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Enzo Maresca will be massively boosted in a few days' time with the likes of Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson all set to return from injury.

Palmer suffered a minor knock around 24 hours before the Blues were beaten at Arsenal in the game before the international break. Meanwhile, Jackson has been absent since February 3 with a hamstring injury, while Madueke suffered a similar problem 11 days later in the 3-0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

While Palmer was missed against the Gunners, Chelsea will be thankful it was just one game he missed due to the timing of the international break. The absence of Jackson and Madueke, however, has been pretty severe from a Chelsea point of view. Jackson's injury forced the Blues to reshuffle their whole attacking setup, while Madueke not being available took away their highest scoring winger.

Jackson has been Maresca's go-to No.9 when available but the striker's absence forced the Chelsea head coach to experiment with different options through the middle. Pedro Neto has been used in an unorthodox position, Madueke, meanwhile, is Chelsea's top goalscorer from the wing this season, with the 23-year-old England international finding the back of the net on eight occasions in all competitions throughout 2024/25.

Having all three of them available for the visit of Tottenham will be crucial for Chelsea, with just nine matches of the Premier League season remaining. The Blues are in a brilliant position to achieve this season's targets with a Champions League spot set to be available for finishing in fifth-place. Chelsea, though, will be hoping to finish inside the top four in what would be a terrific achievement for Maresca in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

First and foremost, the west Londoners need to show their bounce-back ability against Spurs after losing to Arsenal before the break. We could see a few changes to the side that was beaten at the Emirates Stadium, with the aforementioned trio all in contention to start on Thursday evening.

Neto could move to a more conventional winger, most likely on the left if Madueke returns. That would mean Jadon Sancho dropping to the bench, with the loanee not having the best of times recently. Enzo Fernandez could drop a bit deeper with Palmer set to return. We could see captain Reece James in his natural right-back role, more to facilitate the other players than anything else.

Christopher Nkunku failed to take advantage of more game time during Jackson's absence, meaning he could drop back to the bench on Thursday. Benoit Badiashile, too, could make way at Stamford Bridge with Wesley Fofana returning to the centre of defence.

Possible Chelsea line-up: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.

Madueke, so long as he is match-ready, will slot straight back in on the right wing. Jackson, also, will lead the line. Those two, while being versatile, have those positions essentially nailed down and had done prior to their injuries. Neto is viewed more as a right winger but due to the circumstances at the moment, the Portugal international could well be used on the opposite flank.

Whatever side Chelsea put out on Thursday, the Blues will be confident against a Tottenham side they have a very strong record against and a team that currently sits in 14th-place in the Premier League table.

Bayern Munich are reportedly set to have a change of heart when it comes to the future of former Tottenham Hotspur star Eric Dier.

Dier joined Bayern on January last year on an initial loan deal which included the option to make the move permanent. The defender eventually left Spurs to join the Bundesliga giants on a permanent transfer last summer.

The deal that saw Dier commit his long-term future to Bayern lasted only one season, which is now set to expire at the end of June. Various reports have claimed to provide an update on whether or not the former Tottenham defender will leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has claimed that Bayern are now leaning towards handing Dier a new deal to extend his stay at the Allianz Arena. The report states that the Bundesliga giants have already opened talks with Dier with the hopes of reaching an agreement with the former Tottenham defender over a new contract.

The uncertainty around Dier's future ramped up in January, at the time when the defender entered the final six months of his contract. It was around this time that Dier's teammate and former Spurs striker Harry Kane also gave his verdict on the speculation, outlining his wish for the pair to remain teammates in Munich.

"Eric's [Dier] been great, he's been waiting patiently," Kane told the Mail Online back in January.

"Obviously [Dayot Upamecano] and [Kim] Min-Jae have been fantastic this season, so Eric's just had to bide his time.

"He's come in the last couple of games and done really, really well, and got two clean sheets, so, yeah, of course I'd love Eric to stay.

"I guess that's between him and the club, I haven't had any conversations with him, so we'll have to see.'

"He did really well when he played. Eric and I get on very well. But we haven't talked about his future. That's a matter between him and the club."

Tottenham's on-loan forward Mathys Tel could be recalled by Bayern Munich prematurely if Spurs fail to exercise their option to purchase him outright before the season concludes. The 19-year-old was secured by Tottenham on a loan deal at the beginning of February.

Tel decided to join Spurs after initially turning down an offer from the club and has since made seven appearances for Ange Postecoglou's team. He has started four Premier League matches and scored his first and only goal for Spurs during their FA Cup fourth round loss to Aston Villa in February.

As per German publication Kicker, Bayern might recall Tel to the Allianz Arena ahead of schedule so he can participate in the Club World Cup. The competition, which has been revamped, is set to kick off on Sunday, June 15, with Bayern being one of two German clubs represented, alongside Borussia Dortmund.

Spurs have the option to pay £45million to secure Tel's services permanently at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they will likely need to make their intentions clear before Bayern decide to recall him, reports the Express. Since his arrival in England, Tel has had difficulty winning over the Tottenham fanbase and recently had to remove a social media post that upset some supporters.

A number of Spurs fans were displeased when he shared a photo of himself on Instagram wearing a Fulham shirt with Willian's name on the back. The pressure is on for the young talent to prove his worth as Postecoglou has yet to witness his best performances on the field.

Following the signing, Postecoglou didn't hold back in his praise, stating: "He'll be a Tottenham player. I think he'll show everyone he's going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn't bring him here [just] for six months.

"With what we have in the next few months and more importantly what we are building beyond, I thought it would be a perfect fit for his next step."

The upcoming fixtures offer Tel a chance to shine, starting with Tottenham's trip to Chelsea for a crucial Premier League clash next Thursday. The action continues at home against Southampton, followed by the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, April 10.

Daniel Levy first floated the idea that Tottenham were open to selling a stake in the club back in 2023, but he had little interest in leaving his role as chairman.

Since then, the London club has been linked with investment from US billionaires, private equity funds and, most significantly, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), who own Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. As reported by Bloomberg, QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi held talks with Levy over a possible purchase back in 2023, but no agreement was reached and discussions have since gone cold.

It now appears Al-Khelaifi and QSI have shifted their attention elsewhere, with The Athletic reporting this week that they are exploring a deal to buy second-tier Spanish club Malaga. It has been suggested they are eager to add the club to their portfolio, which already consists of PSG and Braga.

Malaga are currently in administration, which means they are under judicial control. But, 49 percent is owned by Spanish hotel and real estate group Blue Bay, while another Qatari businessman, Abdullah Al Thani, owns the remaining 51 per cent.

However, it is worth noting that QSI will face competition if they are to acquire Malaga, with a fresh report from The Athletic's David Ornstein on Saturday confirming Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are also exploring a deal to purchase the Spanish club.

While Tottenham are evidently an attractive prospect to potential investors due to the club's infrastructure, London location and financial stability, Bloomberg claim talks with suitors have so far proved unfruitful due to Levy's high valuation and desire to remain in charge of sporting decisions.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has reportedly informed Real Madrid that they will need to cough up 'well over £100million' if they wish to secure the services of Cristian Romero in the summer. The hard-bargaining Spurs chief is eager to retain the club's top talent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the upcoming season.

A number of clubs are believed to be monitoring Romero as the summer transfer window approaches. Despite missing a significant portion of the Premier League season due to a hamstring injury, the defender is now back in action.

He is expected to play a key role in Spurs ' final nine league matches and the rest of their Europa League journey, with Eintracht Frankfurt up next in the quarter-finals. Real Madrid are looking to bolster their defence in the summer and are anticipated to snap up right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer from Liverpool. Other Premier League stars could also be heading to the Bernabeu.

However, when Los Blancos expressed interest in 26-year-old Romero, the Independent reports that Levy demanded more than £100million. It's suggested that the Spanish heavyweights were 'dissuaded' from pursuing a deal due to the hefty price tag, reports the Express.

Romero could still attract further interest, with Atletico Madrid keen to seal a deal. The rivals of Real are hoping to finalise a £75million transfer for the 2022 World Cup winner.

With only two years left on his contract come summer, Tottenham Hotspur may face a difficult decision regarding Romero's future. Despite no reports of a new deal being offered to the Argentine, it's clear that Spurs could be in for a busy summer following a less than stellar season under Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian manager has struggled to build on last year's impressive debut season due to an unfortunate injury crisis and key players losing form. The need for a new striker is evident as Spurs continue to feel the absence of Harry Kane's goals since his move to Bayern Munich in 2023.

Lille's Jonathan David, who will be available on a free transfer this summer, is rumoured to be on Spurs' radar. Additionally, Tottenham are believed to be interested in Southampton's Tyler Dibling, with clubs likely to capitalise on the Saints' impending relegation to the Championship, given their current dismal nine-point tally.

Lucas Bergvall may have been a Tottenham player for a matter of months but his importance to Ange Postecoglou's team is already clear to see. That was evident in Spurs' last two Premier League encounters against Bournemouth and Fulham.

Dropping to the bench in both fixtures following his exploits against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League three days earlier, Postecoglou had seen enough from the players out on the field and made a double substitution as Bergvall and Son Heung-min were introduced to try and swing the game in Tottenham's favour. The Stockholm-born ace may only be 19 years of age but he has made himself a pivotal figure in the middle of the park in such a short space of time.

Rewind the clock back 12 months and the midfielder was lining up for Djurgarden in the Swedish Allsvenskan. Now, Bergvall is wowing in the Premier League and even having Pep Guardiola wax lyrical about him.

The youngster has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past year or so after first catching the eye in his native Sweden. The Swedish national team may have missed out on four major international tournaments since 2010 but they will be hoping that is a thing of the past as they appear to be building a new golden generation which Bergvall can be at the heart of.

A new group of talent is emerging under Jon Dahl Tomasson and it consists of players such as Dejan Kulusevski, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Hugo Larsson and Bergvall. Just like Kulusevski, Bergvall came through IF Brommapojkarna's system as a youngster and it soon became clear that he had a huge future in the game.

Many will have noted in recent months the images of Bergvall in a Manchester United shirt doing the rounds on social media as he had two separate trials with the Red Devils in 2020 and 2022. United may have ultimately lost out on the midfielder, who instead moved to Allsvenskan side Djurgarden in December 2022 from Brommapojkarna.

It was with Djurgarden where Bergvall really caught the eye with his ability on the ball and the ease in which he could glide beyond seasoned professionals. A move to one of Europe's top leagues always beckoned.

Speaking to football.london last May about Bergvall's youth career in Sweden, Tommy Soderstrom, Brommapojkarna's head of youth and recruiting, gave a fascinating insight into the midfielder and even stated that he can be a "top, top player in Europe".

"Anders Limpar is the best player we've produced. The highest level in Europe is very difficult. Dejan Kulusevski is a very good player, but Lucas Bergvall is much better than Limpar and Kulusevski were at that age. They are very good but I think Lucas in the future can be very, very good," he said.

"He is a hard-working player but a very good technician. When we were in the youth tournaments against clubs like Bayern and Barcelona, he was always named the best player in the competition.

"Now Tottenham must take care of him. He will play with the seniors straight away and they must give him a chance. You must take care of the boy. He can be a top, top player in Europe."

On the player adapting to the Premier League, Soderstrom added: "He is good up here (points to his head). Don't worry about that. They must give him a chance. With the ball he will adapt very quickly. He's also very good with his head. He scores goals with his head. He's quite tall. Both he and Dejan are very good players, but Lucas is better at this age."

Amid Barcelona's interest in luring him to Spain, it was Tottenham who won the race for his signature after striking an £8.5million agreement for the Swedish starlet. Djurgarden sporting director Bosse Andersson helped negotiate a Swedish record transfer with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange, someone who proved to be a pivotal figure in the deal.

"In this deal, we had different clubs in which Lucas had the opportunity to visit, but in Tottenham's case, it was something very strong, just between me and Johan Lange," explained Andersson when speaking to football.london. "We know each other from when he was in Copenhagen. We kept it very quiet for almost four weeks. It was only when Lucas ended up in Tottenham [to visit that it came out].

"They were impressed at how quiet we kept it. When you have a big club in your front pocket, it's important to have another one in the back pocket."

The Swede added: "I would say they showed interest three to four weeks before [he signed]. They said they had been following him and they were serious with their interest but to keep quiet and that they would be there [at the end].

"So from there it progressed and in the end, I know they have a reputation for being difficult, I know that (laughs), but for us they had the opportunity to take the deal and after that they were happy because the family were very happy from the first day. They sat down the day before Lucas' birthday and informed Tottenham that he wanted to play there and the transfer agreement was made."

Bergvall's move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was officially confirmed at the beginning of February 2024, with the player going on to pen a five-year deal in north London. The starlet would not immediately make the move to Tottenham, however, as it would be at the beginning of July when he would link up with Postecoglou and his new teammates for the very first time.

Bergvall's adaptation to life in England was always going to be made easier by having fellow Swede Kulusevski as a teammate. The Tottenham player had been in contact with Bergvall prior to the move as the youngster made his decision, with Son Heung-min even going on to send the teenager a welcome message following confirmation of his Tottenham transfer.

Very much a player for the long-term future but also one for the here and now, patience was always going to be required with Bergvall as he tried to acclimatise to a new country at such a young age and also get to the grips with the Premier League. In an interview with football.london, Djurgarden sports coordinator Peter Kisfaludy, who had worked with the player since he was a nine-year-old, claimed it would take Bergvall "six to eight months" for him to adapt to the Premier League.

"I think it's going to take six to eight months [for him to be ready for the Premier League]," revealed Kisfaludy. "He's going to need some time although my experience of really, really good players, well with Lucas I had him at Brommapojkarna with the academy on June 10, 2022 and on July 16, five weeks later, he was making his debut for the first team in the Superettan, the Swedish second division.

"That team got promoted to the Allsvenskan, the top division, and he would have played in it for them but we bought him directly and took him to Djurgarden. You could see it was a higher tempo than Brommapojkarna have but he acclimatised, he took three or four weeks and then he was there.

"Of course it will take a little bit longer at Tottenham because it's another level but I think he will take it. Technically and reading the game, it's no problem for him because he's playing such fast football always [in his mind]. The main thing for him is the tempo. He needs to come up to that and I think it'll take six months or so."

Bergvall would go on to show glimpses of his quality for Spurs in pre-season, including on his debut after coming off the bench in the second half of a 5-1 win friendly win at Hearts in July. After getting even more football in a Tottenham shirt under his belt in the summer, Bergvall made his Premier League bow on the opening weekend of the season as Spurs played out a 1-1 draw at Leicester City.

The Swedish star was introduced in the 78th minute but the main talking point from his cameo appearance was receiving an earful from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. With the game tied at 1-1 and Spurs searching for a winner, Bergvall lost the ball down the left flank and it resulted in Vicario having to make a late save to stop the hosts from claiming victory.

He immediately rushed out of his goal, waved his arms at his teammate and screamed in his direction after the midfielder's mistake presented the Foxes with a chance to win the game. It was very much a 'welcome to the Premier League' and something the teenager would learn from.

Further minutes in the Premier League would come his way before he was handed his full Spurs debut in the late Carabao Cup victory at Coventry City in September. Bergvall made an impression in the game and his substitution was booed by some of the travelling Tottenham faithful at the CBS Arena as they believed he should have stayed on the pitch with the team struggling to break down their Championship opponents.

Bergvall would only have eight days to wait until his next Tottenham start came his way, with the midfielder named in the starting XI for their Europa League opener against Qarabag. However, his full home debut would end in disappointment as he was hooked on 12 minutes following Radu Dragusin's early red card.

Some player had to make way and unfortunately for Bergvall it was he who was substituted a matter of minutes into the contest. He looked completely dejected on the substitutes' bench as he sat with his hood up and jacket zipped to the top and covering his mouth.

Given more chances in Europe, it was perhaps his outing at Galatasaray in November that has proved to be such a key moment and maybe even a turning point in his Tottenham career. Handed a start in Istanbul in front of such a hostile crowd, the teenager really struggled to get to grips with the contest and he could quite easily have been substituted at half-time going on his performance as he lost the ball a number of times and was sloppy in his play.

Postecoglou, however, elected to keep him on for 66 minutes before he was finally replaced by Dominic Solanke. Speaking to the media after the game about how Tottenham's youngsters fared in such an intimidating atmosphere, the head coach said: "He [Will Lankshear] took his goal well, he worked hard for the team, I’m sure he’ll learn from it. The same with Lucas, understanding the levels in this game, you have to expose them to that.

"I thought Archie [Gray] was great, and it’s great we can expose 18-year-olds to this kind of environment. It’s going to mean they’ll develop quicker, they’ll grow from it and, ultimately, we’ll benefit from that.”

Postecoglou's words have indeed proved correct with Bergvall and Gray growing to new levels altogether since their outing in Turkey. What has helped their development since the start of November is a sustained run in the first team due to the amount of injuries Spurs have had to try and cope with.

Bergvall's first Premier League start came the following month at Southampton as Tottenham put their bad run of form behind them to run riot at St Mary's. The midfielder has not looked back since and his increased game time has resulted in a faster adaptation to the Premier League and subsequently becoming an undroppable in Postecoglou's team.

Bergvall has one goal and four assists to his name in 38 appearances this season, with his first Tottenham goal one to remember as he scored a late winner in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie at home to Liverpool. He delivered a huge display in the middle of the park that evening and fully deserved his crowing moment in front of the south stand.

Despite his tender years, Bergvall is not fazed by the big occasion and he went on to produce another really solid performance against the reigning champions that highlighted just how quickly he is progressing. Guardiola certainly noted his role in the Tottenham team and stated that the Sweden international is "unstoppable" when he has the ball and runs.

Bergvall's importance to the Tottenham team so soon after his move from Sweden is there for all to see. Possibly seen as someone who would be introduced off the bench in his first season at the club as he tried to get to grips with the Premier League, the teen sensation has in fact made himself part of Postecoglou's first-choice midfield and he is there to stay.

Kisfaludy was correct when he stated that Bergvall would take six to eight months to adapt to the Premier League but he perhaps didn't envisage just how quickly he would become a driving force in the Tottenham team. Spurs have a superstar on their hands and the £8.5million they paid out for his signature could be one of their best ever pieces of transfer business if he continues to progress at the incredible rate he is at present.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Tottenham will be looking to right the wrongs of their last visit to west London when Premier League actions resumes next week. Having secured such a hugely important 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League to clinch a place in the quarter-finals of the competition, Ange Postecoglou's side crashed back down to earth with an almighty bang at Fulham.

Spurs did look good for a point until late goals from Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon swung the game in the host's favour. Tottenham's next Premier League game comes two miles away from Craven Cottage as they take on Chelsea in an 8pm kick-off on Thursday.

Postecoglou's players are now back on the training pitch at Hotspur Way after the international break and they will be putting in the hard work over the coming days in their quest to return to winning ways. Here are five things that will be on the head coach's to-do list prior to visiting Chelsea:

Devise Chelsea plan

Tottenham's dreadful record at Stamford Bridge is well documented and supporters will no doubt be dreading the trip to Chelsea's home. Even when Spurs have gone into recent games at Stamford Bridge with many predicting them to leave with points, the north London club more often than not seem to leave with nothing.

Postecoglou has lost all three of his meetings against Chelsea since taking on the Tottenham job and he will not want that record to stretch to four games. That's why it is vital that he and his coaching staff perfect a gameplan that can see them get back on track at Chelsea.

What should help matters is that the head coach has plenty of time to work with his players on the training pitch prior to Thursday's London derby showdown. Chelsea have endured a mixed run of form of late and Tottenham have to try and take full advantage of that.

Check on the fitness of trio

Postecoglou will be hoping for some positive news on the injury front heading into Thursday's game. Tottenham's international players appeared to get through the break without sustaining any issues, although Lucas Bergvall did miss two of Sweden's games through illness.

Before the players jetted across the globe to play for their respective nations, Spurs had Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison in the treatment room. Dragusin is a long-term absentee but the hope will be that the other three players can make a swift recovery and be available ahead of a crucial run of games for Spurs, with Richarlison this week spotted back on the training pitch with his teammates.

It would certainly be a huge lift if Kulusevski is available to return against either Chelsea or Southampton, with Richarlison someone who can certainly have an impact off the bench once fit.

Make Van de Ven decision

After seeing Cristian Romero play two 90-minute matches for Argentina during the international break, Tottenham will be hoping to line up with the World Cup winner and Micky van de Ven at the heart of defence. We have seen very little of Tottenham's first-choice centre-back pairing together in recent months due to the injury issues both have had to contend with.

Van de Ven was not part of the Netherlands squad over the past fortnight and that will have allowed him plenty of time to boost his fitness levels ahead of the Chelsea match. It should be a fairly straightforward decision for Postecoglou to make regarding his highly-rated defender.

Full-back selection

Another big decision Postecoglou has to make in defence is who gets the nod in the full-back positions with Pedro Porro, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie in contention. Even though Spence is a right-back by trade, the Spurs ace has had more of an impact operating from the left due to the amount of games he's played in the role this campaign.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee is an undroppable for Spurs right now and it does appear that he may even be ahead of Udogie for the left-back berth. Postecoglou could choose to play both at Chelsea, though, which would see Porro drop down to the bench and Spence play from the right.

Decide on right-wing option

Postecoglou has a further selection dilemma in the final third now that he has the vast majority of his attacking options available for selection. If Kulusevski is in a position to start at Chelsea, it may be he who wins the race to start from the right-wing as the boss has to find a way of getting both the Swede and James Maddison in his team.

Should Kulusevski remain out of the game at Stamford Bridge, Wilson Odobert could be the player leading the race to start alongside Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min in attack. The summer addition has started a handful of games since returning from injury, most notably the 3-1 Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar where he netted a double.

Odobert should be in confident mood ahead of Tottenham's Premier League return after notching two assists for France Under-21s during the international break. Mathys Tel also scored twice for France Under-21s in their recent win over Slovakia Under-21s and he will also be in contention to start, with Brennan Johnson another option from the right flank.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has spoken about his future at the club amid links to Tottenham Hotspur, saying he is happy at the club.

Amid pressure on Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have been linked with an interest in Iraola. The links intensified on Thursday, when the Athletic reported that the club have made the Bournemouth boss their ‘top target’ should Postecoglou leave.

Spurs have had a difficult season so far and sit in 14th position in the Premier League table. With qualification for European football through their league position looking unlikely, it places more emphasis on their Europa League campaign.

Spurs take on German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday, 10 April with the reverse leg in Germany a week later. Both games kick off at 8pm.

The poor season has led to talk over the future of manager Postecoglou. The Australian will have one year remaining on his current deal at the end of the season.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, sit in 10th place in the table, but are well in the race for European or even Champions League football next season. Iraola has earned praise for the job he has done at the Vitality Stadium, and has said his full concentration is on taking Bournemouth as far as he can.

When asked during his pre-match press conference if he can achieve his managerial ambitions with Bournemouth, he said: "I want to do my job the best I can.

“I don't know how far we can go, where we will finish. I want to do my job the best I can. If I don't do the job very well, they will find someone else.

“I'm really happy here. We have a great opportunity to make history and it would be amazing for me personally, for the club to achieve new heights but we know that we have to be realistic, there are better teams than us and we have to fight against teams that are very good. We will try to give the best level we have."

Bournemouth are currently four points adrift of Man City in fifth place, with that position expected to earn Champions League football next season. However, teams around them include Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham and Aston Villa with all of the clubs hoping to play in Europe next season.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

It is another weekend without football for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur team as domestic action resumes after the first international break of 2025. Premier League football remains on hold for now as the quarter-finals of the FA Cup will instead take place this weekend.

Tottenham unfortunately won't be back on the field as a result of their FA Cup exit at the hands of Aston Villa in February. All connected with Spurs will have to wait until Thursday evening for the team's first game in almost three weeks when they make the trip across the capital to Chelsea.

The end of the 2024/25 Premier League season is closing in and the match at Stamford Bridge is Tottenham's 30th of the league term. As we are now at the business end of the season, a very important date in the calendar is coming up and it is one that impacts all 20 clubs.

The FA's rules stipulate that any player who receives a total of ten yellow cards in their side's first 32 Premier League matches will receive a two-match suspension. Crystal Palace's Will Hughes and Saka Lukic of Fulham have already reached that total and there are a number of players who are running the risk of a two-game ban.

Tottenham ace Rodrigo Bentancur is one of the players in question as he can still collect a total of ten yellow cards before the full-time whistle in Tottenham's 32nd league game of the term. For that to be the case, Bentancur, who is on seven yellow cards at present, would have to be cautioned in each of the upcoming games against Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves.

If the Uruguayan does go on to collect three yellow cards against the aforementioned teams then he would be suspended for the home clash against Nottingham Forest on Monday, April 21 and the away game at Liverpool six days later. Bentancur will be hoping that is not the case as he has already served a seven-match domestic ban this season and one-match suspensions in both the Premier League and Europa League for collecting five and three yellow cards respectively.

The midfielder will avoid a potential two-match ban if he goes without seeing yellow at Stamford Bridge next Thursday. Yves Bissouma and James Maddison were previously also running the risk of picking up a one-match ban for ten yellow cards as they were on six cautions apiece.

However, the fact they went without a booking in the defeat at Fulham prior to the international break means they cannot obtains ten yellow before the end of the team's 32nd league game of the campaign.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou and his Tottenham team are putting in the work at Hotspur Way as they prepare for their return to Premier League action. Having no game this weekend as a result of the FA Cup quarter-finals taking place, Spurs have to wait until Thursday evening for their London derby showdown against Chelsea.

It is a huge game for the Lilywhites as they attempt to climb up the league table from their lowly position of 14th. Tottenham do not fare well at Stamford Bridge but Postecoglou and the players will be attempting to bring their sorry run in SW6 to a much-needed end.

It has been rather quiet at Hotspur Way over the past week or so due to the international break taking place but Spurs' internationals have now returned from representing their respective nations. It means Postecoglou will now have a good amount of time to work with his squad prior to Thursday's London derby across the capital.

Here are five things we spotted in Tottenham's latest training session at their Enfield base:

Richarlison involved

There was a welcome sight in Tottenham's latest training video as Richarlison could be seen with the rest of his teammates. Enduring such a stop-start season to date through injury, the Brazilian has not featured for Spurs since the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat against Liverpool in early February after sustaining a calf issue at Anfield.

Richarlison could be seen signing autographs for fans ahead of training and then going through a warm-up with his fellow players. However, there didn't appear to be footage of him taking part in an attacking drill with those in the middle looking to convert the crosses coming from the wide areas.

Richarlison still has a role to play during the run-in and a return to the matchday squad will come as a big boost to Postecoglou as it will hand him an extra attacking option.

No issues for Bergvall

Lucas Bergvall's wait to make his first start for Sweden unfortunately goes on. The midfielder was due to start for his country against Luxembourg last weekend but illness stopped him from featuring in the friendly and also their second game a few days later at home to Northern Ireland.

The good news for Spurs is that Bergvall no longer seems to be suffering with illness as he took his place on the training pitch with the rest of his teammates. Having missed out on a start for Sweden, he will be hoping that is not the case against Chelsea next Thursday.

Van de Ven penalty practice

Micky van de Ven was also present on the training pitch as he tops up his fitness levels after a lengthy spell on the sidelines this season. The Dutchman did impress in the win over AZ Alkmaar prior to the international break but he was an unused substitute at Fulham three days later as Postecoglou managed his minutes.

The ex-Wolfsburg man has had a good period to work on his fitness during the international break and that will hopefully see him start away at Chelsea. Towards the end of the training session, Van de Ven stepped up from 12 yards to take a penalty against Brandon Austin and emphatically found the bottom corner with a powerful strike.

The youngster may want to step up in the Europa League if penalties are going to be needed to decide Tottenham's fate in the competition.

Porro makes his case

Pedro Porro has certainly made a case to take Tottenham's free-kicks if his efforts in training are anything to go by. A group of players practiced free-kicks at the end of training and the Spaniard found the top corner on two occasions.

His first effort was so impressive that Bergvall and Djed Spence shook the full-back's hand after scoring. Porro then netted another free-kick shortly after, waved to the camera and then appeared to call it a day on the training pitch.

During Tottenham's recent win over AZ Alkmaar, Porro and James Maddison were involved in a debate over who should take a free-kick and captain Son Heung-min had to come over in the end to sort it out. Going on his free-kicks in training, Porro may get the nod next time Spurs have the ball in a very promising position outside the box.

Missing players

As the international break has only just come to an end, not every single Tottenham player was present on the training pitch in the footage published by the club. There didn't appear to be any sighting of players such as Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr or Destiny Udogie.

Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso also didn't look to be present outside on the field following their recent injuries. The numbers at Hotspur Way were boosted by a handful of academy players stepping up to training, including Maeson King, Damola Ajayi and Yusuf Akhamrich to name a few.

Romero fitness boost, Bergvall absence and Donley's Spurs future - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham