Football.London

A place in the Carabao Cup final is up for grabs when Tottenham take on Liverpool on Thursday evening. Ange Postecoglou's side travel to Merseyside holding a one-goal lead after Lucas Bergvall's late winner in the first leg at the beginning of January.

It is only a slender lead but it could prove vital in the context of the semi-final tie. Tottenham will certainly head to Anfield in confident mood after recording a much-needed Premier League win at Brentford last Sunday.

Liverpool themselves were also victorious last weekend after leaving Bournemouth with all three points following a 2-0 win on the south coast. The Reds have only lost once at home in all competitions this season, with that coming against high-flying Nottingham Forest back in September.

Postecoglou could potentially hand Tottenham debuts to new signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel following their moves from Lens and Bayern Munich respectively. So could we see any changes to the Spurs XI the Australian fielded at Brentford? football.london takes a look at possible alterations below:

Kevin Danso for Archie Gray/Ben Davies

Danso could potentially come straight into the team for his Tottenham debut after joining from Ligue 1 outfit Lens on Sunday. Postecoglou has already revealed that the Austrian is in a position to play but Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are not as they work their way back to full fitness.

As Archie Gray has started every game for Tottenham since the draw against Rangers in the Europa League, the youngster is in need of a breather at some point and it may arrive this week. Gray will be the favourite to drop out if Danso comes straight in, unless of course Postecoglou wants to keep the former Leeds man in the team and that sees Ben Davies miss out in the process.

Mathys Tel for Mikey Moore

Mikey Moore started at Brentford on Sunday but you would imagine he drops out of the team and is an option off the bench at Anfield. All eyes will be on the teamsheet come 7pm to see if Tel is handed his Spurs bow on Merseyside.

Postecoglou has demonstrated during his time at Tottenham that he will throw players in at the deep end, with Danso and Tel possibly the next two players set to benefit from his thinking. Tel mainly plays from the left-wing but he does have experience of playing on the right and as a striker.

If he is to start, his first Tottenham minutes could come from the right flank. One other option available to Postecoglou is for Kulusevski to move from his midfield berth to right-wing, thus allowing the boss to bring in an extra midfielder if he plans to start with Tel on the bench.

Lucas Bergvall/Pape Matar Sarr for Yves Bissouma

Postecoglou has plenty of choice when it comes to his midfield to take on Liverpool. Bergvall will be itching to start again after taking his place on the bench at Brentford, while Pape Matar Sarr has made his case to start after his goal in the closing stages of the match in west London.

If the boss does want to bring one of the duo into his team then Yves Bissouma could possibly be at risk unless Moore makes way and Kulusevski plays from the right rather than Tel. As it is such an important game in Tottenham's season, Postecoglou must decide on his best midfield formula as Liverpool will really test them in the middle of the park.

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

Ange Postecoglou has declared that Mathys Tel will be a Tottenham player beyond his loan spell from Bayern Munich and that he "didn't bring him here for six months".

Spurs made a transfer deadline day swoop for the 19-year-old attacker, with a long conversation with Postecoglou proving key in getting the deal over the line after the Frenchman asked for more time the previous week to think about the move. Tottenham eventually secured Tel on loan from the Bundesliga side with a £45.8million option to sign the teenager permanently in the summer.

German media reported that Tel had an option to veto any option if he wanted, but in the latest episode of the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast on Wednesday morning, football.london reported that the north London club were certain that the youngster would become a Spurs player if they took up the option at the end of the season and he had already agreed to a long-term deal.

Postecoglou confirmed that later in the day without leaving any room for doubt when asked about the option.

"He'll be a Tottenham player, mate. He'll be a Tottenham player. I think he'll show everyone he's going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn't bring him here for six months," he said.

The Spurs head coach then explained exactly what his conversations with Tel consisted of during the late attempts to bring him to north London.

"It was sort of an exchange - conversation, messages - that lasted a couple of hours and I felt that if I kept him on the phone long enough, I would wear him down. He was falling asleep by the end," he joked. "I got a sense pretty early on that there was a connection there and he was hearing what he wanted to hear. It is a big decision. He is a 19-year-old man at a fantastic football club.

"They would have been quite happy to keep him there I am sure, but he also knew he needed to play. But not just play, play where he is going to develop. I think it is a credit to him that rather than just jump at what came at him, he was very thorough in the way he made his decision."

Stars like Harry Kane and Thierry Henry, as well as current England boss and Tel's former Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel have all spoken about how big a player the teenager could become on the world stage.

"Obviously, my opinion is worthless when you’re talking about all these other guys! Their opinion weighs far greater, but that’s the reason I’ve signed him. I think he is very, very exciting," said Postecoglou. "When you meet him you realise he's got that bit about him as a person who has enormous self-belief and confidence in what he can do and what he wants to do. Even though he’s young, physically he’s already in a place where he can take on the enormous challenges of being an attacking player in the Bundesliga and I think he can handle the Premier League.

"He’s a goal-scorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed. He is exciting. I’d be very surprised if there was a club that wouldn’t be interested in somebody like him. Irrespective of the situation we’re in, us being able to get him in and the circumstances behind it, is fantastic for the football club."

Numerous Tottenham players have spoken about Postecoglou's chat with them being the deciding factor in their move with the Australian convincing James Maddison to join Spurs rather than Newcastle, Lucas Bergvall to spurn Barcelona and Radu Dragusin to turn down Bayern among many tempted to N17 by the 59-year-old.

So what exactly is so persuasive about the Australian's phone manner? He admitted that his conversations are not always a success and that January brought a couple of misses when he did not connect with transfer targets.

"I think there is something to be said for honesty and integrity, and as much as actions speak louder than words, I think I’ve got a pretty compelling story to tell," he said. "When I speak to players, I’m not trying to sell anything that there isn’t plenty of evidence for. I think for most players, that’s where they get comfort more than anything else.

"I don’t think it’s smooth-talking, or selling, I think there’s a real good story here which I really believe in. I speak from a real strong conviction that what I’m saying will come to fruition. I really believe that. I don’t think I need to do anything special."

He also admitted: "You’re hearing the success stories. There are plenty of people where it hasn’t worked out. Plenty. There’s been a couple in this window. You know straight away that there is a disconnect and it’s not going to work. What I’m saying and the questions they’re asking, we’re on a different page.

"And that's not a criticism. People look for different things. You're looking for something that resonates. I definitely don't have a 100 per cent hit rate, that's for sure, but I think that’s part of it as well. I get comfort from that too, when I walk away and think 'Jesus, he's a good player but I don’t think it’s going to be a good fit'. It's not going to be a good fit for him, it's not going to be a good fit for us, so it works out well either way."

So what are the red flags when he's talking to a prospective signing and would he name any of the players he didn't connect with?

"You will have to wait for my book!" he responded. "There are red flags, there are. Like I said, it is because I am 59-years-old and we spoke about knowledge before. With age comes wisdom, which is much more powerful than knowledge. You get a sense of these things. Get a sense of people.

"I think I am a pretty good judge of a person. To contextualise that, not a good or bad person, but will the person fit what I am trying to do. That is the main thing for me. There are fantastic footballers, fantastic people who are maybe not the right fit. I am not the right kind of manager for them. You have got to accept that. It is not a judgement call on a value basis.

"Does their personality fit, does their character, where they are in their careers. What kind of questions are they asking? You get a sense of what they say where they are in their careers, and you go 'that marries up with what we are trying to do here'.

"There are red flags, and I think it is important that there are because the last thing I want to do is bring a player here who is not a good fit. It is not good for me and it is not good for the player either. They have got a big decision to make and they need to know what they are walking into and I try to paint as clear a picture as possible what they are coming into.

"There have been times when players have said 'that is not for me'. I respect that. I would rather have that than agree and everyone is happy and the worst thing you can do is have got a great contract and great money and you are not happy and you realise that is not the important thing."

Postecoglou explained that he is not utilised to speak with every player that crosses Tottenham's radar.

"I don’t like having conversations unless I think there’s a real interest there from both sides. It ends up a waste of my time," he said. "Unless we’re really convinced about someone and we feel like there is some sort of interest coming the other way, then I’m not going to get involved in it.

"I don’t really get involved until everything else has been sorted out around financials and that kind of stuff and I know, OK, this is the final box we need to tick, and they’ll kind of wheel me out then."

Spurs' final moves of the transfer window brought two different age profiles in the teenage Tel and the 26-year-old centre-back Kevin Danso from Lens on a loan with an obligation to buy for £20.9million. Postecoglou was asked whether he had to be convinced about signing so many young players with Danso, Dominic Solanke and 21-year-old Antonin Kinsky the only players over the age of 19 brought to the club in the past 12 months.

"I've been a big driver of it. I feel when I took over we needed to rebuild a squad. This wasn’t tinkering around the edges, I’ve said that all along," explained the Australian. "If you’re going to do that invariably you’ve got to go young and allow them to develop together. We had some experience here which has helped and signing Dom was an important part of that. Kevin to an extent because he’s a little bit more experienced.

"Again, that doesn’t mean I’ll see the fruits of that labour. That’s the nature of it, but I’ll always makes decisions I feel are best for the football club and to bring success, that’s the way I’ve worked. All these decisions, I’m as much a driver of as the club. No-one has been thrust upon me who I don’t think is going to fit."

That in itself is surely a sign of some security within his job for the Tottenham head coach?

"I'm not interested in security. It doesn’t exist in the modern game no matter what anyone tells me. Somebody can say 'hey Ange we're right behind you' and then you know.... I mean I've lost him (points to one reporter). I'm down to Ali and that's about it. We're ok, we're solid yeah?" he turned and asked of football.london, prompting a jokingly half-hearted "yeah...." in response which drew a worried exhale of air and laugh from the Australian.

He continued: "I know it’s not the real world. Ultimately, the real world exists around if I keep getting results then I’ll be OK and if I’m not then the inevitable pressure that’s been on me for what feels like the last three or four months will still be there. There’s no guarantees about anything but I don’t care about that.

"Being a manager especially in today’s world you can feel so isolated and so vulnerable, and I don’t feel that. I feel like the playing group is rock solid, the staff are rock solid, I feel supported and that’s all I can ask for. Where that takes us, time will tell. I firmly believe it will take us to success, but there’s no guarantees and I understand that."

Postecoglou would love to call upon Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to help him on that road to success but both of his key centre-backs are struggling to regain confidence in their bodies after picking up injuries on their returns to action in December against Chelsea.

It is reminiscent somewhat of the way Richarlison took longer than expected to return and Spurs and Postecoglou were ultra-cautious about him coming back into the team. At one point the Spurs boss told the media to stop asking about the Brazilian because there was no set timeframe and he admitted understanding the feeling from the outside that it was dragging on with the centre-backs' returns.

"It probably does [feel that way], it’s probably why I get asked about it on a weekly basis and I understand it, they’re two significant players, but I think whenever a player is out for a significant amount of time and gets reinjured, then you err on the side of being cautious," he said.

"We could take risks with both of them, for sure. Football is funny, they may be able to get through 70-80 minutes, but the fact that there is a risk there and with everything we’re dealing with at the moment, I don’t see the sense in pushing that through. They’re different cases, of course, but they’re both so invaluable to us that I guess the one thing I’m looking at is that when we bring them back, I want them to stay back, because we can’t afford to have another player in that position having a setback after losing Radu.

"What we’ve done with Richy has worked really well for us, this time. The first time he came back, he got reinjured. He’s playing more than I want him to at the moment, which is not great, but he looks strong, he feels a lot better. He was convinced when he came back that he was ready to go. I guess I need to get to that space with Micky and Cristian where they feel like, ‘Yeah I’m ready for the Premier League and whatever else we need to tackle’."

One player who has looked sharp in recent games is captain Son Heung-min and the long-serving South Korean star is desperate to bring a trophy to the club. He will have extra determination to take Spurs into a final if they can avoid defeat at Liverpool in Thursday night's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

"Sonny’s been outstanding for us. I’ve said before with Sonny, the extremes we’ve had to put on him this year, it’d be tough for anyone to carry the load he has both from a physical perspective, a mental perspective," said Postecoglou. "I think he was unbelievable against Brentford at the weekend but that’s because he only played 45 minutes on Thursday night.

"Now we haven’t been able to do that. If we had the opportunity to give him the rest he needs to be at his best I think we would have seen it, but I think he’s got a real clear focus in his eye that he senses an opportunity for us as a football club, not just for himself, to have success this year.

"Ben Davies is another one who’s really stepped up in recent times. Two guys who have been at this club for a long time and understand what success will do for this club. Not just for them personally, which should be a drive, because for Sonny everything he’s done for the club it would be more than fitting for him to get some trophies to add to what already is his status at this club. Both of them realise what it means for the club, more importantly, and he’s going to be a part of us hopefully having success."

He added: "All these experiences, I think it depends how you use them. They give you perspective, they give you understanding, they give you learnings. You can be at both ends of the spectrum where you’ve tried and you’ve failed but that’s allowed you to grow, or you can be at the other end where you’ve never failed and don’t know what that looks like, so you just go sort of blindly into anything you’re doing.

"It’s a balance of both. I don’t sense with Sonny in particular or with Ben that there’s any burden on them or they feel like we’re going to fall short or there’s something missing. They’re as optimistic as anyone. And for the other guys, whatever this club’s been through over the last 14 or 15 years trying to get a trophy, they’ve not been part of it so don’t need to feel burdened. They can just go out there and try and change that."

Postecoglou knows that a big performance and a positive result at Anfield to take Tottenham to Wembley would be a huge moment in Spurs' season.

"There’s no hiding it, it would be massive. We’ve had to beat both Manchester clubs to get to this point, we’ve had beat Liverpool to be in this position now," he said. "To get to a final, it’s going to be hard-earned. Going to Anfield, the way they’re going this year, they’ve been an unbelievable team, they’re so consistent, they’re the most settled, injury-free team in the whole league.

"Apart from us, they’re the only ones in all the competitions, still having a crack at all the competitions. All those ingredients, if we manage to overcome that and get to a final, it would be massive.

"Massive for where we’re at, massive for our future. I’m sure it will accelerate the growth of our players and the belief in what we’re trying to do. In that context, it’s a massive night for us, but I think we’ve earned the right to be in this position, even though it’s been a real, difficult season for us. We’ve earned the right to make a big impact."

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

It took until February for Tottenham Hotspur to finally sign an outfield player during the winter transfer window, as four weeks separated their first and second signings of the year, with Antonin Kinsky and Kevin Danso joining almost a month apart.

Less than 48 hours after doubling their recruits, Mathys Tel made it three on deadline day. Spurs announced the player's arrival on loan 10 minutes after the 11pm deadline passed.

All three are available to play against Liverpool in the second leg of Tottenham's League Cup semi-final, with Kinsky debuting during the first leg. However, the goalkeeper was not the only fresh face in the squad for that game in early January.

Mikey Moore notably returned to the substitutes bench for that match, two months after his last involvement in a matchday squad. A virus kept the 17-year-old sidelined for the rest of November and December.

After that return to the squad, Moore started the FA Cup third-round tie away to Tamworth, playing two-thirds of the game before being replaced by Dominic Solanke. Then he was back on the bench and an unused substitute for the midweek north London derby three days later.

However, that is the last time Moore has not featured in a Spurs game. He came on for Pape Matar Sarr at Goodison Park midway through the second half against Everton, soon after which Dejan Kulusevski scored, and the teenager then assisted Richarlison 's goal in added time.

Moore made a similar impact as a substitute away to Hoffenheim in the Europa League, this time replacing Richarlison and setting up Son Heung-Min for what proved to be the winner. The winger was less effective after again replacing the Brazilian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the visit of Leicester City but scored in the first start since his comeback versus Elfsborg.

During that final league phase game, Moore played 90 minutes for the first time in almost five months, allowing him to score deep into added time. As a result, Ange Postecoglou rewarded the teenager with a Premier League start away at Brentford before hooking him at half-time for Lucas Bergvall.

Axel Disasi will be unable to feature in Aston Villa's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night due to playing in the competition already this season for Chelsea.

The 26-year-old completed a loan move to Villa Park on Monday, signing with Unai Emery's side until the end of the season after rejecting interest from Spurs. But the Frenchman will be unable to debut for his new club this weekend when Villa welcome Ange Postecoglou's side to Villa Park.

FA Cup rules state that players cannot play for two different teams in the competition during the same season, with Disasi featuring for his parent club, Chelsea, in their 5-0 win over League Two outfit Morecambe. France international Disasi, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023, has made just six appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea in the first half of the campaign after falling down the pecking order under new manager Enzo Maresca.

The defender's mid-season arrival at Villa Park followed that of Donyell Malen, Andres Garcia, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. Villa have an option to make Rashford’s stay permanent in the summer for £40m, while PSG are thought to be open to extending Asensio’s loan into next season.

Villa are currently 8th in the Premier League and have secured their place in the last sixteen of the Champions League.

Ange Postecoglou held his press conference on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's trip to Liverpool for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg and we've got every single word he said.

Spurs will take to the pitch at Anfield with a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg and a couple more players in the shape of new signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso. Postecoglou spoke about both players' chances of playing in the game and discussed how the Tel move happened with his key part in convincing the 19-year-old Frenchman to come from Bayern Munich, with the option this summer to make the switch a more permanent one.

Postecoglou also provided updates on the fitness of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero and spoke about the club's January transfer window exploits.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Here is the full transcript from the press conference.

What's the latest team news?

In terms of availability from last week, everyone is fine and got through okay. So no issues there. Kevin [Danso] and Mathys [Tel] are both available. They have trained and are cleared to play so they are all good.

The rest of them, no one is available tomorrow. With Micky, and Romero to a certain extent, I kind of feel we have to be a bit more conservative with them. Micky got through the game alright but I don’t think he feels ready for that step up to the Premier League, the intensity of it. Same with Romero.

After losing Radu for the rest of the season, which is really disappointing for him and for us, my view is and I made the decision that I don’t want to risk losing these guys. We are going to keep them ticking over in training and try to make sure they are absolutely ready without any more setbacks. The other guys are inching closer as well but similar sort of mindset with them.

Will Kevin Danso play tomorrow? Do Gray and Dragusin need a rest?

He will play. Whether he starts or not we will take a look because we have another game three days later and that has been our existence for quite a while now. You are right, Ben (Davies), Archie, Pedro (Porro) has played every minute of football we have had for the last three months, but the boys are handling it okay and the performances are still stacking up.

It’s great to get Kevin in. He is ready to play. Whether he starts or he comes on we will make a decision. It’s really important he is part of it now because losing Radu was a massive blow so having him available is good.

You had to convince Mathys Tel to join after he seemed to reject the club beforehand?

It’s a simplistic way of looking at it. People need to understand that you are talking about a 19yo player who has to make a major decision about his career. It’s not so much that he rejected us or anyone else. Rightly so he was getting as much information as possible. More than anything I think he just wanted to be comfortable with the decision. The sense I get was he didn’t want to be pushed in a certain direction. I think it is credit to him that he took his time and spoke to the right people.

I had a conversation with him and mine was purely about football. I think he will find a really great place for him in terms of where he is in his career. He obviously wants to play and we have already shown that irrespective of age you will get an opportunity here. And I think the way we play would suit him and certainly with what we have in the next few months and more importantly what we are building beyond I thought it would be a perfect fit for his next step. At the same time I think it was right to take as long as he did and he was totally comfortable with it.

Are you 100% convinced Tel wants to be here?

You'll be fully aware that there have long been frustrations over the trophy drought?

I hadn't noticed mate.

How do you get the players to play the game not the occasion?

Yes, you got to do both. It is a big occasion for us, the club and the fans. It's a semi-final. Irrespective, I don't think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us for the fixture of a semi-final, a second leg, it is tight and a big game for both clubs. You recognise that, embrace that but ultimately you want to be successful then these are the games you want to be involved in. There is no point in having trepidation about it because the alternative is you will be watching two other teams on the TV and you would be sitting on the couch wishing you were there. We are going to be there and we've got a chance and we will go for it.

Did you feel you needed one more defender?

Yes, well, no. I don't think so - but to a certain extent [we might be short]. Look, losing Radu was a blow. He has been good for us for a period of time, played every game, still only 22 as a centre-back. You know, us getting Kevin in will be a great solution for us, with Radu and Ben and the other guys coming back, but losing Radu put us in a position where we maybe looked at signing someone else, knowing we have some significant return in the coming weeks like Destiny, Romero, Micky and all these guys.

Again, it had to be the right fit and I didn't think there was a right fit for us out there to be honest. Bringing three players in January is probably the maximum you need to do and, given our injury situation, it would probably be less than that. But with our three, I am really happy that they are the right players and right fit with our football. I think it has been a positive window.

You said you wanted to bring everyone together, do these transfers show the club is at least behind you?

I said before that I felt it hasn't been. I have felt all along that everyone in the football club is supportive of what we are trying to achieve and the direction we're on. That hasn't changed. Look, it wasn't an easy window for us or anyone. I think maybe a couple of clubs may feel, we got what we want done, but it was tricky. I said at the start that Europe has complicated it with the new format, all sorts of challenges, and a lot of us were looking for similar players like centre-backs or attacking players. it was a tricky market. Ideally, we would have wanted things done early but we got what we needed to get done and that has given us a platform to push on.

Can you tell us that Danso and Tel were long-term targets and not reactionary?

I don't think we'd be signing 21-year-olds and 19-year-olds reactively. If it was reactive we'd be signing 35-year-olds. So the nature of the players signed shows they're not just about now, they're about us continuing to build. I certainly see Toni, Mathys and Kevin very much part of a short, medium and long-term strategy here, for sure. They're all really good fits for what we're doing.

Is there any frustration at signings coming late in the window? Could they have been done earlier like Kinsky?

But they couldn't be [done any earlier]. That's the thing. That would be me saying, 'You know, the club didn't really care about our situation, they just twiddled their thumbs until the 29th and then went for it'. I know how hard people were working, I don't think people were actively working against me to get what I want done. So no, I wasn't frustrated. Ideally we all wanted things to happen earlier but like a lot of clubs it was a difficult window. January is generally but this one even more so. All you can ask of people, whether it's players, staff or people I work alongside is that they're doing everything in their power to achieve an outcome. If they're doing that, there's no point getting frustrated, you just have to have faith and trust we'll get the thing done.

Last year you went out of both domestic cups early and bemoaned not enough fixtures, this year, are you playing too many?

Jesus, it's amazing. I sit here and I talk and I often wonder when my words leave my mouth and hit someone else's ears if there's a correlation there. Because obviously I didn't bemoan anything. We wanted more games last year because we weren't in Europe. There's a big piece missing in your question there, it wasn't just the [domestic] cups. We've had already eight European games that we didn't have last year. So by its nature -- and of course we've done well in the cups, fantastic for us - it has added to our fixture schedule and like other clubs in our situation -- and there aren't many, there's only a couple - if you've got injuries that hampers you. So I didn't bemoan last year and I'm not saying there's too many this year. It's our situation. Obviously with our injury situation it's made it a hell of a lot more challenging. It is what it is. What it does mean is we're still in four competitions at the moment and I can only see that as a positive for us.

You're 1-0 up going to Anfield in a big game, is the game when you have to tweak things and change your philosophy?

It depends, it's whether you want to pay attention. It depends what you think that philosophy is. My philosophy to try to win games of football. We're going to try to win a game of football tomorrow night, which will get us to the final of a cup, which will be a great opportunity for us.

If people haven’t understood my philosophy after 26 years of management, then nothing I don't think anything I say now is going to change any of that.

With Micky, is it just a fitness thing or is he feeling some discomfort there?

It's a bit of everything. He doesn't feel like... he got through the game no problem, but we had a look at the figures towards the physical [side] you know, he does a lot more training and he got through it OK, but the Premier League's a whole different beast and after losing Radu, I kind of sat down and thought about what we've got ahead of us still, look, don't get me wrong, we've got a couple of massive games this week for sure, but we've also afforded ourselves a couple of weeks, hopefully without midweek fixtures, and beyond that, Europe kicks in, which is massive for us.

Hopefully we're in the final of the Carabao Cup, hopefully we're still in the FA Cup. I just don't see the sense right now in risking that. Having Kevin in is a massive bonus for us, so no he's not, and he hasn't re-injured the injury or anything like that, it's just that I just feel we need to get more into him. I think he feels he needs to get more into him, same with Romero, so it'll just be a wait and see approach.

With Mathys Tel, there's talk back in Germany that maybe he wants to be more of a central striker going forward, where do you envisage him playing the most in your system?

Oh mate, Archie wanted to be a central midfielder, so who knows where Mathys will end up. Look, he's got the attributes to play, I think, as a nine for sure, but he's played wide really successfully as well. That's the beauty of him coming into us, at the moment we're going to need him probably in all of those areas because it's fair to say, as much as we've got issues at the back, we've probably got bigger issues in the front third at the moment, we're missing three wingers and our striker.

I get people are still dismissing the fact that tomorrow night we're still gonna have nine, maybe 10 first team players out of our starting line-up, so having Mathys who can play both wide and central. Richy's doing great for us at the moment, but again he's coming off not playing for a while and we've got to be really careful with him. Sonny's playing all the time, we've got Mikey he's a 17-year-old, we've got Deki who can play in there, so having him we can play either side. I reckon in the short term until we get some numbers back, I think he can fill all three roles.

You've got to decide on your Europa League squad with too many players to fit and you can make three changes, have you decided who is in and who is out?

I’m waiting for your article first, mate. Once you’ve analysed it, assessed it, then I’ll have a deep dive and try to come out with an outcome that satisfies everyone. What we do know is we can make three changes. Obviously Radu is going to be a logical one there and then the rest we have a bit of time. A lot of it will depend between now and then on who we can kind of get back and hopefully we keep everyone healthy.

Probably more a question for Johan Lange or Daniel Levy, but was there a reason why Kevin Danso could not come in sooner and maybe help for Everton or Leicester?

Again it’s a process you need to go through. There were certain other things at play for us and for Kevin to be honest. As much as you try to understand the pressing need, with all these things there has to be an agreement from three parties. We are not the only ones involved. For those three to get aligned and for it to happen really quickly is rare. I mean we got sort of lucky with Toni (Kinsky) because it was their off-season and we could work really quickly there, but most of the other deals got done in the last week. Look, it would have been great to get in Kevin early but I am really pleased to get him in. He’s a great guy and has already endeared himself to the group in terms of the kind of person he is. We still managed to get a couple of key results in the last couple of games, which really helps our season and now with him in there, it gives us a boost.

This is a big match and probably biggest of your Spurs career. Do you change anything for big matches or keep everyone as normal as possible?

No like I said before, I think you need to embrace the challenge in front of you and it’s very easy to say it’s just going to be another game because it’s not. Everyone knows the consequences of it, both us and the opposition. We’re playing away from home and you know certainly their crowd will give them a great deal of energy, which we have to deal with. And it’s a cup game so there is a possibility of extra-time, a possibility of penalties, so all those things are factored into it, so you’re preparation and information is a little bit different and you want to make it into a big game because ultimately you need to understand behaviour in big games and what it means and how you can overcome the challenges. So, (preparation) changes a little bit. The fundamentals of how we play won’t change, but in terms of how we go about it will be a bit different.

Is the win at Manchester City a good blueprint. They started well, you got through, scored and took control?

Yeah, I mean to a certain extent. I think the first game we played against Liverpool here, because it was a tight game and if you can limit the ability of Liverpool to create a lot of chances, which we did on the night and we probably created the better chances. That is more and maybe it is slightly different away from home, but I felt that night we were really controlled in our football, we pressed really well, we really denied them any clear-cut opportunities which is difficult against them and we were always a threat the other way.

We obviously scored but had one millimetres offside with Dom, missed a big chance with Pedro, so that is more of the blueprint we want to take into it, because Liverpool are obviously a different team to Man City. They are different to most other teams, particularly in the way they attack and we’ll have to be on our game in certain aspects, but also understand we have the capability to hurt them as well.

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

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Micky van de Ven will not feature for Tottenham in Thursday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tie against Liverpool. The Dutchman made his return to the Spurs team one week ago at home to Elfsborg and played the first half of the 3-0 win before making way in a pre-planned half-time change.

Despite his comeback, Van de Ven was not part of the Tottenham squad that won at Brentford last Sunday as Archie Gray and Ben Davies started at centre-back. Speaking ahead of the game in west London, Postecoglou revealed that the youngster was not included against the Bees as the club are trying to manage his minutes at present.

Amid plenty of question marks over Van de Ven's injury status going into such an important cup fixture against Liverpool with a place in the Carabao Cup final up for grabs, Postecoglou has provided the latest on the 23-year-old as well as new additions Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

"For availability from last week, everyone fine," outlined Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference. "Kevin and Mathys are both available and have trained. The rest of them, no one available for tomorrow.

"With Micky and Romero to a certain extent, it's about being conservative with them. Micky got through the 45 minutes but he feels he's not ready yet for the step up to the Premier League yet. Obviously a big shame to lose Radu."

When pressed if Van de Ven has a fitness issue or some discomfort still, Postecoglou said: "It’s a bit of everything. He got through the game no problem but had a look at stats, Premier League is a whole different beast and after losing Radu, I thought what we had ahead of us.

"Don’t get me wrong we have some big games ahead but also afforded ourselves a couple of clear weeks. Hopefully we’re in final of Carabao Cup, hopefully we’re still in FA Cup and I don’t see sense of us risking us. Having Kevin in is a massive bonus and he hasn’t reinjured but he feels he needs to get more into him. Same with Romero."

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

Ange Postecoglou is holding his press conference on Wednesday afternoon before Tottenham make the trip to Liverpool for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

Spurs head to Anfield with a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will do so with a couple more players in the shape of new signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso. Postecoglou will provide an update on whether both players are available to face Arne Slot's side if they received all of their work permit documentation in time to be registered for the match.

The Tottenham head coach will also discuss how the Tel move happened on transfer deadline day with the Australian understood to have played a key part in convincing the 19-year-old Frenchman to come to N17 from Bayern Munich, with the option this summer to make the switch a more permanent one.

Postecoglou will also discuss the latest news on the fitness of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and a string of Spurs players who were all previously due back in training from their injuries around now.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference right here.

Ask any Tottenham fan if they would like to see Harry Kane return to the club and they will probably say yes. Tottenham's all-time top goalscorer left the club in 2023 to sign for Bayern Munich.

Kane left in search of trophies, having failed to pick up a single piece of silverware while at Spurs. And while he did not win anything in his first season with the Bavarian giants, he is on course to lift the Bundesliga title this season, with Bayern six points clear of Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table.

Spurs have just signed Kane's Bayern teammate Mathys Tel on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. Kane opened up on the move, saying: "It's great for Tottenham to have a young, hungry player with loads of talent to hopefully score some goals and help push Tottenham as far as possible. I wish him all the best and hopefully he has a fantastic time there, I know he will. I'm sure all the fans will make him feel really welcome as well."

Ever since he left N17, there has been talk of the England captain returning one day. Spurs do hold a buy-back option, should Bayern ever decide to sell. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: "Of course," when questioned at a fans' forum if he had inserted a buy-back clause into the deal to sell Kane to Bayern.

It is not clear how that clause works, with reports suggesting Spurs will have first refusal on re-signing the frontman should Bayern look to sell in the future.

Now, new details of Kane's contract with the German side have emerged. According to SportBild, Kane can activate a release clause from his contract at the Allianz Arena.

The England captain had the opportunity to activate that clause in the January transfer window, but decided against doing so. Had he activated the clause, he would have been available in the summer transfer window for €80million (£66.5million).

Tottenham's chances of re-signing him do not end there, though. Kane can once again activate a release clause in the 2026 January transfer window, which would then see him available to sign in the summer of 2026 for €65million (£54million).

Kane's contract with Bayern expires in 2027, at which time he will be almost 34-years-old.

Mathys Tel has revealed that Wilson Odobert played a key role in his decision to secure a January transfer move to Tottenham. The attacker completed a loan move to the north London club on Monday evening after last week appearing to reject a permanent £50million transfer to Spurs.

Tel has joined on loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the campaign, with Tottenham having the option to purchase the versatile attacker for £45.7million in the summer. Talking to SPURSPLAY for the first time since signing on the dotted line in the capital, Tel opened up on his Tottenham transfer, why Ange Postecoglou's side are the best option for him and what Odobert told him before he made his final decision.

"I'm very excited to play with my teammates and for the fans. It's a new challenge for me, a new chapter to open and I'm very excited about it," said the 19-year-old.

"Why I chose Tottenham? Because it was the best option for me. What was important for me was I felt the commitment. I spoke with the president, talked with the manager. I'm young, I need to grow up and that was for me the best option and now I'm very, very happy.

"I think I'm a physical player, fast, technical and I play every moment and every game with my heart. I live with this pressure. I always have to push myself to go up and look forward. Football is always a dream for me to play in the first team, for the best in the world.

"I'm ready for every game, that's why I'm here and I know what I have to do for Tottenham, for the team and for the fans. I know what I have to do and that's what I hope I'm going to do."

On his conversations with Odobert prior to joining Tottenham, Tel revealed: "Yes I talked with Wilson. He told me: ‘Come, you have to come here’.

"He's my friend, I played with him for the French team, we're good friends and he told me to come because it's a great team and you will see it's very nice."

Tel also went on to reveal exactly why he plays with a bandage on his right hand in every game. He said: "It was one injury when I was ten years old and after that I cannot play without it."

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

Thursday evening could prove to be huge in Tottenham's season with a place in the Carabao Cup final up for grabs. Ange Postecoglou's side head to Anfield to take on Liverpool with a one-goal lead courtesy of Lucas Bergvall's late winner in the first leg.

Tottenham are going to have a big task on their hands keeping Liverpool at bay but they will take a lot of confidence into the game following Sunday's 2-0 win at Brentford. The north London club have added to their playing squad over the past couple of days and there is a possibility Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel debut at Anfield, providing of course that both get international clearance and their work permits done in time.

Postecoglou's squad certainly looks a lot healthier following the transfer additions and it does leave him with a big call to make in terms of his starting XI against Arne Slot's men. So who could be in his team to face Liverpool? Here are the sides our football.london Spurs writers would select for Thursday's game on Merseyside.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Postecoglou finally has some selection decisions to make with the new arrivals Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, if both have their work permits in time to play in the match. The Australian could also have a few of his injured players back, going by his recent timelines, and it might mean a bench that doesn't need to be flooded with inexperience.

Danso has had more time to settle in and train and Postecoglou will not worry about throwing the Austria international into the fray, even if the 26-year-old centre-back hasn't started a game in about three weeks. Tel has had less match time as he wasn't starting games, so if available the 19-year-old might start from the bench on this occasion.

All eyes will be on whether Micky van de Ven is able to play and if not Ben Davies will remain in the side. Spurs also have a big FA Cup fourth round tie at Aston Villa on Sunday so Postecoglou will have to keep that game in mind to some degree with some of his selection decisions to ensure his team are not wiped out for another big game just three days later.

In midfield, the Spurs head coach might have to choose between Lucas Bergvall and Sunday's goalscorer Pape Matar Sarr if he wants to keep the experienced Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma together behind a more attacking player.

Gold's team: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bentancur, Bissouma, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.

Rob Guest - Football writer

All eyes will be on Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team to take on Liverpool as the head coach has some huge calls to make over Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel. The hope will be that Van de Ven is able to take his place in the starting XI at Anfield after missing out on the matchday squad at Brentford last Sunday.

If he doesn't play, it may be new signing Danso and Ben Davies who get the nod at the heart of defence. Archie Gray deserves to keep his place in the side but this may be the opportunity to give him a breather and bring in the experienced Danso for his Tottenham debut.

The only other option involving Gray would be to start him at right-back and drop Pedro Porro down to the bench. In midfield, Lucas Bergvall comes back into the side in place of Yves Bissouma. The Swede should be nice and refreshed after getting 45 minutes on the bench at Brentford.

It wouldn't be a surprise at all if Tel comes straight into the starting XI as Postecoglou has demonstrated during his spell at the club that he will throw new players in even if they have had a lack of training time. As Son Heung-min will play from the left, Tel may start from the right as Richarlison leads the line.

Guest's team: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall, Kulusevski; Tel, Richarlison, Son.

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