GIVEMESPORT

Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday aftermppm, and Ange Postecoglou has a big call to make in terms of team selection with captain Son Heung-Min a doubt through an injury, potentially opening up a starting birth for 18-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall.

The Lillywhites have experienced a mixed start to the new Premier League season, accumulating seven points from their first five matches. Rampant home victories over the likes of Everton and Brentford have been overshadowed by defeats to Newcastle and Arsenal, in what has been a turbulent period for Postecoglou's men.

A trip to the north-west to face an out-of-sorts Red Devils team represents a perfect opportunity to claim a big three points and boost the morale around the north London club. However, the Australian manager may be without talisman Son, and thus ought to make the brave decision to deploy Bergvall in the starting eleven, and drop a struggling James Maddison - who Spurs have had private concerns about.

Postecoglou Should Drop Maddison

Bergvall has merited an opportunity

With United lingering just one place below Spurs in the league table, level on points, tomorrow's encounter at the Theatre of Dreams could be dubbed a European 'six-pointer' at this early stage of the season. A game of such importance will require immaculate decision-making in the team selection process for Postecoglou, with the set of options at his disposal presenting a considerable headache for the tactician.

The goalkeeper and back four is likely undisputed, with Vicario, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie expected to start. In front of them, Yves Bissouma is likely to be deployed with Pape Sarr as the north Londoners look to sure things up in the middle of the park, and provide the team's high line with extra protection from United's transition-heavy attack.

In forward areas, selections get more tricky. Maddison produced an encouraging display for Spurs last time out against Brentford, although he went 0/6 with his cross attempts, but United away is a different kettle of fish. The former Leicester City man has struggled to influence proceedings on a consistent basis in big games, and thus Postecoglou should look elsewhere.

With Timo Werner out of form, Dejan Kulusevski may well be shifted out wide, to form a front three alongside Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke. This subsequently leaves the final midfield slot up for grabs, and with Maddison dropping to the bench, a role that could be filled by promising talent Bergvall, whose opportunity in midweek was cut short after 12 minutes out of necessity.

The young Swede, who has been described as "incredible", would offer similar ability on the ball with his passing but would also be less naturally inclined to burst forward and that could help to keep a rare clean sheet. With Man United's problems in front of goal well documented this season, that could be the key to victory, and bringing Maddison off the bench against tired legs and minds could help open up the game later on if needs be.

It would no doubt be a baptism of fire, but Bergvall is more than deserving of an opportunity and the situation currently demands that Postecoglou changes something to turn the club's fortunes around.

Spurs Fans Will Turn On Levy

Collymore believes the fanbase will lose patience in the Chairman

While Spurs prepare for crucial activity on the pitch, murmurings of discontent are starting to build off it. Ex-Liverpool striker and now pundit Stan Collymore believes the Tottenham faithful will turn on chairman Daniel Levy, with the executive not demonstrating enough ambition to push the club towards major silverware.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Collymore said that Levy treats Spurs fans like consumers, and that this will eventually result in the Lillywhite supporters venting their frustrations. Since moving to the club's new state-of-the-art stadium, Tottenham have finished in the top four just once, and are yet to win a major trophy.

Manchester United and Spurs clash at Old Trafford after uninspiring starts to their Premier League campaign. United and Spurs both see themselves on seven points after their first five league games, with both sides having won two, drawn one and lost two.

The Red Devils, having started poorly in the Premier League, were also held to a surprising draw in their opening Europa League game against FC Twente at Old Trafford, leaving pressure building on manager Erik ten Hag coming into Sunday's big Premier League clash. There are currently similar feelings around the Lilywhites, as Ange Postecoglou is also under growing pressure in the dugout due to Spurs' start to the league season which saw them take just four points from their opening four games before getting back to winning ways with a 3-1 home win to Brentford on matchday five and winning their first European game of the season against Qarabag. Here is the latest team news and starting XI information you need to know ahead of the clash between the two Premier League giants on Sunday.

Manchester United Team News

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Dutch side FC Twente on Wednesday evening, a result which has not gone down well among United fans and manager Erik ten Hag. Despite having played four games in the last 11 days, United seem to have come through their busy fixture schedule unscathed which will be a big boost for them coming into a huge Premier League tie which could have big implications on ten Hag's future.

Coming into this game, United are dealing with four injuries and they are all defensive ones, as new signing Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Tyrell Malacia are all working their way back to fitness, with the latter duo of Lindelof and Malacia having returned to different stages of training but still have work to do.

Ten Hag revealed that his squad will be the same as the one that face FC Twente in the Europa League on Wednesday at Old Trafford and believes the Spurs match will be intense. Ten Hag also defended the selection of Bruno Fernandes despite claims the captain looked tired against the Dutch opponents.

t will be the same squad as yesterday [Wednesday].

"I think it will be a very intense game. It always is against Tottenham and I think it is also our style as well. So I think it is going to be a very dynamic, attractive game.

"I think the team brings him [Bruno Fernandes] in a situation. I think he is capable and he has proven already, so many times in the Premier League, he can create many chances.

"I am convinced he will not do differently. He will come on this point, he will find his form. He is already creating chances but he will make final passes, he will score goals. One hundred per cent and it is just a matter of time."

Manchester United Predicted Starting XI

Ugarte could make his first Premier League start

Erik ten Hag went bold at Selhurst Park last weekend, going with a midfield partnership of Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo which did work well at times, however, the game against Spurs could be very different for Manchester United as they could see themselves with a lot less of the ball which could be better suited to the attributes of summer signing Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan is more likely to replace Eriksen than Mainoo as the Dane is more of a luxury player who performs at his best when his side dominates the ball as they did at Selhurst Park, whereas Ugarte is a midfield engine and will give the Reds a bite and intensity in midfield.

Joshua Zirkzee has netted just once in his first seven games in a Manchester United shirt which would typically point a manager towards trying a different striker up front, however, Rasmus Hojlund is still working his way back to full fitness and has only been given 25 minutes of game time so far this season so is probably not ready to start yet.

Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes, Garnacho, Diallo, Zirkzee

Predicted Substitutes Bench: Bayindir, Maguire, Evans, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Rashford, Antony, Hojlund

Spurs Team News

Attacking duo sidelines and Son's fitness worry

The only injury concerns for Spurs coming into this big league clash against Man United are that attacking duo Richarlison and Wilson Odobert remain sidelined. The Lilywhites made it through their first Europa League match unscathed and there are no fresh injury concerns.

Spurs started the season with some key injuries to key players such as new signing Dominic Solanke, but those injury concerns have now cooled and Ange Postecoglou's side have mostly a fit squad outside of the two attacking absentees as mentioned.

Postecoglou addresses Son injury concerns

During Spurs' 3-0 win over Qarabag, captain Heung-Min Son received treatment, prompting fears he could miss the Old Trafford showdown. But the Australian manager was hopeful his skipper would be fit.

"It's still early days from last night. Fair to say the boys that put in a shift are fairly tired.

"Apart from Sonny, everyone's ok, but I don't think it's too bad [with Sonny]. He wants to train tomorrow so we'll see how he goes at training and make a decision from there. We have another day up our sleeve to give him every chance."

Spurs Predicted Starting XI

A change in midfield could be made

In Spurs' 3-1 victory over Brentford last weekend, Ange Postecoglou made a very bold move by starting Dejan Kulusevski in a midfield trio alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison which worked out very well, however, in a game this big against Manchester United, the intensity is likely to be a lot higher and it may not suit Kulusevski playing in midfield. Because of this, the Spurs manager may opt for a more steady option in midfield as opposed to the creative brilliance of Kulusevski.

Predicted Starting XI (4-3-3): Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Sarr, Maddison, Son, Johnson, Solanke

Predicted Substitutes Bench: Forster, Dragusin, Spence, Gray, Bergvall, Bissouma, Kulusevski, Moore, Werner

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has slammed Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for the way in which he runs the North London football club and his dismissive response to disgruntled Spurs fans.

Tottenham fans have grown in frustration in recent years over the club's perceived lack of ambition to push beyond merely competing for a place in the top four. The uninspiring start to the new campaign, which has involved defeats away at Newcastle and at home to Arsenal, has added to the animosity within the luxurious Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This new ground was opened in 2019, and has been widely regarded as one of the greatest footballing venues in the country, but Collymore believes that Levy has utilised the new stadium as a tool to justify the way in which he operates the club.

Collymore Laments Levy

He says Levy doesn't listen to fans' discontent

Built as a means of closing the gap with England's most successful clubs, the increased match revenues generated from the brand new and shiny 61,000-seater stadium in North London are supposedly meant to help push Tottenham to the upper echelons of the game. Since opening in 2019, Spurs fans certainly haven't seen a return on this as of yet, with the Lillywhites finishing in the top four just once in this period.

With Ange Postecoglou's side set to travel to Old Trafford to face another big club with an ever-resentful fanbase in Manchester United on Sunday, Collymore spoke of Levy's alienation of his own supporters, who the pundit argues have been reduced to being consumers.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, the ex-striker said:

"Daniel Levy has almost become the poster boy that other clubs want to follow, and his contention that he ignores supporter criticism of him certainly isn’t good PR for the club.

At my own club Aston Villa, there’s been a lot of criticism around the head of business affairs charging for disabled parking and the like, causing the club to backtrack – but there’s still not been an apology.

"I think that awful situation and Levy’s attitude towards Tottenham fans are examples of an Americanisation of English sport whereby you are treated as a customer that should have no emotional link to the product.

Back in the day, you were herded into pens at ropey old grounds, you paid your two quid to go in, and you might be able to get a beer and a warm roll, if you’re lucky.

"Now you’ve got brand new stadiums that have state-of-the-art facilities, you’ve got a seat, you’ve got a concourse, you’ve got a great view with no restricted views anymore, and you’re watching superstars from around the world.

"Daniel Levy is effectively saying ‘everything’s been built for you, stop moaning. You’ve got the best of everything and if you don’t like it, somebody will come in and pay more money'.

"Unfortunately for him, when this chapter of English football history is written, Daniel Levy will be seen as the man that effectively put his fingers in his ears."

Spurs May Not Renew Son Contract

The winger's current deal expires in 2025

Spurs' fans frustrations could be exacerbated by the potential future departure of captain and talisman Son Heung-Min. The club are reportedly weighing up the possibility of not offering the South Korean a contract beyond 2026.

Son's current deal in North London is valid until next summer, although the one-year extension that would keep him at Spurs until 2026 is expected to be triggered. However, the North Londoners' may not engage in talks with the player's representatives over further years, and are considering parting ways in 24 months' time with the ageing wide man, who netted 17 goals in all competitions last season.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has been praised for an "absolutely outstanding" performance in the team's 3-0 win over Azerbaijan side Qarabag by pundit Shebahn Aherne after he made it two goals in two games.

Solanke scored Tottenham's third goal of the game after what looked like it could be a potential banana skin when defender Radu Dragusin was sent off inside ten minutes; but goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr and Solanke himself helped to ease any doubts among supporters, with the former Bournemouth striker earning vast praise for his performance.

Dominic Solanke Praised For Qarabag Performance

The striker is beginning to find his feet in north London

Solanke was tipped for greatness whilst at Chelsea and Liverpool, though he found it hard to hit the ground running and, as a late bloomer, he's only now hitting the levels many thought he would hit earlier in his career. But that is never necessarily a bad thing, with added experience meaning that he can develop later in his career in the top-flight.

With other players such as Johnson impressing on the night against the Azerbaijani outfit, he received praise from Aherne for his performances - before Solanke was showered with superlatives by the Scottish reporter for his 'outstanding' performance on the Europa League stage. Talking on the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast, Aherne said:

"Look at Brennan Johnson, how he's been able to just turn things around. He's been struggling hasn't he, and then this last week, he's really picked up and found his form. The manager has backed him.

"It's the same with Dominic Solanke, I thought Solanke was absolutely outstanding tonight. So there are real positives for Spurs, I would say."

Solanke Will Hope to Have Best Season of His Career

A move to Tottenham could hopefully spur that onwards

Solanke's signing came with a lot of media interest after a strong campaign for Bournemouth last season, but his real lack of goals in seasons gone by in the Premier League made it quite an adventurous buy for Ange Postecoglou.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Dominic Solanke played 199 games for Bournemouth in the leagues, scoring 72 goals.

Tottenham have lacked a big presence up front ever since their former skipper left the club, but with Solanke's nous and experience in the Premier League, there haven't been many better additions to their playing squad despite the hefty £55million fee that could rise to £65million if add-ons are met.

Solanke only has one England cap, which he picked up in 2017 as a teenager for Liverpool - and having scored his first European goal on his sixth outing across three clubs yesterday, the striker will be hoping that the coming season will be huge in terms of milestones both for club and country.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could face the sack after this weekend's game against Tottenham Hotspur - as a loss could potentially push him through the exit door at Old Trafford, according to journalist Shebahn Aherne. Ten Hag's men have not made a great start to the season, winning just two of their five Premier League games so far this season.

Suffering a comprehensive loss to Liverpool in the process, whilst a disappointing draw against FC Twente at home in the Premier League means they've made a winless start to life in the Europa League. Ten Hag was on borrowed time last season and only survived in the job after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, but another loss in the Premier League could see United slip to as far as 13th in the table by the start of October - which Aherne believes could force Ten Hag out of the door.

Aherne: Ten Hag 'Could Be Sacked' If Utd Lose to Spurs

The Dutchman is already back to being under the microscope

Rumours were prominent at the end of last season that Ten Hag would depart United had they lost to City at Wembley, though goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho saw them lift the trophy and keep their gaffer in the job. With big money spent in the summer, improvement will be needed - but just seven points from their opening five games means that United are in need of inspiration.

And speaking on the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast, Aherne believes that Marcus Rashford's situation in the form of being benched vs Crystal Palace is just a sign of 'frustration' at United and a loss at Tottenham could push Ten Hag into the abyss of the managerial scrapheap. She said:

"Marcus Rashford found form, and then you put him on the bench against Crystal Palace. Perhaps something's going on there, but then that's sort of killing the momentum.

"So there's huge frustration here, and I would say it's pressure this weekend for Erik ten Hag to win against Spurs.

"And if he doesn't, I think it [the sack] could be happening pretty quickly."

United Have Tough Fixtures Coming Up

Ten Hag will have to run the gauntlet to survive

Tottenham aren't exactly in the best place themselves, despite their win over Brentford last weekend. They're only ahead of United on goal difference having scored nine this season, but they have had a tough start with Arsenal and Newcastle United to face - and they'll be looking to get back on track away at Old Trafford over the weekend.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Erik ten Hag has won 69 of his 122 games in charge of Manchester United.

United will need to pick up points sooner rather than later, with a tough run of fixtures coming up. Tottenham are followed by away trips to Porto and Aston Villa in the space of a week, before a home tie against Brentford gives them a chance of a home reprieve before back-to-back away games once again at Fenerbahce and West Ham United.

There aren't many easy games in the Premier League, if any at all, and Ten Hag will know that those coming up will be tough to gain points from. But if he follows up his poor start to the season with more losses against the likes of Tottenham and Porto, it could spell the beginning of the end of his Old Trafford tenure.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Heung-Min Son came off with a ‘slight injury’ in their 3-0 Europa League win against Qarabag just days before their trip to Manchester United, journalist Jonathan Liew has reported.

Goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Dominic Solanke saw Spurs cruise to a comfortable victory in their European opener, despite being forced to play with 10 men for 83 minutes after Radu Dragusin was sent off in the first half.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was left with concerns after Son limped off in the 71st minute with apparent muscle discomfort, shortly after his shot was parried to the feet of Solanke, who scored Tottenham’s third.

Son Doubtful for Man United Clash

‘Not an ideal night’ for Spurs

Speaking after the game in his post-match press conference, Ange Postecoglou admitted there was an issue.

“I haven’t spoken to him. He said he felt a bit tired, but I haven’t spoken to him or the medical team yet."

Tottenham are already without injured forwards Wilson Odobert and Richarlison for Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford, leaving Postecoglou sweating over his captain’s fitness.

Spurs are now on a three-match winning streak after losing to Arsenal, securing victories against Coventry City in the EFL Cup, Brentford in the Premier League, and Qarabag in the Europa League.

Liew,speaking on Sky Sports’ Back Pages podcast, revealed that Son may have come off with a ‘slight injury’ in Tottenham’s 3-0 win against Qarabag on Thursday night:

“There was some talk about, I don't know what the latest is, but there's some talk of Son coming off with a slight injury as well. So it's not like an ideal night by any stretch of the imagination.”

Son’s injury would be a massive blow for Spurs, who sit 10th in the Premier League after five games, collecting seven points so far.

The 32-year-old, who has been described as "world-class". has started his top-flight campaign in fine form, scoring two goals and registering two assists in 450 minutes of action under Postecoglou. Son is one of only three players to have played every minute of the Premier League season so far, alongside Guglielmo Vicario and Cristian Romero.

Tottenham are expected to provide an update on the South Korean international in the coming days before they travel to United in the league for Sunday’s big game.

Lineker Lauds James Maddison

‘He was brilliant’

Gary Lineker was full of praise for Tottenham ace James Maddison, who shone in Spurs’ 3-1 victory over Brentford last weekend, saying the 27-year-old ‘ran the show’ last Saturday.

Maddison continued his impressive start to the season against the Bees, netting Tottenham’s third by dinking the ball over goalkeeper Mark Flekken in the 85th minute.

The 27-year-old finally put an end to his goalscoring drought, having not found the net since the 4-0 victory over Aston Villa on 10 March. Maddison began the Premier League season with an assist in each of Spurs’ two opening fixtures.

There had been concerns about how missing out on the England squad for Euro 2024 could affect his mentality, but it now seems that he has returned with a chip on his shoulder and is looking to claim his place back among the best playmakers in the league.

Key Takeaways

Viktor Gyokeres is a man in demand, reportedly attracting interest from Spurs and Arsenal.

The Swede moved to Brighton in 2018 but struggled to make an impact, scoring just once in eight appearances.

He was sent to Coventry before bursting into form and sealing a move to Sporting CP where he's flourished.

European football has plenty of in-form free-scoring centre-forwards, including Man City's Erling Haaland, who continues to smash records in the Premier League. The Norwegian superstar has been a revelation at the Etihad with 100 goals in 105 games over two years. That said, there's a new kid on the block in Liga Portugal who is keeping pace with him in front of the goal, and his name is Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish frontman is banging in the goals at the Jose Alvalade Stadium and has put the world on notice with scintillating displays. On Sunday (September 22nd, 2024), he scored twice in Sporting CP's 3-0 win over AVS Futebol SAD. It's easy to forget that Gyokeres spent much of the early stages of his career in the English football pyramid.

Gyokeres struggled to get on the pitch during his three-year spell at Brighton & Hove Albion and was sent out on loan for more game time. He impressed at Coventry City in the EFL Championship and eventually made a permanent move to The Sky Blues in July 2021 for a mere £1million.

Fast-forward three years, and Gyokeres is reportedly on Tottenham Hotspur's radar with a big-money move to the Lilywhites touted. He could be one to watch heading into 2025, with other members of Europe's elite likely to join the race for his signature.

Tottenham Keeping Tabs on Gyokeres

Spurs could swoop amid Dominic Solanke's slow start

Gyokeres' form for Ruben Amorim's side has alerted Tottenham to his potential availability, and Ange Postecoglou could be enticed to move for the 22-cap Sweden international. Spurs are reportedly monitoring his situation and could battle with Chelsea and PSG for the former Brighton man in next summer's transfer window. They'll have to fork out £85 million to trigger his release clause and lure him away from Lisbon.

The 6ft2in forward has just over three years left on his contract with Sporting, and the Portuguese outfit will be eager to keep hold of him. He's already posted 11 goals and three assists in eight games across competitions this season. He's 10th on Transfermarkt's list of top scorers across the whole of Europe.

Gyokeres' stock is growing, and with that, so too is interest in him, and he can be expected to be one of the most in-demand strikers next summer. Spurs spent £65 million bringing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth to north London this past summer, but the English striker has yet to live up to expectations. The former Cherries man has managed one goal in four games across competitions.

The Lilywhites have encountered a topsy-turvy start to the season with two wins and as many defeats in five Premier League games. They arguably haven't replaced Harry Kane yet, and the England captain's goalscoring prowess is glaringly absent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Brighton Made Rare Transfer Mistake

The Seagulls were unable to get the best out of Gyokeres

Gyokeres joined Brighton from Swedish outfit Brommapojkarna in January 2018 after he caught the eye in his homeland with his pace and physicality. He debuted for the Seagulls in a 1-0 loss to Southampton in the League Cup in August before making just eight appearances at the Amex with one goal and one assist. The Premier League club's recruitment team are usually on the money and has a glowing reputation in English football under Tony Bloom's ownership. They looked to aid Gyokeres' development by sending him out on loan to German second-tier side FC St. Pauli for the 2019-2020 season.

The Stockholm-born striker found form at the Millerntor-Stadion and ended that campaign with seven goals and four assists in 28 games. Many would have expected the East Sussex outfit to find a place for the rising star in their team, but that wasn't the case, and he was sent to the Championship for loan spells at Swansea and Coventry. He made a name for himself in the second division but only after making a permanent £1 million move to the CBS Arena. He registered 43 goals and 17 assists in 116 games for the Sky Blues, quickly establishing himself as one to watch in the Championship.

Brighton's slip-up with Gyokeres was Sporting's gain, and the Liga Portugal giants entrusted him with spearheading their attack after signing him for around £20 million in July 2023. He hit a remarkable 43 goals in 50 games in his debut season with Leoes, proving that the Seagulls should perhaps have taken their time with him.

The Swede isn't typical target man

Tottenham are synonymous with proven goalscorers who have led the line during their 142-year history. None more so than their all-time top scorer Kane, 1966 World Cup winner Jimmy Greaves, and England legend Gary Lineker. Solanke was the man who Postecoglou looked to in the summer for goals, but he perhaps isn't at the elite level.

Gyokeres is arguably headed there, given that he's displayed his No.9 abilities on the international stage with stellar performances for Sweden and at club level with Sporting CP. He's fast and strong, and his tall frame makes him a nuisance in the air for opposition defenders.

Ex-Watford coach Slaven Bilic spoke glowingly of Gyokeres' talent after the Swede bagged the winner in Coventry's 1-0 win over the Hornets in the 2022-23 Championship campaign:

"He is a very strong striker, a player who can not only keep and hold the ball but he can hurt you. He can run into the channels and he’s strong.

"We weren’t surprised by him. We had him marked down as their target man. He’s not an old-fashioned typical target man though, because target men have problem in movement. He is a target man but also has good movement."

Tottenham Hotspur will begin their 2-24/25 Europa League campaign with a match against Qarabag tonight but will have to do so without key defender Cristian Romero. This is because he is serving a retroactive ban, despite having never featured in the competition before.

The Argentine's importance to the team cannot be understated. After all, he has played every Premier League minute so far this season for Ange Postecoglou's side – scoring once and winning two of five games.

However, the player has an undoubted hot temper that can land him in trouble from time to time, with 28 yellows and four red cards during his 103-game career in north London so far.

One of those dismissals came in 2022/23, when Spurs were last in a European competition. As such, the 11th most expensive centre-back of all time must serve that ban now.

Why Romero Won't Play vs Qarabag

Serving European suspension

After finishing eighth in the Premier League two seasons ago, Tottenham did not have any European football on their schedule last term. They finished fifth most recently and have consequently returned to the Europa League for the first time since 2020/21.

They kick off the competition with a home visit from Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag. As mentioned before, vice-captain Romero will not be available for the clash in north London on Thursday 26 August.

This is because the 26-year-old was sent off during Spurs' last European outing, which saw the English team dumped out of the Champions League by AC Milan at the Round of 16 stage.

Tottenham, then managed by Antonio Conte, had lost the first leg 1-0 away at the San Siro. With the return fixture in the balance, Romero produced a wild lunge on Milan captain Theo Hernandez, resulting in a second yellow card.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: At the time of his red card vs AC Milan, Romero was averaging a card once every 2.5 games. To put that into context, the most carded player in La Liga and Champions League history, Sergio Ramos, was only averaging one every 2.9 outings.

The game finished 0-0 and Spurs were sent crashing out of the competition (losing 1-0 on aggregate) and have not played in Europe since. As they now return to the Europa League, Romero must serve out his one-match ban retroactively as suspensions are upheld across all UEFA-related competitions.

Romero's Poor Disipline

Was slammed at the time as a 'liability'

As a World Cup-winning defender, Romero's quality is there for all to see – also backed up by his links to Real Madrid – however his lack of discipline does let him down from time to time. At the time of his red card vs AC Milan, former Spurs man Jamie O'Hara slammed the player for his rash challenge, telling talkSPORT:

“He’s a liability though, he’s a liability. As much as we love him – he’s got passion, he’s got heart, I get that. But you look at the top defenders, they don’t look like they are going get sent off every week. Every time! He can’t tackle!”

Perhaps the 26-year-old is improved on that front, having not been carded in any of his 450 minutes of game time for Spurs this term. That said, he picked up seven yellow cards and one red last season, across 33 Premier League outings.

As a consequence of his past poor discipline, he'll have to sit out this match against Qarabag – which is certainly an oddity, having never played in the Europa League before.

Tottenham Hotspur star Dominic Solanke is set to remain in the starting line-up when they face Qarabag in their Europa League opener on Thursday as boss Ange Postecoglou is desperate to give him a significant confidence boost during the early stages of his Hotspur Way career, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

The striker became Spurs' most expensive acquisition of the summer when he completed a switch worth up to £65million from domestic rivals Bournemouth, and he has been set the task of playing a pivotal role as the north Londoners go in search of ending their lengthy trophy drought.

Solanke has already been forced to contend with an ankle injury since his arrival, resulting in him being restricted to just 330 minutes of action in all competitions, but he grabbed his first goal in a Tottenham shirt as his new employers came from behind to seal three points in their Premier League encounter with Brentford last weekend.

Solanke Poised to Feature in European Clash

Postecoglou sees encounter as opportunity to build on first goal

Postecoglou is leaning towards including Solanke in Tottenham's starting line-up to face reigning Azerbaijan Premier League champions Qarabag on Thursday, according to GMS sources, as the encounter has been earmarked as an ideal opportunity for him to build confidence and improve his goal tally for the season.

The 27-year-old found the back of the net 21 times for Bournemouth last season, which resulted in him moving onto Spurs' radar while the summer transfer window was open for business, and his boss is determined to ensure he reaches the same standards following a big-money switch to the capital.

With fellow frontman Richarlison still on the sidelines through injury, GMS sources have been informed that it would not come as a shock if Solanke is heavily involved as Tottenham look to get their European campaign off to a flying start, before being taken off early in the second half to keep him sharp and fit for the trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

The one-cap England international was handed a £90,000-per-week contract when he completed his move from Bournemouth last month, tying him down to the north Londoners until the summer of 2030, and there is an eagerness to get him firing on all cylinders to prove he was a shrewd addition to the squad.

Tottenham have no regrets over splashing the cash on Solanke, GMS sources recently revealed, and his maiden goal against Brentford came after there was already confidence behind the scenes that he would use the upcoming fixtures to rediscover the potent form he enjoyed last season.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Dominic Solanke has registered nine shots over the course of his first three Premier League outings of the campaign

Spurs Desperate to Improve Solanke's Output

Coaching staff want to build team structure around striker

GMS sources have been told that Postecoglou has pinpointed Qarabag's visit to the capital as an ideal opportunity to build the team structure around Solanke in a bid to aid his output across the remainder of the campaign, while the Greek-Australian tactician is also keen to keep him at a good level after recovering from injury.

There was disappointment within the coaching staff over the way the former Liverpool man's teammates supported him in the narrow Carabao Cup third round win over Championship outfit Coventry City last week, with him being limited to just 24 touches before being replaced by Heung-min Son.

Postecoglou wants to avoid a similar situation further down the line, and GMS sources understand that it has led to him seeing the clash with Qarabag as a chance for Solanke to get his name on the scoresheet and improve relationships with other members of the squad when it would usually be seen as an opportunity to rest him.

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has urged Ange Postecoglou to start prodigy forward Mikey Moore against Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday evening - stating that he 'wouldn't be shocked' if the Lilywhites picked him to feature from the off against the Azerbaijan-based outfit with a huge schedule coming up.

Moore has made three appearances for Tottenham in the Premier League already in his young career, with the trio of outings all coming from the bench in the top-flight. But Tottenham's involvement in European football this season will give more influence towards their squad players as the north London outfit are competing on four fronts. Moore is on the peripherals of the team, and against an inferior outfit compared to the likes of recent opponents Arsenal and Newcastle United, he could get involved on the continental stage.

Gold: Moore Start vs Qarabag 'Wouldn't Be a Shock'

The youngster could make a surprise outing in the Europa League

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Podcast, the Football London writer stated that Moore will be one of the spots for homegrown players in Tottenham's Europa League squad.

The likes of Manchester United, Brighton and West Ham United are coming up in the league, and Qarabag would be a perfect tie to bleed him into the first-team squad whilst also resting key players - with Gold dubbing their visit to the English capital as a 'low-risk' game. He said:

"You're looking at potentially five spots there, I think, for young players. So we know Mikey Moore will take one of them. These players are from the B list.

"Mikey Moore, I wouldn't even be shocked if he starts, because why not? It's like the perfect game to do it. It's a low-risk game, the first of eight group stage matches.

"With no disrespect to Qarabag, you're playing a team from the Azerbaijani league, and like I said, there is no kind of risk to it."

Moore Could Move Ahead of Past Other Left Wingers

The star has competition but a good performance could alter that

Moore has plenty of competition on the left-hand flank where he operates best cutting in, but Postecoglou placing his trust in the star shows that, if he can produce his magic against the Azerbaijani side, he could even rival some of the first-team in his first full season as a Tottenham player.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Moore shot to prominence with 10 goals in 12 appearances for England's under-17 team.

Son Heung-min is obviously the first-choice for the left wing in north London, but Richarlison, Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert - despite his long-term injury earlier this month - are also ahead of him in the pecking order, Qarabag would represent a huge chance for Moore to strut his stuff on the big stage.

Werner has been largely underwhelming for Postecoglou in recent weeks, Odobert is out for a sustained period and given that Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski are both the cemented options for the right flank this season, Moore could gain vast game time if he impresses.

The 17-year-old, born in London, only made two substitute appearances for the Lilywhites last season in the form of last-minute cameos against Sheffield United and Manchester City. But he came on against Brentford late on to prolong his development into this season, and via a first start against Qarabag, it could be hugely promising for both himself and the club, having only just turned 17 in August.