Football.London

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team are back on the training pitch as they prepare for their Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar. Not having a match over the weekend as a result of their FA Cup fourth round exit at Aston Villa, football.london reported that the head coach had elected to give his players Sunday and Monday off to recharge their batteries.

After going so long playing games every three or four days in a relentless period, the Spurs squad should be nice and fresh after having no midweek games in a two-week spell in February. However, the fixtures are going to start coming thick and fast again with the Europa League round of 16 set to commence on Thursday night.

Ahead of the AZ encounter in the Netherlands, Tottenham uploaded their latest training video to their social media channels to give fans a glimpse into their preparations. Here are we things we spotted in the training session at the club's Enfield base:

Injured trio return

Things are finally looking up for Postecoglou and his Spurs team on the injury front. Having suffered so many injuries to leave the head coach with limited options for a good chunk of the season, Postecoglou's squad finally resembles that of a first team once again.

Receiving an injury boost last month with players such as Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson returning, Spurs now have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke back on the training pitch. The trio are key players in the Tottenham XI and it could make a huge difference in what remains of the season with all three taking their place in the spine of the team.

Postecoglou will give an update on the trio on Wednesday evening when he previews the AZ Alkmaar game but their presence on the training pitch would suggest that they are in a position to be part of the matchday party.

Romero hint dropped

Having Romero and Van de Ven available again means that Postecoglou will be able to operate with his first-choice centre-back pairing. Last doing so in the home defeat to Chelsea in early December, since then Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, Archie Gray and Kevin Danso have operated at the heart of defence on a regular basis.

Danso has made a real impression since joining Tottenham on loan from from RC Lens and he has given Postecoglou a huge call to make once Romero and Van de Ven are both in a position to start. In one training drill at Hotspur Way that saw attack take on defence, Romero could be seen partnering Danso at the back.

That may well be a hint over the centre-back pairing Postecoglou opts for against AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. We'll find out if that's the case around 4:45pm on Thursday.

Missing players

Not everyone appeared to take part in Tottenham training on Tuesday as the team put in the work ahead of the AZ game. Dejan Kulusevski, as expected, was not present on the training pitch after he uploaded a photo of himself to his Instagram account with a protective boot on his left foot.

It's not exactly clear yet how long the Sweden international will be on the sidelines for but Postecoglou should provide some clarity in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening. There was also no sighting of Richarlison as he steps up his return to fitness, with Ben Davies also not appearing to be involved with the rest of his teammates.

Postecoglou will give an injury update in his time with the media later on today and the current injury status of the trio should all become clear.

Business as usual for Timo and Co.

Timo Werner will unfortunately have to watch on for the remainder of the season in the Europa League after missing out on Spurs' 25-man squad for the knockout stage. Previously part of the squad for the league phase, the German was one of three players cut as Danso, Djed Spence and Mathys Tel came in.

Werner may not be able to play for Tottenham in Europe now but it was very much business as usual for him on the training pitch. All the loanee can do right now is impress at Hotspur Way and hope that minutes come his way in the Premier League.

Antonin Kinsky and Fraser Forster are also in a similar boat to Werner as they missed out on the squad when it was announced at the beginning of February. Spurs do have sufficient cover in goal, though, with Vicario, Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman as options.

Free-kick duty

Tottenham's latest training video finished with Son Heung-min curling in a delightful free-kick. It was some effort from the Spurs captain and it left the goalkeeper with no chance as the ball found the top corner of the goal.

Son was that impressed by his strike that he ran off to celebrate with his arms spread out wide. So could Son be over the free-kicks if Tottenham get one in a good position against AZ? Maddison may well have something to say about that.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham have been backed by TNT Sports pundits to progress further in the Europa League than Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The two clubs have endured difficult seasons as they sit level on 33 points in the bottom half of the table. They have also been knocked out of both domestic competitions, although Ange Postecoglou's side did enjoy a run to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup before they were thrashed by Liverpool.

As a result, the hopes of both clubs either winning a trophy or qualifying for Europe next season, rest on their progress in the Europa League, not least because it would guarantee a spot in next season's Champions League, despite their dismal league form. The former will take on La Liga side Real Sociedad in the round of 16, while Spurs are gearing up for a tie against Dutch opposition AZ Alkmaar.

Other European giants, including Roma, Fenerbahce, Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt are also still in the competition, but pundits Ally McCoist and Joe Cole have backed Spurs to go all the way despite their injury struggles this season. Speaking on Tuesday's Agree or Disagree UEFA Special episode, McCoist said: "I think Spurs will go further [than United].

"I think Spurs could win it. If they get key players back, they'll get a boost. I think they can win it."

Cole, who represented West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool during his playing days, agreed, adding: "I do as well."

Peter Crouch was slightly less optimistic about Spurs' chances of lifting the trophy, but did back them to go deeper in the competition than United. "I've done a lot of their games this year and I think there is the hurdle of not having won things for a long time," he said. "I don't believe they can win it, but I think they can get further than United."

Despite his United loyalties, even Rio Ferdinand agreed Spurs have greater hopes than his former club. "I'm going to agree with you," he concluded. "Spurs will go further, if I use my head [over my heart]."

Tottenham's attacking options should take a further boost very soon with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison set to return to action following their injury layoffs. As Spurs have aspirations of winning the Europa League and also finishing the term strongly in the Premier League, comebacks for both forwards will certainly be timely for Ange Postecoglou.

The boss also has Mathys Tel as a further attacking option following the Frenchman's January loan move from Bayern Munich. Things do now appear to be looking up for Spurs on the injury front after a torrid campaign and things could potentially get a whole lot better very soon.

That additional firepower could potentially make all the difference come May after having to go for such a lengthy period with a real lack of choice in the final third. But what exactly does the summer hold for the current attackers at the club? football.london takes a look below and state whether they will stay, be sold or head out on loan in the 2025/26 season.

Son Heung-min

Tottenham announced at the beginning of January that they had exercised the option to extend Son Heung-min's contract by a further year until the summer of 2026. Set to turn 33 at the beginning of July, Spurs will have to decide if they want to extend Son's deal even further as they plan for the future.

Tottenham's No.7 may have endured a bit of a quiet season in the Premier League going on his incredibly high standards but he can still have a huge say for the team between now and May. KEEP, BUT DECIDE WHETHER TO EXTEND HIS CONTRACT BEYOND NEXT SEASON.

Richarlison

Injuries have once again proved extremely troublesome for Richarlison this season and he has only made 14 appearances as a result. Prior to his latest calf injury, he did score two goals for Tottenham before going off injured in the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat at Liverpool.

Set to return to action this month, there is unfortunately no guarantee that the Brazilian international will be able to remain fit for the rest of the campaign. After three injury-hit seasons as a Tottenham player, it may be best for Spurs to part with the 27-year-old this summer if there is interest and bring in another option up front. SUMMER EXIT.

Mathys Tel

Tel joined Tottenham on loan on the final day of the January transfer window and the club do have the option to buy him permanently for £45.8million come the summer. It would appear that the Frenchman will be a Spurs player beyond this campaign, though, going on Postecoglou's comments on his attacker at the beginning of February. KEEP.

Timo Werner

Another loan deal that does expire this summer is Timo Werner's. Making an impact on loan from RB Leipzig in the second half of last campaign, the German's second spell at Tottenham has not gone to plan at all.

It's extremely hard to see Spurs wanting to extend his stay beyond the summer. LOAN RETURN.

Dominic Solanke

Signed in a big-money move from Bournemouth in the summer, Solanke has already demonstrated why Postecoglou was so keen to lure him to the capital. He is already integral to the way Tottenham play and he has been a huge miss since the middle of January. KEEP.

Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson currently leads the goalscoring chart for Tottenham this season after netting 14 goals in 35 games. Amid question marks over his performances at times, the 23-year-old has a real knack of scoring on a regular basis for Postecoglou's team.

The Wales international has the potential to become an even better player under the head coach. KEEP.

Wilson Odobert

Wilson Odobert will be hoping his injury woes are behind him after such a frustrating start to life as a Tottenham player. The summer addition has returned to action over the past fortnight and looked extremely sharp in the second half against Manchester City.

Odobert will be keen to show even more between now and May, with hopefully a big season on the cards in 2025/26. KEEP.

Dane Scarlett

Dane Scarlett returned to Tottenham in January after finding himself in and out of the team at Oxford United. Since returning, the academy graduate has one goal and two assists to his name from three appearances.

Regular minutes are going to be hard to come by for Scarlett at Tottenham but he can be a very good third-choice striker for the club and his homegrown status also helps out Spurs. Tottenham will have to decide between Scarlett and Will Lankshear to head out on loan next season, with the other providing cover up front for Spurs. KEEP, IF NOT DEPARTING ON LOAN.

Mikey Moore

Mikey Moore's minutes could be restricted between now and May with Postecoglou currently having more attacking options available to him. However, he's still an excellent option to have on the bench and bring on in the closing stages due to his attributes and fearless nature.

Tottenham fans will be hoping to see a lot more of the 17-year-old next season. KEEP.

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil has enjoyed a good season back in his homeland of Spain with Girona and it could potentially lead to a permanent move come the summer. The winger does not appear to have a future at Spurs and a return back to La Liga looks most likely. SUMMER EXIT.

Yang Min-hyeok

Yang Min-hyeok is now playing his football across the capital after joining QPR on loan for the remainder of the season. The teenager has already demonstrated his huge potential for the Championship side and QPR fans would undoubtedly like him to stay next season as well.

Yang will return to Spurs in the summer and a decision will then be made over what is best for him. If first-team opportunities are going to be limited at Tottenham due to the players ahead of him, another loan may be best for all parties. LOAN, IF NOT PART OF POSTECOGLOU'S FIRST-TEAM PLANS.

Manor Solomon

Manor Solomon has been a standout player in the Championship for Leeds United this season and it may end in the winger helping the West Yorkshire club return to the Premier League. If that is indeed to be the case, Daniel Farke's side will more than likely want to make his loan move permanent.

Even if Leeds don't win promotion, there should be plenty of interest in the Israel international after contributing seven goals and eight assists in 30 games. After such a good season, Postecoglou may want to take a look at Solomon before making a final decision. SUMMER EXIT, IF NOT PART OF POSTECOGLOU'S FIRST-TEAM PLANS.

Alejo Veliz

Alejo Veliz has endured a rather tough campaign for Espanyol after earlier struggling in pre-season for Tottenham. The 21-year-old has found regular starts hard to come by and the goals have not flowed as a result in such an important campaign for him.

Veliz needs to hit the ground running at Tottenham this season if he is to be part of Postecoglou's plans for the 2025/26 campaign. If he fails to do so, Spurs will need to determine whether he heads out on loan again or departs permanently. SUMMER EXIT.

Will Lankshear

As mentioned above, it may be a case of one of Scarlett or Lankshear acting as Tottenham's third-choice striker next season. Lankshear is currently out on loan at West Brom but the January signing of Adam Armstrong has restricted the youngster's minutes in the process.

Given his age and limited first-team appearances, a season-long loan move may be best for all parties when it comes to the 19-year-old's development. LOAN, IF NOT PART OF POSTECOGLOU'S FIRST-TEAM PLANS.

Damola Ajayi

Damola Ajayi announced himself to Tottenham fans in the best way possible with a goal on his first appearance for the club against Elfsborg in the Europa League. We've yet to see the attacker in action for the first team since due to all the players ahead of him in the pecking order.

A loan move would be best for Ajayi next season so he can get more first-team experience in the tank. LOAN.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

AZ Alkmaar are on the agenda for Tottenham on Thursday evening as they return to Europa League action. After securing a top-eight finish in the 36-team league phase table, Ange Postecoglou's side have been drawn to face the Dutch side in the round of 16.

The teams are already familiar with each other after playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in October. Spurs came out on top that day with a 1-0 win courtesy of a Richarlison second-half penalty.

Tottenham crucially have home advantage in the return leg next Thursday and the hope will be that they can take a healthy lead back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they look to go all the way in the competition. But who will Postecoglou name in his Spurs XI to take on AZ this week at AFAS Stadion? Our Spurs writers at football.london have made their team selections below:

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

It can never be all good news in the world of Tottenham Hotspur and with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke all in full training, so comes the sight of Dejan Kulusevski in a protective boot after a foot injury that we'll find out more about from Postecoglou on Wednesday at his press conference.

Van de Ven and Solanke have only just returned to training but Romero returned to training last week, which suggests he should be in a better position to play. Postecoglou will be wary of the mess that came from putting Romero and Van de Ven straight back in against Chelsea, but there could be a case for playing one in each half on this occasion to increase their fitness and sharpness with Bournemouth coming to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Kulusevski is a big miss but the Swede also needed a rest and it comes at time when Postecoglou finally has plenty of options in midfield and on the wings and he could even give Mathys Tel a rest with the teenager having played a run of matches after very little football this season before joining Spurs.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Danso, Spence; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Son, Odobert.

Rob Guest - Football writer

Ange Postecoglou's squad could potentially be boosted by the return of some key first-team players in Alkmaar. Speaking prior to last week's game against Manchester City, the Spurs boss indicated that Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke are "all tracking really well" and it could be in the "next seven to 10 days" when they return.

If they are indeed in a position to make the matchday squad, those returning should start on the bench rather than throwing them straight in at the deep end. One player who needs to come into the side is Djed Spence after taking his place on the substitutes' bench against City.

As Pedro Porro was recently given a breather against Ipswich, it makes sense for Destiny Udogie to drop out and Spence plays from the left in what will be his first Europa League appearance of the season. Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison could be Postecoglou's midfield trio of choice, with Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Son Heung-min selected in the front three.

Odobert delivered a promising showing against Manchester City and he may well get the nod again but this time from the right flank.

Guest's team: Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall, Maddison; Odobert, Tel, Son.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Dejan Kulusevski has shared an update on social media after the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder injured his foot - and that looks set to rule him out of the Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night.

The Sweden international did not start for Spurs in their last Premier League outing against Manchester City, but did come off their subs bench midway through the second half of their 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Prior to that game, Kulusevski had played every minute of their first five matches in February.

Dropping down to the bench brought an end to a run of 11 consecutive league games where he'd completed 90 minutes, stretching back to mid-December.

However, reports from The Mail claimed Kulusevski was due to have tests to determine the extent of his foot injury, with the Swede now sharing an update on his Instagram.

In the picture, the Spurs man can be seen with his left foot in a protective boot, in an apparent blow to Ange Postecoglou's preparations for the match. Spurs have had torrid luck with injuries this season and the injury to Kulusevski is the latest blow.

It's worth noting, though, the extent of his injury is still unclear - with The Mail report claiming the 24-year-old would also miss this weekend's Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth and would not return before the international break.

Kulusevski has been a major player for Postecoglou amidst their injury-plagued campaign, playing 42 times in all competitions, notching 10 goals and 10 assists.

The Spurs manager will no doubt be asked about the club's injury situation in the Netherlands tomorrow - during his pre-match press conference - with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison closing in on a return.

Tottenham Hotspur will go up against a familiar face when they take on AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night. Ex-Spurs wonderkid Troy Parrott has enjoyed a brilliant start to life in the Netherlands, scoring 12 goals in just 24 Eredivisie appearances since his move last summer.

The Republic of Ireland international came through the youth set-up in north London, but wasn't able to force his way into the Spurs starting line-up on a regular basis. Despite being highly rated in the youth set-up, Parrott made just four appearances in all competitions for the first-team - enjoying a number of loan spells elsewhere.

Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End were the clubs he spent time with in England - before a season-long loan with Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam. Parrott scored 17 goals, including two hat-tricks in the relegation play-offs and was unable to save the club from relegation, but caught the eye of a number of teams during that spell.

AZ Alkmaar were the quickest club to pounce, agreeing a reported £6.7million deal with Spurs for his services last summer - therefore bringing an end to his spell in north London. Spurs negotiated a 20 per cent sell-on clause into the transfer deal and could soon reap the rewards with Parrott setting the Eredivisie alight this season.

The 23-year-old has 17 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions, including four in the Europa League ahead of his reunion with Spurs later this week. Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart has been impressed by what he's seen of Parrott: "I think he's going to be a very big player. I don't know what it is. I saw him at Excelsior, but then it was more on the counter.

"Now he's a good, footballing striker, who actually has everything. He just has to develop the killing a bit. He can perhaps play football a little too well to be a killer. Then you start wandering a bit and that costs strength. In the final phase you lack some strength to score. I really think he's a gem."

Ange Postecoglou was also pleased to see his former striker doing well, speaking earlier this season he said: "It is good to see Troy doing so well, I think he had a great loan spell in the Dutch League last year. He is looking like he started his AZ career in positive fashion too so it is great.

"In terms of getting a chance, sometimes in football it is just about timing. We have a striker here, mate [Solanke], who was at Chelsea and Liverpool early in his career and he has done alright since. There is a pathway forward for everybody."

Unfortunately for Parrott, though, that pathway wasn't at Spurs despite hope he could follow in the footsteps of Harry Kane and forge a career in the first-team.

Former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was always keen to temper expectations when it came to Parrott, but the Portuguese did give him a number of opportunities to impress.

"This is a world where lots of people, they don't even know if Troy has long hair or short hair," Mourinho said when asked about fans calling for Parrott to play. "Or is blonde or is dark. They don't even know that and speak about: Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy, he should play. There was a guy behind me on the bench the other day; 'Play Troy, play Troy'. I don't think he knows Troy."

Mourinho did hand Parrott minutes in the game that day against Wolves before sending him back to play for the U23s in a goal-scoring return with a message.

"I was so happy with the way he performed and I'm not speaking about the goal that he scored," the then Spurs boss explained. "I told him before the game, every time you play with the kids of your age, you have to show your colleagues why you are the privileged one.

"Why you are training in the first-team every day and some of them are not, they are still in the group age. Because it was something that he was not doing. Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, 'I shouldn't be here' or 'I am too good to be here' or 'It's not here that I want to play'. And this is an educational process that comes. I have no problem to say because I know that he will confirm - I had exactly the same words with Scott McTominay.

"This is the way you work with kids and if, in these generations, kids, they have things too easy in life, I think it's part of the education to also see the other side. So I think Troy will come even stronger and stronger when everything happens step by step. And not immediately, because he is not ready for immediately. So it is a process."

However, Parrott acknowledged earlier this season that he needed to change his game, learning the most during his spell with Excelsior.

Parrott said - in an interview with Sky Sports - that he simply needed to be in front of goal as much as possible. He said: "The thing that helped me the most last season was that I realised I was a striker who needed to be in the box. On a couple of the loans I had, I tried to show my ability to come deep and link play.

"A lot of the time, I was too far away from the goal to score.

"I worked a lot with the coach at Excelsior on just being in the box, being there when the ball is getting crossed. I think for me that was the biggest thing, just drilling that into my own head that ultimately you're a striker and you need to be in the box to score goals."

Spurs will be hoping their former academy talent doesn't come back to haunt him over two legs.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly leading the race to sign highly-rated Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Despite Southampton's struggles this season, 19-year-old Dibling has impressed in his debut campaign in the Premier League. In his 28 appearances in all competitions, he has scored four times, and provided two assists.

His influence has, however, dried up slightly since the appointment of Ivan Juric as the club's manager, with him dropping to the subs bench for three of the last four games. But that still hasn't stopped him being linked with a summer move.

While Southampton are expected to go down at the end of the season - and the Saints have just nine points from their 27 games so far - It seems likely that Dibling will remain in the top-flight beyond the current campaign.

According to talkSPORT Spurs believe that they are "leading the race" for the teenager with Newcastle United and Aston Villa two other teams also showing an interest.

Southampton are thought to want a fee of more that £50million, though the player's contract situation could see that reduced. Dibling's current deal runs until 2026, with him said to be 'unhappy' about the new deal that is being offered by the club.

Spurs could be handed another advantage in the race with Villa should the latter completed an agreed £40million permanent deal for Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. Rashford has impressed on loan at Villa so far and that outlay could mean Villa take a step away from another big-money transfer - with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs) in mind - not to mention both players operating in a similar area.

Should Spurs make a move, then it will see them repeat a transfer trick that they have used in the last two summer transfer windows. Both last summer and the season before saw Spurs sign a player from one of the three relegated clubs.

James Maddison joined from Leicester City for a fee of around £40million in the summer of 2023 - and last summer also saw Spurs complete the signing of Wilson Odobert from Burnley for a fee of around £25-million.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Dejan Kulusevski is said to be out for Tottenham Hotspur 's Europa League round of 16 first leg against AZ in Alkmaar due to a foot injury.

Kulusevski did not start for Spurs in their last Premier League match against Manchester City but did feature as a substitute midway through the second half of their 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Sweden international had, before that rest, played every minute of their first five matches in February.

Dropping down to the bench ended a streak of 11 consecutive league games that Kulusevski both started and finished, stretching back to mid-December. However, he now seems set to miss a first match for club or country since January last year.

The Mail reports that the midfielder is having tests to determine the extent of his foot injury. But it is claimed Kulusevski seems sure to miss the AZ match and the weekend's game against Bournemouth.

The publication also acknowledges the possibility he will not play again before the upcoming international break. If so, Kulusevski would be absent for the round of 16 second leg and a visit to Craven Cottage for a fixture against Fulham.

After that, a month from now, Chelsea host Spurs at Stamford Bridge in the latter's second straight match in Fulham. However, any extended absence of Kulusevski could coincide with the possible returns of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison.

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou said in mid-February there was an expectation that the two forwards could be ready in three weeks. If that is still the timeline, they may be in contention to play against the Cherries this weekend.

Things just did not fall Mathys Tel's way in Tottenham's 1-0 defeat against Manchester City last Wednesday. Starting up front in Ange Postecoglou's side, the Frenchman was limited to only 13 touches of the ball in his 66 minutes on the pitch.

Eleven of those touches came in the first half, with the player only making contact with the ball twice after the break at a time when the hosts had started to really up the pressure on the reigning champions. Brought to Tottenham to give them a boost in the final third whether playing through the middle or from the wing, the 19-year-old could not make a difference in the 18-yard box after only having two touches of the ball in City's area.

It really was a frustrating game for the player, four days on from a similar showing in the big 4-1 win away at Ipswich Town. At a time when fellow January arrival Kevin Danso has immediately found his stride in the Premier League, Tel is taking a bit longer to adapt.

That is not a surprise, however, given he is 19 years of age, the fact he has moved to a brand new country and also the pace and intensity of the Premier League. Danso, in comparison, spent much of his childhood in the UK and he already has some Premier League experience under his belt following a loan spell with Southampton in the 2019/20 season.

Ahead of the Manchester City fixture, Postecoglou spoke to the media about Tel's start to his Tottenham career and outlined that "he's got so much growth in him".

"I don’t think he’s going to be that kind of striker, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a really good central striker, there are different types," explained the 59-year-old. "With Mathys, and I’m not on social media but I can just imagine the comments about him, he’s 19-years-old, he hadn’t played a lot, we’ve thrown him in and kept him in there because I want to build up his fitness.

"But if anyone is expecting him to come in as a 19-year-old and take the Premier League by storm by scoring multiple goals, it’s not realistic. It just can’t happen. What we’re trying to do is work with him. He needs to get his physical fitness up because he hasn’t played a lot of football.

"At 19, I see really outstanding attributes in him that I think he could be a really good number nine, he can play wide as well, but he’s not going to be a Dom [Solanke] or a [Liam] Delap, he’s a different type. Looking at him in training, his movements are becoming a bit more fluent, he’s getting used to the way we play. He’s getting used to the level of competition.

"What I do love about him is that he’s a hard worker. You watch him in games, he’s closing people down, he’s doing the things we need him to do at the moment to help us. He may not be getting the goals and the accolades, but he’s certainly contributing to the way we want to play. That’s the most important thing. He’s got so much growth in him and I’m sure we’ll see that."

What is perhaps going to help Tel prior to the first international break of 2025 is that Tottenham have two Europa League games on the agenda against AZ Alkmaar. The first leg of the round of 16 tie takes place this Thursday at AFAS Stadion, with the return leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the calendar for Thursday, March 13.

Tottenham do look set to get an attacking boost very soon with Solanke and Richarlison set to make their comeback from their respective injuries at some point this month. However, Tel will be leading the race to start in Alkmaar on Thursday and the hope will be that he can add to his solitary Tottenham goal.

At a time when he is trying to get the grips with life in the Premier League, the Europa League could suit him down to the ground and see him excel up front in the process. After all, coming up against European opposition is perhaps a similar style of football and pace to what he has previously experienced in France and Germany for Rennes and Bayern Munich respectively.

That could possibly result in everyone seeing a different side to Tel because it may take a while to see him fully adapt to the Premier League. As Solanke and Richarlison could be back on the pitch very soon, the AZ fixture may have come at the ideal time for the Frenchman as he looks to keep his place in the Tottenham XI once Postecoglou has his full complement of players back.

Tel is going to be a key player for Tottenham on Thursday evening as they look to seize the initiative and take control of the tie heading into next week's return leg. Not seeing much come off in a Spurs shirt so far, Thursday night in the Netherlands may be the start of things to come for him at Tottenham.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham have some real quality in the full-back positions in Ange Postecoglou's team. Seeing Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie flourish in his eye-catching attacking system last campaign, Djed Spence is now doing likewise in the 2024/25 season after previously spending time away from N17 on loan.

In such a mixed year for the club with the team currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table but with Spurs still having an eye on Europa League glory come May, Spence has been one of the success stories of the term for Tottenham. All three players are very exciting moving upfield and they could well play a big role in the remaining months of the season as they look to finish the campaign on a high.

But what exactly could the 2025/26 season have in store for Tottenham's full-backs? football.london takes a look below and state whether they should stay, leave or depart on loan.

Djed Spence

Spence has enjoyed quite the redemption story at Tottenham. Not getting a chance under Tottenham's previous managers, the full-back is now a regular for Postecoglou after seizing his opportunity in the first team.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee is practically an undroppable for Spurs right now and his outstanding form could possibly result in a first England call-up later this month. Although the 24-year-old is a right-back by trade, the vast majority of his football for Spurs has come on the opposite side of the pitch and he now looks completely at home as a left-back.

It's going to be fascinating to see how the battle for Tottenham's right-back and left-back spot develops over the course of this season and beyond due to Spence's form and versatility. KEEP.

Pedro Porro

It would now appear that Porro has some serious competition for his place in the team with Spence wowing under Postecoglou. In a season where the Lilywhites have had a host of injury issues, the Spaniard has been a constant for the team and played 38 games in all competitions.

This could well be his most productive season in a Tottenham shirt to date as he has matched his seven assists from last term but he does need to better his current goal tally of two as he netted four times in 2023/24. KEEP.

Destiny Udogie

Previously an undroppable in Postecoglou's team, Udogie's role in the Tottenham side does not look as secure now because of Spence's form. A hamstring injury limited his football in the opening couple of months of 2025 but he is fully fit once again and back in the Tottenham team.

Hopefully his return to action can see him hit the heights for Spurs again as he can be a influential player for them with his runs from his left-back berth. KEEP.

Sergio Reguilon

It appeared that Sergio Reguilon would not play a part in Postecoglou's plans this season but the amount of injuries the team have suffered resulted in the Spaniard coming back into the fold. The ex-Real Madrid player looked a certainty to leave in the summer but a move away never came to fruition, with Spurs then not in a position to let him go in January due to lack of available defenders.

Reguilon has been a regular in the squad since December, making five appearances in total for Tottenham. However, his place on the bench may soon come to an end as Tottenham are waiting on Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies to return to fitness.

Going on the players who are to return and those who have just made their comeback, the 28-year-old may have played his final game for Tottenham. He is out of contract at the end of the season and he should have his pick of the clubs given he will be available on a free transfer. SUMMER EXIT.

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