Manchester Evening News

Man Utd take on Spurs in the Premier League on Saturday and they travelled to the capital on Friday afternoon.

Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez were not spotted travelling with Manchester United to face Tottenham.

United are travelling down to London on Friday afternoon by train from Stockport Station

Ruben Amorim did not clarify United's team news at his pre-match press conference, but Mainoo appears to have been left behind in Manchester. Jack Fletcher was pictured and is set to come into the squad.

Martinez returned to full team training at Carrington last week, but United will not rush him back into action as he reaches the final stage of his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Amorim received the Premier League's manager of the month award for October after securing three impressive wins on the bounce against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton.

United drew 2-2 against Nottingham Forest last weekend, but Amorim appeared bullish when he discussed his side's chances of winning against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 40-year-old was asked how confident United are before their visit to London and said: "I think we are more confident. We believe more that we can win any game and we prove already that we can win any game.

"The last game was tough on us because in some moments we weren’t the team we were supposed to be in every minute. And compare that against Brighton, it was a different thing.

"We cannot forget we have a lot to improve. We are more prepared for anything to happen in a game. But we also know that we have a lot to do and improve to win more these kind of games and consistently win. We are capable and confident, but sometimes struggle in games that we need to do better."

Confirmed squad members for Tottenham:

Goalkeepers: Lammens, Bayindir, Heaton.

Defenders: Dalot, Yoro, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Dorgu, Shaw, Maguire.

Midfielders: Ugarte, Casemiro, Fernandes, Mount. J. Fletcher.

Attackers: Cunha, Amad, Sesko, Mbeumo, Zirkzee.

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Manchester United are hoping to make it four wins from five Premier League matches when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has admitted Mohammed Kudus will be "touch and go" for the visit of Manchester United this weekend.

United travel to north London on Saturday lunchtime looking to replicate Chelsea's performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Defeat to Enzo Maresca's side was met with large boos from the home fans last weekend and the Reds will be hoping they can recreate that atmosphere this weekend.

When asked about team news in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, Frank admitted that Kudus could be missing from his squad. "Yes, everyone came through [the game against Copenhagen] well," the Danish head coach explained.

"The ones that had been out for a small spell, Cuti [Cristian Romero] and Dest [Destiny Udogie], responded well. Kudus is touch and go for tomorrow."

Since his summer transfer from West Ham, Kudus has managed just one goal for Spurs but has grabbed five assists for the club. While Frank faces an anxious wait on Kudus, United are currently in a strong position with injuries.

Ruben Amorim addressed United's improved injury record during his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. "It's not a change, there's one game every week and then, again, a little bit luck," the Portuguese head coach explained when asked about the nearly clean bill of health at the club.

"Sometimes you have problems with players with knocks. It's not something... soft tissues, and you never know what's going to happen in the next training. If you play with intensity in training, anything can happen.

"But I think the big reason is one game every week. You can give an extra day to the players that you know that could struggle in the next training, so I think that is the big reason."

United and Spurs enter the game level on points with Tottenham holding a significantly better goal difference. Were either side to win on Saturday, they will move into second in the Premier League table.

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Man United travel to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in their final match before the November international break.

Manchester United's squad are continuing their preparations for the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

United head into the fixture on a four-game unbeaten run after three wins and a draw. Spurs have endured a mixed week after bouncing back from a defeat to Chelsea with a win against FC Copenhagen.

Ruben Amorim's side know that a win in north London in the early kick-off will move them up to second in the Premier League table, even if only temporarily.

MEN Sport has taken a look at how preparations are going for the fixture:

Kone update

Back in August, Sekou Kone fractured his eye socket during a National League Cup clash against Tamworth. Due to the lack of a back-up ambulance, the game had to be postponed and there were concerns for the health of the defensive midfielder.

Fortunately, his injury was not as serious as first seemed, with United confident Kone would make a full recovery.

The 19-year-old was seen in training this week after a brief cameo in the U21s victory over Notts County in the EFL Trophy.

Martinez recovery continues

Another welcome sight in the Carrington gym was Lisandro Martinez continuing his comeback from injury. The Argentine is stepping up his recovery from an ACL injury.

Amorim insisted that Martinez wanted to travel to Forest last weekend but the decision was made not to name him in the squad. If he is not in the squad against Spurs there's every chance he could return after the international break if there are no setbacks in his recovery.

Leon an option in future?

There has been plenty of discussion around the left wing-back role in recent weeks. Diogo Dalot has been first choice in recent weeks but does not look comfortable.

His competition is Patrick Dorgu, but he too has struggled this season. The Manchester Evening News reported this week that the club are looking to increase Diego Leon's minutes in academy fixtures as he looks to get up to speed, and he was seen arriving for training this week.

If Dalot and Dorgu fail to impress in the left wing-back role, could Leon soon be re-added to the matchday squad having made the bench four times this season?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe may be the co-owner of Manchester United, but his petrochemical company Ineos was heavily involved with Tottenham Hotspur until recently

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos has agreed to pay Tottenham Hotspur more than £11million to bring a lawsuit to a swift conclusion, according to reports.

The Manchester United co-owner's company was accused of breaching a five-year minimum contract worth £17.5m which enabled Tottenham to promote the firm's Grenadier as the club's "official 4X4 vehicle partner." The deal was believed to have been signed in 2022, but Ineos had been in partnership with Spurs since they were recognised as the club's "official hand-sanitiser supplier” during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Tottenham terminated their deal with Ratcliffe's firm in March and launched legal action three months later. They allege a £5m-plus annual instalment was not paid on December 1, having already allegedly not paid an inflation-related figure of around £500,000.

According to reports from the Telegraph, the total figure paid to Spurs is undisclosed, but a source close to the situation claimed the agreed figure was around half what the north Londoners were after.

Moreover, Spurs were looking for nearly £5.3m in damages when the deal was ended with more than two years left to run. Shortly after, Ineos responded by counter-suing Spurs for more than £1m.

They accused the north Londoners of taking part in sponsorship discussions with Audi, which were linked with Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich.

In their counterclaim, Ineos said: "On or around 3 August 2023 (i.e. early in contract year two), Todd Kline of the club indicated to Ashley Reed of Ineos that the club had been in discussions with the German car manufacturer Audi AG in connection with rights which were the same as, or substantially similar to, the rights granted to Ineos under the agreement and/or the club had been negotiating with Audi in respect of rights which were exclusive to Ineos under clause 4 of the agreement.

"According to Mr Kline, the discussions and/or negotiations related to a proposed transfer of the club’s player Harry Kane to the German club FC Bayern Munich.”

Ineos' defence also stated the commercial partnership had "not materialised" but also resulted in Spurs and Ineos agreeing they "could terminate the agreement with effect from the end of year three of the contract term."

They insisted: "In the circumstances, it is the club which owes Ineos more than £1m for failing to provide any rights to Ineos in the final part of year three.”

Spurs did admit to holding commercial talks with Audi, but refuted the suggesting these talks gave Ineos the right to terminate their deal, due to the fact Spurs never made an agreement with the German car manufacturer. Tottenham claim the deal with Ineos "involved annual payments starting at £2.125m in year one and increasing to £4.6m in year five, all plus VAT and index-linked to the rate of inflation" and that they would be seeking interest "further or other relief as the court thinks fit”.

At the time, an Ineos spokesperson said: "Ineos Automotive was a partner of Tottenham Hotspur from 2022, expanding on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020. We had a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right.”

Ineos have cut ties with many major sports teams they had been sponsoring. They have already severed ties with Ben Ainslie's sailing team and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team.

In February, the Telegraph also reported the latter were launching legal action, claiming their deal, which was expected to run until 2027, was ended early, despite an agreement. Ineos have claimed they have been forced into cost-cutting due to "extreme" green carbon taxes in Europe.

Ratcliffe also blamed rising energy prices and taxes as the reason behind the company's decision to close their synthetic ethanol plant in Grangemouth Scotland, which saw 80 direct roles and a further 500 indirect jobs be lost.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will speak to the media today as he previews his side's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

United had hoped to make it four wins in a row at the City Ground last weekend but were undone by a second-half comeback from Nottingham Forest. Amad struck late on with a superb volley to rescue a point for the Reds as they made it four games unbeaten.

The draw saw United slip down to eighth in the table but Saturday represents a chance for them to close the gap on the sides above them. One of the sides ahead of them in the table is Spurs, with Thomas Frank's side two places above United despite having the same number of points.

Amorim will provide any early team news and injury updates this afternoon, so stick with us for updates from the United head coach.

Manchester United will head to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime looking to make it five games unbeaten in the Premier League.

Ex-Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Teddy Sheringham reckons the Reds are unlikely to see the home fans turn on Thomas Frank and his team like they did against Chelsea last weekend.

Following a 1-0 reverse to their cross-city rivals, Spurs' supporters showed their discontent towards Frank and the team's performance at the full-time whistle. Tottenham did return to winning ways on Tuesday night, though, with a comfortable 4-0 win over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League.

However, any suggestion that the Reds may capitalise on possible a nervy atmosphere in north London has been downplayed. Speaking to Oddspedia as part of an exclusive interview for MEN Sport, Sheringham believes United will be met with a united force this weekend.

"I was at the Spurs game last night and I was interested to see what the reaction of the supporters would be like after the Chelsea game," Sheringham explained. "They were up for it again and Tottenham ended up putting in a good display.

"It wasn't fantastic - they probably ended up playing better with ten men than they did with 11 - but I don't think the United game is the type of game for Spurs fans to not appreciate what’s going on. Everyone loves it when Manchester United come to town and everyone raises their game, so I don't think it’s this type of fixture that will be a problem for Thomas Frank.

"I think Tottenham will be up for it and so will their supporters - so it will be a fantastic game. It's the other games that Tottenham are expected to win when they're playing against the likes of Brentford at home where it starts to become a bit sticky."

With allegiances to both sides, Sheringham is hoping for a good, competitive fixture. "I was going to say there's goals in it, but Manchester United’s defence has tightened up a bit recently and Tottenham look solid at the back with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero," he concluded.

"I'll go for a 1-1 draw." Both sides head into the match on 17 points and - should there be a winner - they will move up to second in the Premier League even if it is for just a few hours.

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Former Man United flop set for surprise Lionel Messi link-up after three months as free agent

Sergio Reguilon has been without a club since leaving Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but the Spanish left-back is set to make a return to the game with Inter Miami

Former Manchester United loanee Sergio Reguilon is poised to make his comeback to football after three months as a free agent by signing for Inter Miami, according to reports.

The Major League Soccer outfit are seeking a new left-back following confirmation from Reguilon's Spain teammate Jordi Alba that this campaign will be his final one.

The 28 year old Reguilon has remained without a club since departing Tottenham Hotspur upon his contract's expiration in June.

His five-year stint with the North London outfit yielded just 73 appearances, with loan spells at Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford punctuating his time there.

The Athletic reports that Inter Miami are "close" to securing Reguilon's signature. Nevertheless, the same source indicates they will likely be unable to field him in competitive fixtures until the following season owing to MLS' September roster freeze.

The Florida-based club are gearing up for a hectic summer, with Sergio Busquets also preparing to hang up his boots. Uncertainty also surrounds the long-term prospects of two other former Barcelona stars on their books, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Inter Miami claimed the Supporters' Shield last term but stumbled in the post-season playoffs. Another ex-Barcelona legend, Javier Mascherano, assumed the head coach role ahead of the 2025 campaign and has already guaranteed a play-off return with matches to spare.

Should Reguilon join the club before the year's end, he'll witness Messi and company's bid to claim the MLS Cup. The Argentine icon leads Inter Miami's scoring charts this campaign with 32 strikes across all competitions, his 24 MLS strikes matching Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga.

The World Cup victor has acknowledged his playing days are numbered, recently appearing visibly moved following what may have been his final competitive international outing on home soil. "I haven't made a decision about the [2026] World Cup," he remarked at the time.

"I'll finish the season then I'll have pre-season, and there will be six months left. So we'll see how I feel."

Reguilon has previously faced Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba, featuring on the losing side during a 2019 Clasico when Barcelona triumphed over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

He also featured twice against the Catalan giants whilst with Sevilla and came off the bench twice against them during his time with Atleti in the 2023/24 campaign.

The full-back managed only six outings for Spurs in his concluding North London season - four in league action and two in domestic cup competitions.

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Manchester United missed out on Champions League football and the £100m that accompanied it when they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United are reportedly considering the possibility of playing mid-season friendlies during Champions League matchdays to boost their revenue this season.

United are without European football for the first time since the 2014/15 season and this has left them with a shortfall in their incoming revenue. While it soon became apparent that the Reds would miss out on the Champions League through their Premier League position, hopes rested on winning the Europa League final instead.

However, a lacklustre performance against Tottenham Hotspur saw them miss out on Europe entirely and has left their schedule looking blank in comparison to many of their rivals. With United also exiting the Carabao Cup earlier than anticipated, The Sun understands the Reds are considering arranging friendlies in countries like the UAE with other top clubs who also missed out on Europe.

Notably, AC Milan, RB Leipzig, Lazio and Sevilla all face the prospect of no European football this season and could be potential opponents for the Reds when their domestic rivals are in the Champions League. Ineos have been no strangers to using unorthodox methods to boost the club's finances since arriving at Old Trafford.

At the end of last season, United toured Asia facing two fixtures against local teams. It is believed that tour generated £7.8m while their participation in the Premier League Series banked them a slightly smaller amount.

The Sun now claims that United would be able to bank half of that amount for a game against AC Milan or potentially more against a smaller European club who may not have the same pull as the Reds. Failure to qualify for the Champions League is thought to cost any given club £100m.

However, this plan could be considered controversial among some supporters considering the travel strain this would put on the Reds' first-team squad during a season where they desperately need to perform better in the Premier League. There is also the increased, and largely unnecessary, risk of picking up more injuries during these tours.

With Financial Fair Play (FFP) such a big consideration for clubs in this day and age, any extra income is vital to ensure money can be spent on new signings. United managed to bring in more players than was expected this summer thanks to player sales with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony making way for Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo.

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Tottenham Hotspur parted ways with chairman Daniel Levy this week leading to speculation surrounding the future of the Premier League club

Manchester United supporters' hopes of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani taking full control of the club could have been handed a blow following the news coming out of Tottenham Hotspur this week.

Spurs recently announced that their chairman of 25 years Daniel Levy had left the club. The news came as a shock to the football world considering the billionaire's keen affection towards the north London club and his previous denial that he would walk away.

Reports have suggested that Levy was moved on by the owners the ENIC Group as they look to take Spurs to the next level. While in their statement announcing the chairman's exit Tottenham insisted that this decision would not lead to a takeover, speculation is rife that the owners will sell sooner rather than later.

Newcastle's former owner Amanda Staveley has held previous interest in investing in Spurs and so has Sheikh Jassim. The Qatari banker was one of the frontrunners to purchase United when the Glazers opened themselves up to offers.

Sheikh Jassim's plan was for a full takeover but it soon became clear that the Glazers wanted to sell a minority stake in the club. While this was not something the Sheikh wanted to entertain, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos agreed leading to the structure of the club that we see today.

Soon afterwards, the banker was linked with a move to Spurs after inklings that an opportunity could arise to purchase them. However, there is still a long way to go before that deal could be done.

Ratcliffe and Ineos appear committed to the long-term project at United and, as such, Sheikh Jassim may feel that moving for Tottenham is a quicker way of getting into the elite Premier League group. Levy's exit throws a twist to the saga as clearly Spurs are going through a period of transition in the boardroom.

Whether this makes a full takeover in the short-term more or less likely remains to be seen. But as things stand, there is more chance of Sheikh Jassim purchasing Spurs than the Reds.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

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