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Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has provided a positive injury update on the fitness of Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven, stating a return could be on the cards before the UEFA Europa League clash.

Tottenham Hotspur have hit their stride in recent weeks, securing three consecutive victories in the Premier League.

This upturn in form has coincided with the return of key players such as Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, and Guglielmo Vicario, whose presence has strengthened Ange Postecoglou’s side.

However, Spurs are still not at full strength, with their two first-choice centre-backs and two key forwards still sidelined. Of course, it was revealed yesterday that Cristian Romero trained outside with the Tottenham team.

Nevertheless, the absence of the Argentine and Micky van de Ven at the back, alongside the attacking duo of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, has left gaps in the Spurs squad.

Ange Postecoglou shares positive news on Richarlison, van de Ven, Solanke and Romero

With the UEFA Europa League knockout stages approaching, Postecoglou will be hoping to have his squad as close to full fitness as possible before the first leg of their Round of 16 tie.

The Australian has now provided a promising update on the quartet’s recovery timeline, suggesting a return is imminent.

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Speaking to the club’s official website, the Spurs boss offered encouraging news on the fitness of Richarlison, Romero, Solanke, and Van de Ven.

The manager confirmed that all four Tottenham players are making good progress in their rehabilitation and could be back in contention within days.

“Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Dominic Solanke, and Micky van de Ven are all tracking really well with an eye on our UEFA Europa League Round of 16, first leg at AZ Alkmaar (6 March) and Premier League clash against Bournemouth (9 March),” Postecoglou stated.

“They are all similar times, hopefully in the next seven to ten days,” he added. “A couple of them are already training, but over that period, we will start incorporating them back into matchday squads.”

When asked whether the target was for the quartet to be available against AZ Alkmaar, Postecoglou remained optimistic but cautious. “Yes, potentially. I am not sure if they will participate in that, but the idea is that at least a couple of them should be back in training and available for that game.

“Obviously, we have to back that up on the weekend against Bournemouth, so with two games coming up, I am hoping if we can get a couple more back, it means again we can tackle those two games with a strong squad.”

Europa League timing could work in Tottenham’s favour

Tottenham’s Europa League tie comes eight days after their crucial midweek Premier League clash against Manchester City.

Fortunately, with Spurs already out of the FA Cup, Postecoglou’s side will have a brief but valuable window without fixtures.

This break should provide injured players with additional time to regain match fitness, increasing the chances of their involvement against AZ Alkmaar.

Ange Postecoglou looks set to refine his Tottenham Hotspur squad for next season, some players find themselves under scrutiny – and these final games of the campaign could determine their fate at the club.

The summer window is on the horizon, and clubs across Europe are preparing to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season.

Tottenham, who are sat in the bottom half of the Premier League table after twenty-six matches, is no exception.

This campaign has been one of inconsistency for Spurs, as some players have shown flashes of brilliance, only to follow them up with performances that leave much to be desired.

Three players under the spotlight at Tottenham

With the Tottenham Hotspur squad likely to go through yet another significant overhaul this summer, some individuals are playing for their futures. Let’s find out who:

Heung-min Son has one year left on his Tottenham contract

Son’s 2024/25 season has been underwhelming. Consistency has eluded the South Korean forward, and while some may attribute this to age, Mohamed Salah’s continued excellence suggests that top players can still perform at the highest level beyond their peak years.

To be clear, Son’s numbers are respectable—20 goal contributions in 35 appearances is far from embarrassing.

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However, for a player of his calibre, scoring only six league goals and managing back-to-back goalscoring performances just once is a concern with his Tottenham contract due to expire in June 2026.

The murmurs calling for his replacement are growing, with reports suggesting Mathys Tel could be lined up as Son’s successor.

That said, Son has a chance to change the narrative. If he can lead Spurs to Europa League glory, his place in north London might just be secure.

Yves Bissouma has flattered to deceive for Tottenham this season

Bissouma still has plenty to prove in the final stretch of the season. The midfielder’s performances have been riddled with errors along with inconsistency and as a result, he has lost his place in midfield to the emerging Lucas Bergvall, who has made that role his own in recent weeks.

With Spurs eyeing a summer move for Johnny Cardoso, Yves Bissouma’s future hangs in the balance.

If Bergvall continues his impressive form and Tottenham bolster their midfield options, the Malian could find himself surplus to requirements. With a handful of games left, the holding midfielder must fight his way back into the starting XI, if not, his time at the club may be up.

Richarlison’s injuries prevent him from having an impact

Most of Richarlison’s struggles this season have largely been down to injuries rather than poor form. The forward has missed an alarming 34 games through injury—a disappointing statistic for a player at a club competing on multiple fronts.

However, when fit, Richarlison has shown glimpses of his quality. Of course, his availability has been a major issue. Tottenham may sell Richarlison for around £40m this summer if a suitable offer is made.

The forward has a point to prove in the final games of the campaign, but if he cannot stay fit, his opportunities will remain limited, and his Spurs future will be in serious doubt.

Darren Ambrose has revealed that his decision to criticise Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ended up in him being taken off a sponsorship event job the very next day.

Given the huge protests we have seen from Spurs fans of late, it is clear that Daniel Levy is now under more pressure than he has ever been in his over two-decade-long tenure as the club’s chairman.

That has led to an increased media focus on the 63-year-old’s role at the North London club over recent weeks, which is what many Tottenham supporters have been demanding for a long time.

Darren Ambrose thinks Levy got him chucked off a panel

Darren Ambrose has now given some insight into his own dealing with Daniel Levy, explaining how a comment he made about the Tottenham chairman led to him being taken off a sponsorship event.

The former Crystal Palace midfielder, who remains a fervent Spurs fan, also gave his opinion on Levy’s work at the North London club so far.

Ambrose told talkSPORT about the Spurs chairman: “He’s a very good and astute businessman. Spurs is probably one of the most well-run clubs, business-wise in the world. On the pitch, it’s not good enough and that’s what supporters want.

“I dared to criticise Daniel Levy one time on talkSPORT. It worked against me. I was due to do a sponsored event for Crystal Palace. A couple of Palace ex-players, a couple of Spurs ex-players.

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“I obviously chose the wrong time to air my frustrations. I got a call the next day from the Palace press saying representatives of Spurs have rung up and said unless I am taken off the gig they’re not going to be turning up. I asked, was it had anything to do with Daniel Levy and they said his name was mentioned.”

Does this prove Daniel Levy’s dictatorial streak at Tottenham?

Levy’s critics will see this revelation by Ambrose as further proof of his controlling and dictatorial leadership style, which they would argue has been a key reason behind Tottenham’s lack of on-pitch success.

However, it would be a little unfair on Levy to take these comments at face value, especially given that Ambrose does not go into what he actually said about the Spurs chairman.

One would think that it is obvious that if you are doing an official sponsorship event with a club, it would not sit well with them if you directly criticise their hierarchy the day before.

Tottenham Hotspur are now plotting a move for Corinthians’ emerging star, who is making waves in Brazilian football, but the Lilywhites could potentially end up in a bidding war for their player with one of their fierce rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur are already blessed with some of the best young teenage talent in world football and it appears that the club are keen to continue adding to their stocks of talented youngsters in the summer.

The Lilywhites showed last year through their acquisition of Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central in 2023 that they are keeping a close eye on the developments in South America.

It has now emerged that one young Brazilian midfielder has caught their eye ahead of the summer window, with the Lilywhites determined to bring the player to N17.

Tottenham could battle rivals for 20-year-old

The player in question is Breno Bidon, who impressed in the 2024 season after forcing himself into the Corinthians first-team and establishing himself as a mainstay in the base of their midfield.

It is claimed by Bolavip Brasil that Tottenham are big fans of the 20-year-old, having followed his performances in the Brazilian top-flight closely.

Ange Postecoglou‘s men are keen to bring Bidon to Hotspur Way and are expected to present an offer for him when the market reopens in the summer.

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However, Spurs are not the only ones interested in the youngster, with their North London rivals, Arsenal, also planning to make a bid for the player.

Offer rejected for Breno Bidon in January

Interestingly, the report reveals that Corinthians did receive an offer from England for Bidon during the January window, but they decided to turn it down.

While it is revealed that the bid for the young midfielder came from one of the ‘big six’, the name of the club is not mentioned and neither is the value of the offer.

The publication states that Corinthians would be open to negotiating their academy graduate’s sale in the summer, but it would take a ‘good fee’ for them to sanction a move.

Tottenham Hotspur have now opened talks with Rodrigo Bentancur over a potential new contract

While new signings are always welcomed in football, keeping hold of top talents is just as crucial to a club’s long-term success.

Rodrigo Bentancur has been a key figure in Tottenham Hotspur’s squad since arriving in the 2022 winter window.

The Uruguay international has made 97 appearances for the Lilywhites, with 28 of those coming this season. His presence in midfield has been vital for Spurs, providing balance and control in Ange Postecoglou’s setup.

Tottenham in early contract discussions with Rodrigo Bentancur

However, Bentancur’s contract is set to expire next season, and Spurs are now in preliminary discussions over a new deal, according to the Daily Mail.

Their report states that talks over a long-term contract are still in the early stages, with no agreement close at this time.

It has also been revealed that further meetings are planned in the coming weeks, with Tottenham eager to extend Bentancur’s stay given his status as an integral first-team player.

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Bentancur’s setbacks and resurgence at Tottenham

The Uruguayan’s time at Spurs has not been without its challenges. The midfielder made a strong start under Antonio Conte but suffered an ACL injury in February 2023, followed by an ankle ligament issue later that year.

This season, Bentancur was handed an eight-match domestic suspension for comments made about Heung-min Son in an interview in his homeland last year.

James Maddison has discussed how challenging things were at Tottenham Hotspur over the last few months amidst the club’s injury crisis and has made a confident prediction about what can be expected from Spurs over the coming months.

The energy, application and sharpness we have seen from the Tottenham players in their last two wins against Man Utd and Ipswich have been in stark contrast to the tired performances we saw from the side over the last couple of months.

That is perhaps down to the week’s rest between matches and the easing of Tottenham’s injury situation, with several first-team players now back in action.

That lends credence to Ange Postecoglou‘s claim after Tottenham’s loss against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semifinal that his Spurs players simply were too tired to press the opposition and play in the style that they are used to.

James Maddison opens up on Tottenham injuries

Maddison insists that it is no coincidence that Tottenham have now won three games in a row after getting a few players back from injury.

The Spurs vice-captain explained what the mood was like at Hotspur Way as the injury list piled up and revealed the helplessness that he and other senior players felt at not being able to help the side.

The attacking midfielder pointed to the luxury of being able to make big changes around the hour mark as a key reason why Tottenham were able to win comfortably over Ipswich on Sunday.

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When asked about the club’s injury situation over recent months, Maddison told The Standard: “The physio room was busier than the changing room. It’s tough. You look at the names who were out as well, it wasn’t bit-part players, it was strong players from the XI, senior players. So it was difficult.

“We’ve got a lot of young players having to take on great responsibility. When you’re a senior player who’s out – and I only had a small injury but I’m talking for the likes of Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, even [Guglielmo] Vicario was out for three months. It’s tough for them seeing the young lads having to deal with it, without being able to help.

“That’s the worst thing about football when you’re injured. You’re helpless, you can’t help the team out there, you have to watch. It drives you insane. It’s no coincidence… we’ve got some big key players back and some important talent back from injury, which always helps. It coincides with us winning three in a row, so we’ve got to kick on now and try and keep climbing the table again.

“It’s the difference. [Saturday’s game] was 2-1, it was a tight game, everyone could see that, and at 60 minutes, me and Wilson [Odobert] come on, it just changed the dynamic of the game a little bit. Whereas rewind six weeks, we didn’t have those options, we would have been starting, and there would have been kids on the bench, and there wouldn’t have been any changes at 60.

“It’s not rocket science, it doesn’t have to be someone extremely intelligent to realise that that can really help, especially when a big team with the quality that we have to utilise that when teams like Ipswich, no disrespect, have less quality than us throughout the squad, that we can bring on players like myself, Wilson, if they’re not in the XI, and really change the swing of the game.”

Maddison makes a confident Spurs prediction

Now that the Lilywhites have been boosted by the return of key players, Maddison believes that they are capable of going on a winning run and having a strong end to the campaign.

The former Leicester man confidently asserted that Tottenham have a much higher ceiling than the sides around them in the Premier League table right now.

James Maddison added on Tottenham’s aims: “We’re one of the teams in the league that can go on a winning streak, we showed it at the start of last season. We have the squad and the players to be able to do that.

“I think there’ll be teams that are in and around the same position as us, mid-table-ish, that probably don’t feel like they can, but our ceiling is quite high, especially when we have our senior players back, so we’re capable of going on that run and bridging that gap, and that’s what we’re hungry to do.”

Ange Postecoglou’s men have reportedly set their sights on signing two young English wingers who have won many admirers this season, with the North London club ready to spend a huge amount to lure the pair to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Speculation over recent days has suggested that this could be Heung-min Son’s final season at Tottenham, with the South Korean’s poor form thought to be a concern for many at Hotspur Way.

With Richarlison‘s future also seemingly up in the air after another injury-hit campaign, it does not come as a surprise to hear that the Lilywhites are already on the lookout for forwards ahead of the summer.

A fresh report has now suggested that Tottenham Hotspur could secure two of the best young English wingers in the summer after failing with moves for the pair in January.

Tottenham want to sign PL and Bundesliga starlets

This update comes from GiveMeSport, who claim that Tottenham are plotting moves for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

It is explained that Postecoglou‘s men want to add more homegrown talent to their squad and have identified the Saints and Dortmund youngsters as players who could strengthen their attack.

The report claims that Spurs ‘came close to a breakthrough’ in their talks with Southampton over Dibling during the January window, but the South Coast club were desperate to keep the 19-year-old and refused to entertain offers below £55m.

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Tottenham are now hoping that they could potentially profit in the summer if Ivan Juric’s men go down by securing Tyler Dibling’s services for a discounted fee.

Tottenham have to break transfer record for Jamie Gittens

The outlet reveals that Spurs also explored a move for Gittens in January and are expected to go back in for the 20-year-old in the summer.

The England Under-21 international is expected to be expensive, with Dortmund valuing him at £80m, meaning that the Premier League side will have to shatter their transfer record to sign the player.

Additionally, Arsenal and Chelsea are also circling over Gittens, which could potentially complicate Tottenham’s pursuit of the Man City academy graduate.

Manchester United are reportedly considering replacing Rubem Amorim with a former Tottenham Hotspur manager, who has also been linked with a return to N17 over recent weeks.

Amidst the speculation over Ange Postecoglou’s future, some outlets over recent weeks have suggested that Tottenham could turn to their former manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, other sources have played down these rumours, with the Argentine said to have a clause in his contract with the United States national team which would make it difficult for him to leave before next year’s World Cup.

It has now been suggested that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss could receive an approach from Man Utd in the near future.

Man United plot Mauricio Pochettino plan

Fichajes have now claimed that even though Ruben Amorim only took over from Erik Ten Hag in November, the Portuguese coach is already coming under pressure.

It is revealed that his future is ‘in the balance’ at the moment, with the United hierarchy needing to see significant improvements from the side over the coming months to keep faith in him.

It is asserted that his future is ‘in the balance’ and United are already considering approaching other candidates at the end of the season.

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The Red Devils reportedly want a coach who can take the club back to the elite of European football, with former Tottenham fan favourite Pochettino being one of the names on their wishlist.

Would Tottenham watch on as Mauricio Pochettino went to Man United?

Pochettino has made no secret of his desire to return to Tottenham one day and one would think that Spurs will be able to get him ahead of Man Utd if they show interest.

Statistics reveal that Tottenham Hotspur might have made a mistake by selling former midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.

Just last summer, Tottenham Hotspur decided to part ways with Pierre-Emile Hojberg a player signed by Jose Mourinho back in 2020.

In Ange Postecoglou’s first season at the club, the former Southampton midfielder made 39 appearances for the Lilywhites. Of the thirty-nine appearances, only ten were starts as Postecoglou favoured Sarr and Bissouma over the Danish midfielder.

With Hojbjerg set to enter the last year of his Spurs contract in 2025, the Lilywhites sought to quickly cash in on a deal. They did just that by loaning the 29-year-old to Marseille with an obligation that would see Tottenham receive £17m for Hojbjerg once the move became permanent.

Stats hint Tottenham made a mistake selling Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Since making the switch from England to France, the midfielder has not looked back. His underlying numbers suggest that perhaps Spurs may have parted ways with the wrong midfielder last summer.

According to Fbref, when compared with midfielders in the top five leagues in Europe, Hojbjerg is in the 99th percentile for passes attempted, 96th percentile for pass completion, 96th percentile for progressive passes and 93rd percentile for interceptions.

To put that into context, Yves Bissouma, is in the 85th percentile for passes attempted, 95th percentile for pass completion, 80th percentile for progressive passes and 77th percentile for interceptions.

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Is time up for Yves Bissouma at Spurs?

So far this campaign Bissouma has been nothing but inconsistent. The midfielder sometimes looks great and solid and then the next game he looks horrendous.

The game against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final was one of the worst displays from the midfielder in recent times.

It is clear that this season, he has struggled at this level. If he cannot keep up with the pace and the demands of Premier League football, then the club has to consider parting ways with him this summer.

Ange Postecoglou explains why he swapped Archie Gray and Kevin Danso around in Tottenham’s win over Ipswich Town – and it seemed to work a treat.

Postecoglou decided to bring Gray back into the starting eleven in place of Ben Davies at Portman Road Stadium. He also brought Destiny Udogie into the side in place of Pedro Porro, with Djed Spence moving to the right-back slot.

Curiously though, it was Gray who was lining up on the right side of central defence, with Danso starting on the left side.

The Leeds academy graduate has almost exclusively played as a left centre-back this season, especially when paired with Radu Dragusin.

Ange Postecoglou explains decision to swap Archie Gray and Kevin Danso

Although the teenager had a nervy start to the game, with Liam Delap getting the better of him in the early exchanges, he grew into the contest and looked a lot more comfortable as the encounter went on.

Danso also looked well-suited to play on the left despite being very one-footed, with the Austrian confidently striding forward with the ball whenever space opened up.

When asked why he decided to swap their positions against Ipswich, Postecoglou said (via Football.London): “We just felt Archie is more comfortable on the right. We just felt he could do better on the right, and give Kev a go on the left-hand side, we wanted to see how he goes on the left-hand side. Because he may have to play on that side for us during this period.”

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It was then put to Postecoglou that the decision was justified, given the brilliant ball that Gray played for Tottenham’s opener, and the Australian joked: “If you say so mate I’ll take it. Any decision I make that you think is a positive. Look, I thought Archie… he’s handled everything thrown at him really well.

“Like I said, I just felt today, we kind of knew, Delap’s a handful, I just felt putting Archie in, he’s a right-sided player, putting him on the right side. Kevin’s a bit more experienced. I wanted to see how Kevin handled the left-hand side. Because that’s an area where we may need him during this run-in. And I thought both of them handled it well.”

Kevin Danso’s arrival has made a world of difference to Spurs

The Tottenham backline looks far more assured with Danso in it, with the Austrian demonstrating the value of experience in defence.

Not only is the 26-year-old good at sensing danger but he is evidently a natural leader, who is constantly organising the defence and shouting instructions at his teammates.