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The games will be coming thick and fast for Tottenham Hotspur in the weeks ahead and suspensions will potentially play a part once again.

Spurs had a nightmare with suspensions at this stage of the season last time out under Ange Postecoglou with Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie all collecting red cards or bookings that led to missing matches. That came on top of a number of key injuries to players like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison and then Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr and Bissouma heading off to the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively.

There is the potential of a suspension for Rodrigo Bentancur on the horizon following the FA charge over his comments regarding Son with the suggestion that a six to 12 games absence could be on the cards if the charge if proven.

Bentancur is also two yellow cards away from a Premier League suspension as it is, as he has collected three bookings in the first seven games of the campaign. Bissouma, Maddison, Udogie, Van de Ven and Dejan Kulusevski all sit on two and will need to watch their discipline in the weeks ahead to avoid hitting that five card limit and creating a nightmare for Postecoglou with suspensions all arriving at one time.

Yellow cards are normally wiped out following the 19th match of the Premier League season, which will not arrive until the turn of the year.

For all of the focus often placed on Romero's discipline, the Argentine has not picked up a single yellow card yet this season in any competition.

When it comes to the Europa League, players are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions which did not result in a red card, as well as following any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc). However, only Bissouma has picked up a yellow card so far, with Radu Dragusin sent off against Qarabag.

Postecoglou will not want his players to compromise their competitive streak but he will also want to avoid the problems that hit them last season.

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Ange Postecoglou has not had much luck when it comes to his Tottenham Hotspur captains so far this season.

The Spurs boss has lost his skipper Son Heung-min for a period of time due to a hamstring injury, while vice-captain Cristian Romero has returned without a pre-season following his Copa America triumph and has struggled to find his rhythm with a couple of good games but also a couple of lapses in concentration leading to goals conceded.

Postecoglou has at least got his other vice-captain James Maddison performing well this season and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was added to the club's leadership group in the summer by the Tottenham head coach and has started this season in good form on the whole.

The Spurs boss will be hoping for no further injuries within his squad across the international break while awaiting the return of Son, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert from their respective problems.

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Tottenham's season is just 10 games old and it's time for football.london to look at the power rankings within the squad when it comes to each position.

Spurs have won six of their opening 10 matches with their other games bringing results that did not match the performances. Ange Postecoglou's players have produced differing displays in the opening months of the campaign, with some dazzling and others struggling to find their rhythm.

We've decided to look across the Tottenham squad and deliberate over the current power rankings for each department, based on both the manager's use of the players and their current form ahead of their return to Premier League action next weekend against West Ham United.

Let's start with the men between the sticks

Goalkeepers

These rankings are pretty clear at the moment with Tottenham's Italian stopper sitting comfortably on top of the power rankings with Forster seen as his back-up despite that five-year contract handed out to Austin at the end of last season. With Forster turning 37 during this campaign, it's clear that Postecoglou will need a new goalkeeper to challenge Vicario for next season.

Right-backs

A slightly more complicated set of rankings, but that's only because of Postecoglou's decision to leave Spence out of his Europa League squad rather than someone like Forster. That means Gray has been getting plenty of game time as a right-back so we're currently putting him ahead of Spence in the category.

Where they both sit in Postecoglou's thoughts perhaps came in the Carabao Cup when Gray was selected in the position, although it could be argued that Spence was being held back deliberately to play on the left in the second half to give the only recently-returned Udogie a rest.

The true test will come when the Tottenham boss needs to pick someone other than Porro in the Premier League in the weeks ahead.

Left-backs

This is the position where Spence jumps up the power rankings because can play on either side and his ability to play in the inverted style allows him to run riot through the centre, as he did with his goal that turned around the tie at Coventry.

The struggles of Davies at Ferencvaros as an inverted left-back and Postecoglou swapping him to centre-back suggested that Gray has jumped above the Welshman in that role now, apart from games in which he does not want the full-back to invert. Sergio Reguilon is in the Premier League squad after failing to find a move away but he's only going to come in to the team if there's a major injury crisis.

Centre-backs

This season so far Van de Ven is clear at the top of the centre-back rankings because, despite a couple of good performances against Everton and Manchester United, Tottenham vice-captain Romero has not been his usual self after his Copa America-winning exploits with some concentration lapses around some of the goals conceded this season.

Dragusin has not been able to close the gap due to that daft red card against Qarabag, while Davies and Gray are seen as alternate centre-back options if required.

Number sixes

The second half aside at Brighton, Bentancur has grabbed the number six role as his own in the midfield with Bissouma still struggling to find his groove following his indiscretion at the start of the season that earned him a one-game club given suspension.

Bentancur could have a lengthy ban on the horizon when a decision is made over his comments about Son and while Bissouma will likely come in, we could finally get to see Gray in the position he can excel in for years to come, as the games continue to come thick and fast, while Sarr also has experience in the role.

Number eights

Tottenham have a couple of standout players in this department this season. Kulusevski has been one of the stars of the club's campaign with his ability to play in the deeper role with his creativity and strength. Maddison has also been instrumental in a lot of Spurs' better displays so far.

Sarr is ahead of Bergvall in the pecking order after losing his starting spot to Kulusevski and the younger Swede will continue to adapt to the English game as the months go on.

You could also include Bentancur and Gray in this category as they will get game time as number eights at times during this season but it gets a bit messy if we throw them in there right now.

Wingers

Scoring in six consecutive games - and forcing an own goal in the one before - means only Johnson can sit on top of the list of wingers right now when it comes to power rankings as he's one of the most in-form players in the Premier League. Despite his injury, Spurs captain Son still comes in above the rest because he will slot straight back into the team when he returns.

Putting Werner above Moore right now isn't going to go down well with some but it's clearly where Postecoglou sees him right now. Moore at just 17 is going to be some player for Tottenham, but the experienced German has been providing the basic wing play that the Australian wants, even if there's been some glaring misses from him in the final third.

Odobert will rise up this list on his return, but is yet to prove himself for Spurs beyond that promising debut against Everton while Richarlison will also be a candidate on the wing when he returns.

Kulusevski will still be used at times as a winger in certain games but we're keeping him in the midfield rankings for now as that's where Postecoglou sees him now.

Strikers

A clear-cut category with Solanke grabbing three goals and an assist from his past four matches and the £65million man is the top dog right now in the striker department, earning himself a second England cap almost seven years on from the last.

Richarlison remains the next option as he nears his return from injury and Lankshear gave a good account of himself at Ferencvaros and the teenager will get more minutes in a Spurs shirt this season.

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Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will reportedly compete to try and sign Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey. Both the Gunners and Spurs had busy summer transfer windows with several new singings moving to North London.

Mikel Arteta added six new players to his squad with Riccardo Calafiori, Neto, Raheem Sterling, Mikel Merino, Tommy Setford and Lucas Nygaard, while David Raya's loan from Brentford was made permanent over the summer.

Ange Postecoglou oversaw five summer signins at Spurs with Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odebert arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Yang Min-Hyeok will officially move to North London in January.

According to Give Me Sport, both Arsenal and Tottenham are interested in signing Ramsey from Villa, although it is not specified if this would be in the January transfer window or next summer.

It has been reported that Arsenal and Spurs will face competition from Newcastle for Ramsey's signature, with Villa said to be prepared to make a "decision" around the 23-year-old's signature at the end of the season.

The report claims that both Arsenal and Tottenham are monitoring Ramsey's progress with a view to potentially making an offer to sign the versatile midfielder in 2025.

Villa are thought to be keen to avoid losing Ramsey on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2027. As a result, it's has been suggested that the West Midlands club may consider accepting offers for Ramsey, who is reportedly valued at around £50million.

Ramsey has made nine appearances for Villa so far this season, including two in the Champions League. He scored his only goal in the campaign against the Swiss club Young Boys in their Champions League opener back in September.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has admitted he is "over the moon" after featuring for England for the first time in seven years on Thursday night.

The striker came off the bench in the Nations League B2 clash against Greece at Wembley Stadium but could not help Lee Carsley's side avoid suffering a 2-1 defeat. His 18-minute cameo marked his first national team involvement since his debut in a friendly back in 2017 against Brazil.

“It was good, it would have been a lot better if we managed to get the win tonight, but it didn’t quite go to plan,” Solanke, who joined Spurs from Bournemouth in a £65million deal in the summer, said. “We didn’t play how we wanted to.

“I am over the moon to be out there, last time was a long time ago so a lot has happened since then but I was happy to be out there. It was amazing, every cap for your country you need to cherish it because there is so much competition, so it is another cap.”

Interim boss Lee Carsley’s attacking plan to start Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon backfired as Greece claimed a historic victory, paying the perfect tribute to team-mate George Baldock, who died on the eve of the match. Evangelos Pavlidis scored the winner in the fourth minute of injury time after his opener had been cancelled out by Bellingham.

England head to Finland on Sunday and Solanke expects his side to bounce back. “On our day we are good enough to beat anyone, we have got good players all over the pitch,” he added.

“Some games are difficult, we didn’t quite manage to get it right. We are lucky enough to have another game in a few days so we have a chance to go out there and get a win. We need to rest and recover and go again.”

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Cristian Romero's protestations ended up potentially helping Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou after the Argentina defender was unable to play for his country this week.

While Argentina took on Venezuela at a rain-hit Estadio Monumental de Maturin for their latest qualification match, Romero could only sit on and watch as he was suspended for the game. The 26-year-old Spurs centre-back's temper had got the better of him after the previous match - a 2-1 defeat in Colombia last month - and he had received a yellow card after the final whistle for his protests to the officials at the nature of the defeat.

That booking took Romero to the yellow card limit for the World Cup qualifying stages and he duly missed the match in Venezuela which brought a 1-1 draw and another difficult night for Argentina.

The Tottenham vice-captain missing the match potentially could have benefited Postecoglou in a couple of ways. The first is that any rest for Romero is helpful as he missed out on a proper summer break after winning the Copa America for a second time with Argentina and was quickly back into Spurs action without a real pre-season.

Romero's performances have subsequently been mixed this season with a number of concentration lapses leading to a handful of the goals the north London side have conceded this season. On Sunday he lost Danny Welbeck for Brighton's winning goal in the second half at the Amex Stadium, having played the full 97 minutes in the Europa League match at Ferencvaros just two-and-a-half days before.

Another benefit of missing that game in Venezuela was the state of the rain-sodden pitch which could easily have resulted in an injury for an all-action defender like Romero.

"It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches," Lionel Messi said after the game. "We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little is played."

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni added: "[The pitch] did not meet the minimal conditions for a football game. You couldn't play. We did what we had to do, but the conditions of the playing field were not for a match against two teams of this kind of level."

Romero will be the latest of the players to return to Tottenham ahead of the Premier League game against West Ham next Saturday lunchtime because the time difference means Argentina's game at home against Bolivia will not kick off until 1am UK time in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Postecoglou will be hoping that Romero comes through the game unscathed and in good shape following a lighter week than normal for Argentina.

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Ange Postecoglou and his Tottenham players have to wait to put their Brighton frustrations behind them until Saturday October 19 when West Ham make the trip across London.

While Spurs were superb in their first half performance at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, they had 18 disastrous minutes in the second half that turned a 2-0 scoreline becoming a 3-2 defeat in the Premier League. Then the international break arrived, robbing the Tottenham players and Postecoglou of the chance to immediately make amends.

The next Premier League game arrives for Spurs with a London derby against West Ham with a 12.30pm kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Saturday.

So who will return when for the big match and who is already at Hotspur Way in Enfield preparing for the derby against the Irons?

First, off there are those recovering from injury in the shape of captain Son Heung-min, who has not linked up with South Korea this fortnight due to his hamstring issue. Wilson Odobert also has his own hamstring injury while Richarlison is on his way back finally from his calf problem.

Those not in the treatment room and able to train this week include James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur - who is suspended from international duty and awaiting the verdict on his FA charge, Timo Werner, Djed Spence, Sergio Reguilon and the goalkeepers Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman.

The senior international players start to return to the Enfield training complex from Monday onwards. Dominic Solanke's second England game takes place in Finland on Sunday evening.

Then Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies, Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven all face matches on Monday evening across Europe - and in Guinea-Bissau in Bissouma's case - so the bulk of them will be back at Hotspur Way on Tuesday.

Mikey Moore, Pape Matar Sarr, Radu Dragusin, Pedro Porro and Archie Gray all have games at various times on Tuesday, with the time difference meaning Cristian Romero's match for Argentina at home against Bolivia will not kick off until 1am UK time in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Those players will likely all return to Hotspur Way for recovery or training on either Wednesday or Thursday, which means Postecoglou will only have a short turnaround with some before the Hammers come to town.

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

A combination of injuries and suspensions wreaked havoc on Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team at the beginning of November last year. Losing key players for a decent period of time, the Australian will be hoping that luck is on his side this time around as he bids to take Tottenham to the next level.

Injuries have once again played their part in Tottenham's first ten games of the 2024/25 season but they could soon clear up by the time domestic football restarts. As the second international break of the campaign is now upon us, Spurs fans will have to wait until Saturday, October 19 for their next Premier League game when they host West Ham.

All connected with Tottenham will have their fingers crossed that they will be able to add captain Son Heung-min to their strongest matchday squad for the game against the Hammers. Picking up a hamstring issue in the recent 3-0 win over Qarabag, Son has not featured in Tottenham's last three fixtures and Postecoglou said on the eve of the Brighton game that his captain is "pushing hard but it is too soon".

Subsequently dropping out of the South Korea squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Jordan and Iraq, Son will now have a decent period of time to work on his fitness and hopefully return to the matchday squad in time to face West Ham. The 32-year-old was not spotted in Tottenham's latest batch of training photos that were released on Wednesday and Thursday, thus hinting at the fact that he's not ready to return to first-team training just yet.

One player who does look like he is nearing a return is Richarlison. The Brazilian has once again endured a stop-start season in a Tottenham shirt, playing 25 minutes across two appearances so far.

On Wednesday afternoon, Spurs did upload a total of nine images of Richarlison training to the club's Instagram account. The attacker was training on his own and working on his fitness but one positive was that he was working with the ball.

Even if he is not in a position to face West Ham, a return sooner rather than later would come as a big boost to Postecoglou as he requires cover for Dominic Solanke in attack. A Europa League tie against AZ and a Carabao Cup showdown with Man City come either side of an away trip to Crystal Palace once the West Ham game is out of the way.

Questions then remain over when exactly Wilson Odobert will be available after sustaining a serious hamstring injury against Coventry City last month. Postecoglou will want his new signing back ASAP as his absence has limited his options recently with Son and Richarlison out.

Speaking at a club event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, Odobert issued a fresh update on his recovery. He said: "I’m disappointed about this injury but I’m working hard now to come back and play again. I just need to keep pushing and keep working."

Looking slightly further ahead, it won't be too long until 2025 comes around and that means Yang Min-hyeok will officially be a Tottenham player. Yang, who penned a five-year contract with Spurs at the end of July, will link up with the first team in January 2025 after excelling for K League side Gangwon FC.

The versatile winger has ten goals and six assists to his name from 33 appearances so far this season.

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

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro has opened the door to possibly joining Real Madrid one day. The 25-year-old has become a very important player under Ange Postecoglou after a challenging first six months at the club following his transfer from Sporting CP in 2023.

Because of the system Postecoglou deploys, Porro and fellow full-back Destiny Udogie are vital to Spurs playing out from the back and escaping the press. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven make up the rest of the backline with all four possessing different qualities.

Though they have all impressed in patches, Spurs have struggled defensively since Postecoglou's arrival. The Lilywhites have kept just three clean sheets this season after capitulating in their most recent game against Brighton which saw their two-goal lead wiped out in 18 minutes.

All four were criticised for the disastrous second half defensive display but are now set for a break from Hotspur Way. Both Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie will hope to represent Italy with Cristian Romero set to play for Argentina and Pedro Porro back in the Spain squad.

While away with his national side, Porro answered questions on a number of topics including talk that Real Madrid have shown an interest in acquiring his services. "Of course I'm proud with these links, it means I'm doing things well. "If that happens one day, it happens. Now I'm fully focused on my club, Tottenham," he told Relevo.

Considering Porro's open answer, there will always be a lingering concern at Spurs and perhaps within Ange Postecoglou that an approach from the Spanish capital, no matter when it arrives, may turn his head.

Los Blancos have also taken a keen interest in Cristian Romero as they look for defensive reinforcements in the near future. However, Arsenal's William Saliba looks to be their priority for the upcoming summer window with reports from Spain claiming that they will do whatever it takes to sign him.

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

Manchester City are reportedly expecting to receive legal notices from several Premier League clubs across the forthcoming weeks. It's said that those in question will reserve their right to seek damages, if the Etihad Stadium outfit are found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

Last month, the much-anticipated trial to determine whether or not City have breached over 100 of the Premier League's FFP rules started in London. It's almost two years since the Premier League first charged the champions, who strongly deny all such allegations made against them.

The trial, which started on September 16, is set to last around 10 weeks, with the three-person panel selected by Murray Rosen KC not expected to reach an outcome until early 2025. The Telegraph are reporting that, if Premier League clubs - which could include Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur - want to sue City for breaching FFP rules, they must inform the Etihad Stadium outfit of their wish to do so before the end of November.

The Telegraph states that's because claims for breach of contract are usually only eligible in the first six years after allegations have been made.

German publication Der Spiegel first uncovered and put forward allegations of financial wrongdoing in November 2018. Therefore, as per the Limitation Act 1980, clubs across the Premier League will only have until the end of next month to initiate proceedings.

The charges against City cover a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, a time-frame that saw the club pick up three Premier League titles. City, it must be stressed, have vehemently denied breaching any FFP rules and, when the charges were announced in February 2023, said: "Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League rules, particularly given the extensive engagement, and a vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with."

At the time, their initial statement continued: "The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such, we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."