Football.London

Amanda Staveley can give Tottenham fans one thing they have wanted from Daniel Levy for years

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Tottenham Hotspur could soon have a new minority investor if everything goes to plan. And if the speculation is to be believed, it could be Amanda Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.

Staveley left her role as a director at Newcastle in July, but admitted she was keen to get back into football. In an interview with the Athletic, she said: "Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people; I love to be very busy and to engage, and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club, and that’s difficult. But it’s possible."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy admitted earlier this year that Spurs are looking for investment. "Some form of minority investment is what we're looking for," he said.

Tottenham and Staveley, therefore, could be the perfect match. If Staveley and Ghodoussi were to invest in Spurs, the former Newcastle duo would certainly be able to give the Tottenham fanbase something they have not benefited from in the time Levy has been at the helm.

Levy has been chairman at the north London club for 23 years, taking over soon after ENIC bought the club from Lord Alan Sugar. He has been the face of the Spurs hierarchy ever since, but he shies away from public appearances.

In the last few years, Spurs have started holding Fan Forums at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, inviting a select number of supporters to hear from Levy, the head coach and various other figures at the club.

Levy himself does not make many public appearances, nor offer himself out to answer questions about the running of the club, apart from in those new yearly forums.

football.london Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold said: "Tottenham and Levy like to work in the shadows, they try to do their business quietly and effectively. Amanda Staveley appears to be more of a public presence. She probably gave more interviews during her three years at Newcastle than Levy has done in the last 25 years!"

Levy's decision to work "quietly and effectively" in the background is a bone of frustration for Spurs supporters who want to know more about what is going on behind the scenes at times. Staveley coming in may just give the fanbase one thing they have been lacking from Levy in the last two decades.

The Tottenham relationship between Amanda Staveley and Daniel Levy amid investment talk

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There has been a lot of noise of late around Amanda Staveley and Tottenham Hotspur. The former Newcastle United director has been linked with investment into the north London club and has been spotted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on numerous occasions.

Spurs have openly admitted they are looking for investment into the club, with chairman Daniel Levy saying: "We announced with our last results that we believe this club needs a bigger capital base because we've got a lot of exciting projects on the horizon and we want to make further investment in the teams.

"Some form of minority investment is what we're looking for. We've got nothing to announce at the moment but we are in the market."

Levy has been chairman at Tottenham for the past 23 years, taking the lead at the club a few months after ENIC bought the north Londoners from Alan Sugar. He has pretty much flown solo since then.

Now, with Spurs looking for new investment, Levy would have to give a voice to someone else at the club. Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi has been the most heavily linked of late, following her departure from Newcastle United in July.

And she has made no secret of her desire to get back into football. Speaking to the Athletic she said: "Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people; I love to be very busy and to engage, and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club, and that’s difficult. But it’s possible."

Speaking on his personal YouTube channel, football.london's Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold admitted he was "fascinated" to see how the relationship between the two would work if a deal could be struck.

Gold said: "She's been linked very heavily in recent months with Spurs and bringing money from the Middle East to Tottenham. Combined with stadium revenue, investment would make Spurs a power player.

"I'm fascinated by the idea of if Amanda Staveley does come on board and how it would work with Daniel Levy and Spurs. Tottenham and Levy like to work in the shadows, they try to do their business quietly and effectively. Amanda Staveley appears to be more of a public presence. She probably gave more interviews during her three years at Newcastle than Levy has done in the last 25 years!

"Daniel Levy is very hands on, ridiculously involved, someone who really likes to be involved. How's he going to take it when someone else comes in with a minority stake at that maybe wants to make an impact and wants to make things happen?

"Spurs don't like noise, so the whole dynamic is going to be fascinating.

"Certainly the Newcastle fans seem to have a soft spot for Amanda Staveley and her partner, so we'll see what happens. Spurs have been very quiet on it, they have been with anyone linked with investment so that's nothing new. But her continued presence you would maybe guess leans towards there being something there, but whether it turns into something more than turning up at matches we'll see.

"It would add a whole new dynamic to things. We've had the whole Levy, ENIC narrative now for what a quarter of a century and it would be interesting to see what other people with new money and new ideas coming in and how that works. You've seen at other clubs when they don't approve of something it can be quite publicly said."

Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart uses Virgil van Dijk to slam Micky van de Ven

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Ex-Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has taken a swipe at Micky van de Ven while praising Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, following the Netherlands' 1-0 defeat to Germany in the Nations League.

Ronald Koeman's team were beaten in Munich, courtesy of Jamie Leweling's second-half goal. The Dutch side, who had to rearrange their defence because of Van Dijk's suspension after his red card against Hungary on Friday, struggled in the first half. Van de Ven was moved to the centre to fill in for Van Dijk, with Jorrel Hato making his debut at left-back.

Speaking on Dutch TV station NOS, Van der Vaart claimed that the Netherlands sorely missed Van Dijk in their loss to Germany. The former Ajax and Real Madrid forward confessed he was 'ashamed' of their first-half performance against the Germans.

"I don't easily get ashamed of the Dutch team, but today I did," Van der Vaart stated. "We attribute so many qualities to them, but it's completely wrong. You can analyse it, but everything just goes wrong."

Van der Vaart then singled the Spurs defender out, adding: "Then we have doubts about the absence of Virgil van Dijk, of course you miss him. All well and good, Micky van de Ven, but this is no Van Dijk."

Reflecting on the Dutch team's lacklustre performance, Koeman expressed his dissatisfaction, adding: "If you go back too far, you bring that on yourself. We came up short on all sides, perhaps in all facets of football.

"We did things differently at half-time and then we got a bit more rest. But they were much better today. I am not satisfied by our performance.

"The Germans were the better, faster and physically stronger. They created more chances. We lost too many balls in the midfield. We went too far back. That was not the plan. The plan was to put pressure forward on the right side. But it did not happen."

Tottenham Christmas fixture schedule revealed as Premier League finally confirm TV picks

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The Christmas period is always a busy one in the Premier League. And this year is no different.

Now, though, supporters can start making their plans, after the December - including all the Christmas fixtures - schedule was finally revealed by the Premier League.

Tottenham have four games on television in December, following the picks by Sky Sports, TNT Sports and of course Prime Video, who have exclusive access to the festive fixtures once again this season. Ange Postecoglou's side have also had three games in January moved for TV coverage.

Spurs initially had three games in nine days over the festive period, with home games against Liverpool and Wolverhampton and a trip to Nottingham Forest sandwiched in the middle. That has now changed to three games in eight days, with the Liverpool clash chosen for Sky Sports coverage on Sunday, December 22.

The Nottingham Forest clash on Boxing Day remains a 3pm kick-off, but will be live on Prime Video as with all the other Boxing Day matches. Unlike last year, when there was uproar, there are no fixtures on Christmas Eve. Chelsea travelled to Wolves in a Christmas Eve game at 1pm last season.

The second North London Derby of the season has also been chosen for TV coverage, unsurprisingly, with the Emirates Stadium clash live on TNT Sports on Wednesday, January 15.

A Premier League statement read: "As in previous seasons, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between fixtures played across the festive match rounds. This will allow greater time for players to recover, with the rest periods from rounds 17 to 20 being increased to ensure that no club play within 60 hours of another match."

December fixtures moved for TV:

Thursday, December 5: AFC Bournemouth v Spurs at 8.15pm (Amazon Prime Video)

Sunday, December 8: Spurs v Chelsea at 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

Sunday, December 15: Southampton v Spurs at 7pm (TNT Sports)

Sunday, December 22: Spurs v Liverpool at 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

Boxing Day: Nottingham Forest v Spurs remains 3pm (Amazon Prime Video)

January fixtures moved for TV:

Saturday, January 4: Spurs v Newcastle at 12.30pm (TNT Sports)

Wednesday, January 15: Arsenal v Spurs at 8pm (TNT Sports)

Sunday, January 19: Everton v Spurs at 2pm (Sky Sports)

Amanda Staveley net worth explained amid Tottenham takeover claims and Daniel Levy stance

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Daniel Levy refuses to shut down talk of a possible takeover at Tottenham. Across two years now, he has remained open about the prospect.

"The board and its advisors, Rothschild & Co, are in discussions with prospective investors," he said earlier this year in the club's latest accounts. The goal is to "continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the club requires a significant increase in its equity base."

This certainly chimes with what he has said previously regarding Spurs' position as a public company. Although he has made it clear the aim is not to sell up entirely, it is something that Levy himself has not gone as far as ruling out.

It is in this view that Tottenham are still one of the exceptions in the modern-day Premier League. Surrounded by American money via private equity, real estate tycoons, and those from other ventures, not to mention the Middle Eastern influx, Levy as chairman has had to make sure Spurs cut their cloth accordingly.

He has not hidden this either in recent appearances. Last year he spoke with Cambridge Union candidly about the financial landscape Tottenham are competing in, while also being upfront at fan events and in the accounts.

Levy's desire to bring in more money from outside sources has led to understandable links with former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley. She was one of several high-profile figures in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the NFL at the weekend, and it comes at a time whereby she is openly looking for more opportunities.

Staveley, who played a key role in getting Newcastle's Saudi Arabian-backed takeover through in 2021, is free once more. Alongside her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, she purchased a significant stake at St James' Park and was on the board. Earlier this year that professional relationship ended after she was bought out by those involved.

"My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn’t always work out exactly how you want it to," she told The Athletic about the situation. "Nothing is going to replicate that. I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people, and that can’t change, but I didn’t want to get in Newcastle’s way. It’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.

“Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people; I love to be very busy and to engage, and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club, and that’s difficult. But it’s possible.

“I don’t know what my future holds, but you can never move on from the love I have for Newcastle, and I would love to come back for matches. I’m a Geordie now. I’m a Yorkshire Geordie, but I will always have that chemistry and that love.”

As a British businesswoman, born to an entrepreneur father - founder of Lightwater Valley theme park - Staveley has her fingers in a lot of pies. She has brokered deals with Barclays, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and now involves herself with PCP Capital Partners.

Despite being involved in the takeover of Newcastle, Staveley alone could not afford to buy Tottenham. Her estimated net worth is only £130million, which is hardly enough to fund the inflated price of world-class midfielders, let alone entire clubs.

Aged 23 she got herself a loan of £180,000 to open a restaurant and four years later she was voted Businesswoman of the Year, though, and comes from a family of success. With an ability to network, Staveley was central to Manchester City's own takeover.

So, even if there is no direct immediate fortune of the size that could buy a football club, it is suggested she has over £28billion worth of assets under management in wealth funds and across investors. Via PCP and her background in forging deals with the Middle East, Staveley has exceptional contacts and standing as a broker.

Her ambition also certainly appears to be to get back into football sooner rather than later. With that, The Sun has claimed she is ramping up attempts to be part of the Tottenham project.

The report adds that it would take around £650million to acquire just 25% of the club. She and her husband got 10% of Newcastle each, in a deal that went through for a total of £300million.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham could be without three players vs West Ham as Ange Postecoglou faces nervous wait

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Tottenham are back in action when they host West Ham on Saturday. Ange Postecoglou's side will be looking to return to winning ways after the 3-2 defeat at Brighton before the international break.

Before that, Spurs had won five successive matches and were starting to build some momentum after a mixed start to the season. In fact, Tottenham were 2-0 up against Brighton before collapsing in the second-half and conceding three times to lose the game in spectacular fashion.

Next up for Spurs is a game against Julen Lopetegui's West Ham, who secured a convincing 4-1 win over Ipswich before the two-week hiatus. The Hammers had gone five without a win before that but go into the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with some much-needed confidence.

However, both Tottenham and West Ham could be without some players for the game. With this in mind, football.london have taken a look at those that will or could miss the fixture;

Richarlison

Richarlison has been out since August with a calf injury but it's hoped the Brazilian can return to full training over the next week. The match against West Ham might come too soon for him as Spurs take it very cautiously with him after previous setbacks, but we're sure that game will be in the back of mind.

The last update Postecoglou gave was on September 20. He said: "[Richarlison] is a fair way off; I think you should stop asking me about him until I say I've got an update. He's still not training with the first-team."

Son Heung-min

Son has missed the last three matches after suffering a hamstring injury late on against Qarabag. The 32-year-old missed out on South Korea's World Cup qualifying matches against Jordan and Iraq over the international break, but there is hope that he could return to face West Ham on Saturday.

On Sunday, Son posted an image of himself overlooking training pitches with the simple message: "Back soon" - alongside lilywhite heart emoji. football.london understands that Son is expected to be back in training at some point this week and he could therefore be back available if his hamstring holds up.

Wilson Odobert

Odobert, a £30million arrival from Burnley in August, suffered a hamstring problem in the Carabao Cup win over Coventry. As with the other two, football.london believes the teenager could also be involved in training as this week goes on, but there is uncertainty whether he will be risked against West Ham.

Niclas Fullkrug

Fullkrug has missed the last four Premier League matches with Achilles irritation but West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is confident he will be fit to face Tottenham this weekend.

Speaking before the home game with Ipswich, Lopetegui said: "We would like Niclas to be fit now, but he's having some little problems. They're not massive, but we've lost him for a little while now. Hopefully, he'll be ready after the international break."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

'What I'm told' - Premier League commentator lets major law change for Arsenal and Chelsea slip

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Legendary Premier League commentator Martin Tyler has suggested that top-flight officials are to introduce new laws to do with home, away and third kits worn by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham from next season onwards.

A huge part of a club's identity are their choice of kits each season. Obviously Arsenal are synonymous with red, Chelsea blue and Spurs complete the trio with white for their home strips, whilst supporters can look forward to a variety of colourways introduced for their chosen team's change outfits.

But Premier League officials, according to Tyler, are set to bring in new regulation that is going to limit a certain design element for all teams in the top-flight.

Chatting on AwayDays' shirt shopping latest episode, he was highlighting the challenges of a commentator - his chosen career for 33 years as the voice of Sky Sports - and recognising players from their shirt names and numbers at great distances when colours and patterns create a clash.

An example he was looking at was London rivals Brentford's current home shirt - red and white striped with black block text on the reverse.

"That apparently now for next season will have to squared off, that’s what I’m told," he revealed to presenter Ellis Platten. So, what this essentially means is teams with any variety of block stripes on their Premier League kits next season would be forced to remove said pattern from the upper reverse only, so that a clean contrast can be made between the colours of the material and text.

Whilst none of the big London trio don stripes on their home shirts, they have been known to dabble with the concept on their away and third variations. For example this season Spurs away shirt even features faint blue and white striped patterning, which could potentially go against this alleged future rule change.

It is a move that would bring the Premier League in line with UEFA, who have implemented the same regulations in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Supporters may remember Newcastle United, who qualified for the Champions League last term, switching between a fully-striped black and white home shirt in the Premier League one with a plain white back used in Europe.

New Tottenham 2025/26 home and away kits as Nike make bold move in first for Spurs partnership

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There is only so much Nike can do when it comes to a Tottenham home shirt. However, they opted to switch things up for the 2024/25 season and it has so far proved rather popular with Spurs supporters.

In what is very much a look of yesteryear, navy blue has featured heavily on Nike's Tottenham home design for this season. As was the case back in 2005/06 with Kappa opting for navy sleeves in what turned out to be a good season for Martin Jol and the team in north London, Nike have done likewise this season and given their latest design a rather striking look.

Even though we are only two months into the 2024/25 campaign, information regarding Tottenham's Nike shirts for next season is already doing the rounds online. So what exactly can fans expect when Nike release their latest Tottenham jerseys next summer? Here is everything we know so far.

Home shirt

It does appear that Tottenham will be moving away from the blue sleeves for the 2025/26 season going on the information that is currently out there. Football kit insider Gol De Sergio (via Footy Headlines) has already revealed the colours that will feature on Spurs' home shirt next term and it is sure to be a rather interesting combination.

As ever, Tottenham's home shirt will be predominantly white but there will be some light grey and dark blue mixed in there. However, it's not yet clear how much the two colours, which Nike call 'Lt Iron Ore' and 'Binary Blue', will be used on the latest design and also how it will look.

What is clear is that the blue will be used as the accent colour so the Nike logo and Tottenham crest remain exactly the same on the home jersey as present. In regards to the use of 'Lt Iron Ore', any Tottenham fans wanting to get a quick glimpse of the colour can check out Atletico Madrid's 2024/25 light blue training shirt as it is used as an accent colour on the shoulders.

Away shirt

Black will be making a return as the main colour of Tottenham's Nike away shirt in the 2025/26 season. A lot of Spurs' away jerseys in the Premier League era have featured colours such as navy blue, purple and yellow but black is not a colour traditionally used by the football club.

The last time Spurs had a black away kit was during the 2014/15 season when Under Armour was the club's kit supplier. There is currently no information on the specific design of next term's away shirt but Gol De Sergio (via Footy Headlines) has revealed that 'Lt Iron Ore' will also be used on the away shirt as well as the home top.

The away shirt looks set to be predominantly black and the accents will be 'Lt Iron Ore'. A number of football clubs have opted for black shirts in previous years which have proved to be very popular, with Tottenham the latest team looking to follow suit.

It will be a first for Tottenham and Nike in their partnership, which began at the start of the 2017/18 campaign and runs until 2033 after striking a huge deal.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Lucas Bergvall injury scare, no Cristian Romero repeat

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Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham face a big game this weekend as they look to return to winning ways in the Premier League. Taking on Brighton & Hove Albion prior to the international break, Spurs were on track to claim all three points at the Amex Stadium but they unfortunately let a 2-0 lead slip and eventually lost 3-2.

That is why Saturday's game at home to West Ham is very important to Postecoglou as he looks to get his team challenging towards the top of the Premier League. Tottenham currently trail Chelsea in fourth by four points and they cannot afford for that lead to be extended even though it is still so early in the 2024/25 campaign.

Postecoglou has had limited players to work with at Hotspur Way due to the international break taking place immediately after the Brighton defeat. However, the number of players at his disposal will only increase as the week goes on but time will be limited due to the fact they play first on Saturday.

Here we take a look at what will be on the Australian's to-do list ahead of the game.

Injury latest

Tottenham fans will be hoping for a boost on the injury front leading up to the West Ham game. Lucas Bergvall's time with the Swedish national team has come to an early end after picking up a "minor injury" that has ruled him out of Monday night's game against Estonia.

The national side confirmed that the midfielder has departed the Sweden camp "to manage his rehabilitation in a club environment". Postecoglou and Spurs will have their fingers crossed that the player's injury does not result in a spell on the sidelines.

In terms of Tottenham's other international players, Spurs will want to keep tabs on Cristian Romero's fitness levels with the centre-back facing a very quick turnaround over the coming days. Romero's return from South America last month was a big talking point after the Arsenal defeat and this time Argentina are playing in the early hours of Wednesday morning before Tottenham feature in the Saturday lunchtime game.

In regards to those who did not depart on international duty this month, Son Heung-min has missed the team's last three games due to a hamstring injury and Richarlison and Wilson Odobert have also spent time on the sidelines recently. The Brazilian does appear to be getting there with his fitness after he was photographed on the grass at Hotspur Way last week.

The ex-Everton man looked to be working away from his teammates but one positive was the fact he was training with a ball again. Swift returns to action for both Richarlison and Odobert would certainly boost Postecoglou's options on the bench going into a very busy period of games.

If Son is in a position to return this weekend then you would imagine he goes straight into the team and takes the place of Timo Werner. At a time when Tottenham need a lift after their Brighton defeat, the return of the South Korean would do just that for Postecoglou and the club.

The Australian will most definitely be checking up on the fitness of the trio, Bergvall and the international players in the days ahead of this weekend's game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Avoid Brighton repeat

Tottenham really should be going into the West Ham encounter on the back of six successive wins in all competitions. The north London club were very impressive in the first half at Brighton before delivering such a poor showing after the break.

It has happened a couple of times during Postecoglou's Tottenham tenure and he needs to ensure it becomes a thing of the past. Whether that is putting games completely out of sight in the first half or better game management after the break, Tottenham cannot keep dropping points when in excellent positions or else Postecoglou will not be able to achieve his goals at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Three points and a 90-minute performance would be the ideal response after what happened on the south coast last time out.

Make midfield call

Postecoglou could look to make a couple of changes here and there against West Ham after the Brighton defeat. One of those alterations could possibly come in midfield.

Rodrigo Bentancur has delivered some very impressive performances over the past month but his showing at Brighton was not one of them. That in turn could open up the door for Yves Bissouma to come back into the side after having to contend with a spot on the bench in recent games.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are guaranteed starters in midfield right now, thus leaving Postecoglou with a decision to make over Bentancur and Bissouma. What could possibly swing thing in the Uruguayan's favour is that he has spent the international break at Hotspur Way with the head coach as he is currently serving a ban on the international stage.

Need for defence to be alert

Tottenham have conceded some very poor goals this season, with Danny Welbeck's winner for Brighton possibly topping the list. The experienced striker had it so easy as he simply moved with ease between Pedro Porro and Romero to nod home from point-blank range.

The other two goals Spurs conceded were also extremely poor, and it is something Spurs must cut out of their game or it is going to prove so costly come May. Postecoglou and his coaching staff need to work closely with the backline in the lead up to the West Ham game and ensure there is no repeat on their return to Premier League action.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham dealt Lucas Bergvall injury worry amid Sweden decision

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Tottenham have been dealt a blow over Lucas Bergvall, with the midfielder suffering from an injury issue while away with the Swedish national team.

The 18-year-old joined Spurs in the summer after a transfer was agreed back in February, with the midfielder signing a five-year deal in north London. Arriving for just £8.5million, the youngster has made a promising start to life in the Premier League, with a number of bright cameo appearances after impressing in pre-season.

However, after going away on international duty, the young star has now returned to north London without playing a minute for his national team. Bergvall was among the substitutes for his side's 2-2 draw against Slovakia on Thursday, and it has now been announced that he will play no part in their next fixture due to an injury issue.

Sweden are due to take on Estonia on Monday evening, but the team have announced that Bergvall will be absent and is heading back to north London "to focus on rehabilitation" from a "minor" injury.

"Lucas Bergvall has suffered a minor injury and will not be available for tonight's game against Estonia in the Nations League," the Swedish national team said in a statement. "The midfielder has left the men's national team gathering in Estonia to focus on his rehabilitation.

"Tonight's match against Estonia will be the men's national team's second during the current session. Last Thursday there was a point in the 2-2 match against Slovakia. Monday evening awaits Estonia in Tallinn.

"Ahead of the match, it is clear that Tottenham's midfielder Lucas Bergvall will not be available for the game. He has left the collection to manage his rehabilitation in a club environment."

Bergvall will be hoping to return to action quickly in a period where Spurs games come thick and fast before the next international break in November. In the next month, the club have four Premier League games to contend with, as well as two Europa League clashes and a Carabao Cup tie at home to Manchester City.

The midfielder would have been hoping to pick up plenty of minutes during this stretch of games, having been forced off early in the win against Qarabag due to a red card for defender Radu Dragusin. Bergvall was on the pitch for just 12 minutes before being replaced in the match in September, after which Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou sympathised with Bergvall, adding that there would be more opportunities to come for the young star.

"That’s football," the Spurs boss told TNT Sports. "He’s 18, he’ll get plenty more games.

"It’s a decision we had to make. We needed an extra midfielder in there to make sure we had cover, and we needed to bring a left-back on in Destiny.

"Just an adjustment we needed to make, nothing on Lucas. He’ll get plenty of opportunities."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.