the season might drive their top players away from the club in the offseason, further weakening the team.

Verdict

Liverpool are the favourites to win, even with their shaky form of late. Anfield remains a formidable place to play, and the atmosphere alone is enough to tip the tide in Liverpool’s favour. Once the Kop starts to find its voice, the crowd can drag a performance out of them when complacency threatens to creep in.

Tottenham do not have the luxury of a league position to let them coast in this game. They need to go for the win from the kick-off. While this will leave them more susceptible to the counterattack, the knowledge that failure is not an option will ignite the Spurs players.

With so much at stake, fans should expect a scrappy game that does not befit the calibre of the clubs playing. Still, when things get critical, both teams understand that getting the win is more important than how it was done.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined by the FA for his comments after the Tottenham match in February, but has escaped a suspension.

A statement from the FA read: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Rodri for the media comments that he made after Manchester City’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 1 February.

“It was alleged that the midfielder acted in an improper manner during a post-match media interview by making comments that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official and/or match officials, contrary to FA Rule E3.1.

“Rodri subsequently admitted the charge against him. The Regulatory Commission imposed an £80,000 fine and warning as to future conduct following a hearing, and its written reasons for these sanctions can be seen below.”

The Spanish international questioned referee Robert Jones, following his side’s 2-2 draw with Spurs at the start of February. “I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win. But the referee has to be neutral,” said Rodri in a post-match outburst.

The 29-year-old has now been hit with an £80,000 fine, but Pep Guardiola will be relieved that he does not have to serve a suspension.

Spurs are set to welcome back Djed Spence for the Champions League round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid.

The defender has missed the last two games for Spurs but took part in training ahead of the trip to Madrid.

Radu Dragusin was also involved in training after missing the loss to Crystal Palace with a knock.

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Boss Igor Tudor is still set to be without several key players for the clash, however, with his injury list showing little sign of improving despite Spence’s return.

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Tottenham take on Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in what is a must-win clash for the north London side.

The average amount of points to stay up in the Premier League is 36, but many sources suggest that Spurs and others could need as many as 38 this season.

A win yesterday for West Ham over Fulham and Nottingham Forest getting a point against Manchester City means that Spurs are within one point of the relegation places with just nine to play.

A win today is imperative if they want to stay in the division.

Tottenham Hotspur will bring a dramatic midweek round of Premier League action to a close as they host Crystal Palace on Thursday night.

Nottingham Forest and West Ham United both picked up points on Wednesday, piling the pressure on Tottenham who now find themselves just one point away from the relegation zone.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game…

Kick-off Time:

How to Watch:

TNT Sports 1

Streaming on Discovery +

Injuries and Suspensions:

Tottenham Hotspur: Wilson Odobert (out), James Maddison (out), Dejan Kulusevski (out), Rodrigo Bentancur (out), Mohammed Kudus (out), Ben Davies (out), Lucas Bergvall (out), Destiny Udogie (out), Djed Spence (out), Christian Romero (suspended)

Crystal Palace: Eddie Nketiah (out), Jean-Philippe Mateta (out), Cheick Doucoure (out), Maxence Lacroix (suspended)

Predicted Line-ups:

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van De Ven, Gray; Palhinha, Bissouma; Kolo Muani, Simons, Tel; Richarlison

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson, Canvot, Richards, Riad; Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Munoz; Sarr, Johnson; Strand Larsen

Recent Form:

Tottenham Hotspur have been in torrid form, yet to win a Premier League match in 2026. Their winless run has stretched to 10 games, dragging them into an unexpected battle to avoid relegation.

Their last outing was a 2-1 defeat away at Fulham and now desperately need to bounce back against another London opponent.

Crystal Palace have been far from flying themselves, but have won two of their last four league games, easing any relegation worries that might have been brewing.

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side looked terrific in the first half on Sunday as they went 1–0 up away at Manchester United, but a red card for Maxence Lacroix changed the game, and Palace eventually fell to a 2–1 defeat.

What’s been said:

Tottenham interim manager Igor Tudor said: “We have had a good, short period to prepare for this game. I saw the guys reacting well and we need to be optimistic for the game, playing at home against a good team, but in our stadium with our fans so we want to do a good game tomorrow.

“You work day by day and see the players want it, that’s the main thing that makes me positive, makes me believe that we will do it.”

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said: “Now we are starting the crunch time in the UEFA Conference League. We are starting the crunch time in the Premier League. We are on top of it.

“Everybody is in the best shape and we are in the best shape as a team. I think we are not there right now, but I feel we are going step by step into the right direction.”

Igor Tudor has delivered a frank assessment on the problems his Tottenham Hotspur side are facing.

Tudor has taken over at Spurs, who are only four points above the relegation zone, until the end of the season.

His first game in charge was a heavy north London derby defeat to Arsenal last week, but Tudor has told his players to quickly move on from the loss.

“After the first game, as I said, if you’re playing against the best team in the world at this moment, for us, I need to be honest, it’s not a realistic game to show that we are soldiers or not we are soldiers,” he said.

“So that is true. But they show they can be in part of the game, in some parts of the game, you know. Long term, long game, the problems we have in defence especially, you know, it’s not easy against them. So let’s see the next games.

Asked who he thinks his “soldiers” are, Tudor replied: “I will tell you when the season is finished.”

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Tudor also reiterated that the physical condition of his players needs to be improved.

“I believe that physically we are not in an amazing situation, amazing moment,” he said.

“There were a lot of games they played (in the) last period without too many players available.

“So I believe the physical condition of the team dropped down. So we need to use this period where we don’t play the games to put some petrol in the engine. To start to work better.”

On whether fatigue is a problem given the injury situation, Tudor explained: “Yes, fatigue. To do the pressing up high, you need to be all fit.

“Because if you go and someone is not in the right shape, there are problems because someone is coming late also.

“And also second thing is there is also other another goal to protect. It’s easy to run there but you need to run back. So if you run up and don’t run back, it’s a problem.

“So for sure we will come up, we will do better things with the time, in this way.

“But in this moment, it’s a big question, what we can do and what we cannot do.”

Tudor also admits there are some mental obstacles his side must overcome, and challenged his available players to step up.

“There is some pressure here in this club of course,” he said.

“Some players are still young, very young. They are brought here to help and now maybe they are in a moment where they need to resolve the problems.

“So if you have maybe too many players because of the amount of injured players in this moment, who are together in the squad, that creates some problems.

“But it’s also an opportunity, a challenge to grow fast. To grow fast, to become a man, as your colleague said, fast. ‘Come on, I’m the guy. Give me the ball, I will resolve’. Instead of ‘how I can do it? I’m just here’.

“So that’s the challenge of each of them, to see why not. ‘I will be the guy. Give me the ball. I will not hide. I will take the ball. I will defend my box.’

“It’s always how you see the situation. You can always see it in both ways. Or ‘I’m just here, there was 15 players here, now we have 10 players out, so I play’.

“How you see the situation. If you are the right guy, then you will see it as a positive, as an opportunity.”

Tottenham Hotspur look set to appoint Igor Tudor as interim manager until the end of the season, waiting until the summer to appoint a permanent replacement for Thomas Frank.

Tottenham have reached a verbal agreement with Tudor, and the 47-year-old is set to join the club on a contract until the end of the season, with no permanent option included.

Frank was sacked following Spurs’ loss against Newcastle in midweek which left them struggling five points above the relegation zone.

Their new interim boss was dismissed by Juventus in October 2025, after a winless run of eight games left them eighth in Serie A.

During his managerial career, he has also had stints at Lazio, Marseille and Galatasaray, although he did not make it to 50 games at any of those clubs.

As a player, he was part of the Croatian team that finished third in the 1998 World Cup, and featured more than 100 times for Juventus.

As Spurs are already out of the FA Cup, Tudor’s first match in charge will be the north London derby against London rivals Arsenal, giving him the chance to make an immediate statement of intent.

Spurs were considering a number of names to lead them until the end of the season, including Borussia Dortmund’s Edin Terzic and Marco Rose, who left RB Leipzig in 2025.

While they have now found a stop-gap until the end of the season, the club will still be looking for a permanent option once the season concludes. Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is under consideration, as he is out of contract with the US men’s national team after the World Cup this summer.

Another candidate is Roberto de Zerbi, who is recently out of work following his departure from Marseille by mutual consent.

Under-pressure sides Spurs and Newcastle are set to come up against each other in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.

Tottenham are 15th coming into the fixture, four points behind Newcastle in 12th.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the clash…

Kick-off time

How to watch

TV: Live on TNT Sports 3

Streaming: Discovery+

Live blog: Hayters.com will be blogging the match live from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Injuries and suspensions

Tottenham: Pedro Porro (out), Destiny Udogie (out), Djed Spence (doubt), Cristian Romero (suspended), Kevin Danso (out), Rodrigo Bentancur (out), Lucas Bergvall (out), James Maddison (out), Dejan Kulusevski (out), Mohamed Kudus (out), Richarlison (out), Ben Davies (out)

Newcastle: Fabian Schar (out), Tino Livramento (out), Emil Krafth (out), Joelinton (out), Anthony Gordon (doubt), Lewis Miley (doubt)

Predicted line-ups

Tottenham: (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, van de Ven, Souza; Gallagher, Sarr, Palhinha; Simons, Solanke, Odobert

Newcastle: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Bruno, Tonali, Miley; Gordon, Wissa, Murphy

Recent form

Spurs have only won once in their last 10 Premier League fixtures, against Crystal Palace before the turn of the year. Their most recent defeat came against Manchester United at the weekend, in which they were down to ten-men after Cristian Romero was sent off half an hour in.

Newcastle have also struggled to win in the Premier League, with their last coming victory over a month ago against Leeds. A late goal from Dango Ouattara made sure they were beaten by Brentford last time out at St James’ Park.

What’s been said?

Spurs boss Thomas Frank: “I was so annoyed that we couldn’t get anything out of the United game. Because that would have been five games and I was convinced 11 against 11 and we would have gotten something out of it.

“Of course, you never know, but there were five games where we were positive and then we could really try to turn a corner.

“When you haven’t won enough, you need to be desperate, because if you’re not desperate, you don’t understand how can I say, the situation you’re in, in terms of you don’t win enough, you need to turn it and win enough football games. That’s what we want for the fans. That’s what we want for the team, for the club.”

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe: “There’s no doubt in my mind and that’s why I’m sat here. If there was, then I wouldn’t be, because the club’s the most important thing. I’d never put myself before the club.

“As long as I feel that in my heart and my spirit, then my desire and motivation levels are as high as they’ve ever been. I’ll fight every day to my maximum for the club.”

Manchester United will look to secure their fourth straight league victory as they host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Michael Carrick could not have hoped for a better start as United manager, and a victory against Spurs would put them in a commanding position to secure Champions League qualification.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the clash:

Kick-off time

How to watch

TNT Sports 1/ TNT Sport Ultimate

Streaming available on discovery+

Injuries and suspensions

Manchester United: Patrick Dorgu (out), Mason Mount (out), Mathijs De Ligt (out)

Tottenham Hotspur: James Maddison (out), Rodrigo Bentancur (out), Mohammed Kudus (out), Ben Davies (out), Lucas Bergvall (out), Richarlison (out), Pedro Porro (out), Kevin Danso (out), Dejan Kulusevski (out), Dominic Solanke (doubt), Djed Spence (doubt)

Predicted line-ups

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo

Tottenham Hotspur: (3-4-2-1): Vicario; Palhinha, Romero, Van de Ven; Gray, Gallagher, Sarr, Udogie; Simons, Odobert; Solanke

Recent form

Manchester United continued their fine league form last Sunday, following up wins over Manchester City and Arsenal with a dramatic, narrow triumph at home against Fulham.

United looked set to see their winning run halted after going 2-0 up through Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, before Fulham scored twice late on. Yet in the 94th minute, Benjamin Šeško delivered a dramatic winner to seal all three points.

Spurs’ last league victory came in December, but their spirited second-half display against Manchester City will give fans some encouragement.

After falling 2-0 behind in an extremely tepid first half performance, Spurs came out firing after the break, with Dominic Solanke scoring twice, including a spectacular scorpion kick to level the game. Spurs looked the more likely side to snatch a winner but ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

What’s been said?

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick said: “Spurs certainly bring a challenge. The way they finished the game the other day, they’ve had, over a period, players injured, a lot of changes to the team which makes things more difficult. They’re getting players back, they have really good attackers that look to stretch the backline and play forward and attack the box an awful lot.

“A slightly different game to what we’ve played in recent weeks but we’re looking forward to it. We are in a good place, the boys have worked well again this week. Feet on the ground, let’s not get carried away. It’s about what’s next. Big challenge ahead.”

Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: “I think Carrick has had a great start. It seems like he has injected a little bit of energy into the team. I think it looks like some of the players are in a good place.

“We know the threats that I also think they posed before from Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Cunha and Bruno Fernandes, he’s getting this team ticking. He has done that the last, I don’t know, four or five years. It has been incredible. It is a threat, it is a challenge, but we are looking forward to it.”