London Evening Standard

Tottenham have been handed a fitness boost ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal after the international break.

Spurs will go into that showdown at the Emirates Stadium, a week on Sunday, on the back of a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United.

Tottenham looked to be on their way to recording just a second victory at home in the league this season when Mathys Tel and Richarlison struck late on to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half header.

However, a towering Matthijs de Ligt header in the 96th minute resuced a point for a Man Utd side that were down to ten men at the time after Ruben Amorim had used up all of his substititions before Benjamin Sesko limped off injured.

Watching the late drama unfold from the sidelines was Cristian Romero as the Spurs captain was replaced by Kevin Danso with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining.

Frank said: "Yeah, he was just done physically. He just came back from that injury. He's fine."

The Spurs head coach also added that he expected Romero to be fit for international duty with Argentina and that is the case with the defender pictured linking up with the squad in Spain on Monday.

Lionel Scaloni’s squad only have international friendly scheduled during the break as they face Angola on Friday.

Tottenham teenager Luca Williams-Barnett shone again as England booked their place in the knockout stages of the U17 World Cup.

The 17-year-old started in the 3-0 win over Egypt and provided a brilliant assist for Reigan Heskey's second goal of the match.

Williams-Barnett collected the ball on the edge of his own box from a free-kick, flicked it past a defender and drove into the space that opened up for him.

He then played a great pass through to Heskey, who ran in on goal and cooly slotted past the goalkeeper for his second of the match.

Seven minutes later, Williams-Barnett was played in behind after a clever one-two and was brought down, winning a penalty for the Young Lions.

However, Heskey was unable to complete his hat-trick as he missed from the spot.

Williams-Barnett was on the bench for England's tournament opener against Venezuela, when they fell to a 3-0 defeat.

The Spurs youngster came into the starting lineup for the 8-1 win over Haiti and scored twice.

After opening the scoring inside a minute, Williams-Barnett added his second later in the match with some sublime footwork, skipping past the challenges in the box and finishing well.

He will hope he has done enough to keep his place in the side heading into the knockout stages.

England have qualified for the round-of-32 after finishing second in Group E behind Venezuela.

The top two in each of the 12 groups go through along with the eight best third-placed teams.

At the end of the group stage, the 32 teams to progress are seeded depending on how they qualified, with it intended that the group winner with the best record faces the easiest opponent.

That will be the eight best third-placed team, with the second best group winner taking on the seventh best third-placed team and so on.

Mohammed Kudus will remain at Tottenham during the international break rather than joining up with Ghana.

The winger has missed Spurs' last two matches with a knock having previously started every Premier League game this season.

Thomas Frank said that Kudus was "touch and go" for the clash against Manchester United on Saturday, but he was not deemed fit enough to make the squad.

Kudus now has two weeks to recover from that issue after it was decided he should not feature for Ghana in upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

The 25-year-old will instead be at Hotspur Way over the next fortnight, with Spurs hoping to have him back fully fit for the north London derby against Arsenal on November 23.

"Very confident that he should be available for the next one," Frank said on Saturday.

Kudus has been Spurs' most reliable attacking threat for much of the season. No player has bettered his tally of four assists Premier League.

While Kudus' injury is not viewed as a serious one, Spurs are waiting to learn how long Randal Kolo Muani will be out for.

The striker suffered a jaw injury against United after colliding with Harry Maguire and has pulled out of the France squad.

Spurs are expected to have Lucas Bergvall available for the trip to Arsenal after the midfielder missed the last two matches due to concussion protocols.

Bergvall has been included in Sweden's squad, but Graham Potter has suggested the teenager will be available to face Switzerland on Saturday.

Radu Dragusin could also soon be available for his first minutes since suffering an ACL injury in January.

Tottenham could have the option to replace Randal Kolo Muani in their Champions League squad after a change to UEFA rules.

Kolo Muani was replaced at half-time during Saturday's 1-1 draw to Manchester United and has since pulled out of the France squad with a jaw injury.

The striker collided heavily with Harry Maguire early in the match and, although he was able to play on for the rest of the half, reports in France claim he has suffered a fractured jaw.

There has been no official confirmation of that or a potential timeframe for his return, but it has been suggested that Kolo Muani could face up to two months on the sidelines.

Should that be the case, Spurs could decide to make a change to their squad for their remaining league-phase fixtures in the Champions League.

UEFA rules this season state that clubs can replace an outfield player in their squad if they have suffered a long-term injury.

That is defined as one that “lasts at least 60 days as of the day the injury or illness occurred”.

Medical evidence must be provided to UEFA, who also have the right to require further medical examination by an expert of their choosing.

Clubs have the option to make the change to their squad up until matchday six, which for Spurs is on December 9 at home to Slavia Prague.

If the injured player recovers ahead of schedule, he is still ineligible until at least the end of the 60-day period.

After that point, the player can return to the squad if at least 24 hours notice is given before the next match, with the replacement dropping out.

That would mean that should Spurs now deem it necessary to replace Kolo Muani in their squad, he could potentially come back in for the matches against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in January.

If Kolo Muani's injury does prove to be a serious one, Mathys Tel would be the most likely player to be brought into the Champions League squad.

He was left out of the initial list by Thomas Frank but his availability would provide a much-needed boost. Dominic Solanke is not ready to return and Spurs are short of options up front.

Frank could also technically turn to Radu Dragusin, who is hoping to be back in first-team contention after the international break, if he wanted to strengthen in defence.

Dejan Kulusevski is also an option to come in, however he is unlikely to return until December at the earliest and will need to time to get up to speed.

Tel is therefore expected to be the one to benefit if it comes to that, though it remains to be seen how long Kolo Muani is ruled out for.

The 18-year-old moved to Glasgow in the summer on loan from Spurs and had a tough start to life at Ibrox, struggling for form under former boss Russell Martin.

Moore has been one of those to benefit most from the recent change of manager and has impressed under Rohl in the last few weeks.

He scored his first goal for Rangers in the 3-0 win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, finishing brilliantly from the edge of the box, and was named player of the match.

"Mikey again showed his quality on the ball," Rohl said afterwards. "He is always available, a lot of good movements. I think this is great."

Moore could have had a second goal too, but that one was ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build-up.

The teenager has been used in a more central role under Rohl and spoke of how he is relishing the "freedom" that he has been given by the German.

"It just fell and as soon as it come I just thought I'm going to shoot because I need to score. I was buzzing when it went in.

"When you haven't scored in a while you're thinking about it when you get in front of goal. But once you start scoring, I think they come and I'm just buzzing I scored.

"Since the manager's come in I've shown a bit more what I can do. I think I've been given a bit more freedom. The whole team is building and we just need to keep it going, try and pick up some more wins."

Spurs hit by fresh injury blow ahead of north London derby against Arsenal

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Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Cristian Romero

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Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

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Tottenham have a fortnight to mull over their dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Spurs were moments away from a big win when Mathys Tel and Richarlison scored late on.

But there was still time for late drama and a towering header from Matthijs de Ligt in the 96th minute rescued a point for Manchester United.

While a draw was a fair result on reflection, Tottenham will feel rather frustrated going into the international break and with some massive games coming up against Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest Tottenham injury news.

Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time on Saturday with a jaw injury.

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank initially said the issue was “nothing big”, but the on-loan Paris Saint-Germain forward has withdrawn from the France squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Randal Kolo Muani is the latest Spurs player to be be hit by injury

Getty Images

Kolo Muani has undergone initial tests and reports in France claim the injury is “more serious than expected”.

Spurs now face a nervous wait to learn how long he will be sidelined.

The French Football Federation said on Sunday: “Randal Kolo Muani will miss the international break which begins this Monday.

“The Tottenham Hotspur striker suffered a lower jaw injury on Saturday against Manchester United. “After consulting with Dr Franck Le Gall, who had previously spoken with his Tottenham counterpart, Didier Deschamps confirmed Randal Kolo Muani's withdrawal."

Read More

Tottenham hit by new Randal Kolo Muani injury blow

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Potential return date: Unknown

Cristian Romero

Cristian Romero has recently returned from a spell on the sidelines and was struggling towards the end of the draw with Manchester United.

He was replaced by Kevin Danso in the 88th minute which meant he was on the sidelines when Richarlison thought he had scored the winner.

In a massive boost for Spurs, Frank has confirmed the central defender is fine and can join up with Argentina for international duty.

"Yeah, he was just done physically," Frank said of the decision to bring off Romero. "He just came back from that injury. He's fine."

Potential return date: November 23, 2025 vs Arsenal (A)

Mohammed Kudus

Tottenham were handed a huge scare on the eve of their Champions League win over Copenhagen as Mohammed Kudus was absent from training.

Kudus was scheduled to sit alongside manager Thomas Frank at the pre-match press conference, but was replaced by Guglielmo Vicario and subsequently sat out the 4-0 victory.

There was hope the Ghana international would return against Man Utd, but he was left out of the matchday squad once again as Brennan Johnson retained his place on the right-hand side of the attack.

Mohammed Kudus has missed Tottenham’s last two games

Action Images via Reuters

Kudus, like Romero and Kolo Muani, is not expected to be out of action for too long as he is expected to be available for the north London derby.

"The knock, just too short a turnaround," Frank said of Kudus. "Keeping him out for Tuesday game and this game. Very confident that he should be available for the next one."

Potential return date: November 23, 2025 vs Arsenal (A)

Lucas Bergvall

Lucas Bergvall started the 1-0 home loss to Chelsea but came off with less than ten minutes played after taking a ball to the face.

He begged Frank and the club medical staff to let him continue, but, in line with concussion protocols, he was forced off, to be replaced by Xavi Simons.

Frank said: "There was a concussion. He couldn't stay on and I think the medical team did a good job in that instance."

Concussion recovery protocols stipulated that Bergvall had to recover for a minimum of 12 days, meaning he will be eligible to return to the pitch after the November international break.

Potential return date: November 23, 2025 vs Arsenal (A)

Archie Gray

Archie Gray missed the Chelsea defeat, the win over Copenhagen and the draw against Man Utd with a calf injury sustained in training ahead before the loss to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup fourth-round.

Already a fringe player, the injury is an unwelcome setback for the youngster, who has found minutes hard to come by since Frank’s arrival.

No timeline has yet been confirmed for his return, though he is expected to spend at least a month on the sidelines as he recovers.

Potential return date: December

Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke is yet to start a match under Frank after he picked up a niggling ankle injury in pre-season.

He underwent minor surgery after struggling to shake the injury off, and Frank has confirmed he is recovering well.

Speaking ahead of a derby meeting with Chelsea, though, he could not put an exact date on his return to the pitch.

"Very aware that we want him back,” said Frank. “Hopefully touch wood have him back and no setbacks.

“We are very aware of doing it the right way. So it's going in the right direction. He'll not be available before the international break - that's the status now."

Potential return date: Late November/Early December

Radu Dragusin

Radu Dragusin’s extended absence could soon come to an end.

The Romanian centre-back suffered an ACL injury during a Europa League match in January, but Frank is optimistic he could be back in contention after the November international break.

Frank confirmed that he has returned to full team training and is progressing well as he looks to build back to match fitness.

Nearing a return: Radu Dragusin

John Walton/PA Wire

The Dane said: "He's fully integrated into training now. Because an ACL is such a... it's not tricky but it's such a big injury, because you're out for nine months so you need to build strength in the knee and so on.

"Then because we don't train that much, the big area stuff is not that much so we need to give him some of the bigger area stuff. But he is definitely getting closer to being involved."

He could make his long-awaited return in a north London derby immediately after the international break.

Potential return date: November 23 vs Arsenal (A)

Kota Takai

Kota Takai is yet to appear for Spurs since signing from Kawasaki Frontale in the summer, but is finally nearing a return.

Speaking ahead of facing Chelsea, Frank delivered this update on his fitness: “Quad. He is about to be training soon.”

Potential return date: November/December

Ben Davies

Ben Davies’ only playing time this season has come on international duty, but his most recent appearance for Wales, which came in a 4-2 loss to Belgium, saw him withdrawn early with a hamstring injury.

Speaking after Davies returned to Hotspur Way, Frank said his recovery period would “probably be around four or five weeks.”

Potential return date: Late November

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma has not played for Spurs yet this season after he was left out of the squad for the UEFA Super Cup for disciplinary reasons.

He was then struck down with an injury, finally returning to the pitch for Mali during the October international break, but was injured again moments after his introduction and stretchered off.

He has since undergone surgery and finds himself back on the comeback trail.

Sidelined: Yves Bissouma

Yui Mok/PA Wire

Frank said of his recovery: “Biss, unfortunately, had a situation with the national team, I think everyone saw that, so he got a ligament injury to his ankle that will keep him out for weeks."

Potential return date: Unknown

Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski has been absent for several months after undergoing surgery on his patella following the Europa League final.

Frank is optimistic that he will be back on the pitch before the new year, but admitted last week that he is yet to return to outdoor training.

Potential return date: December

James Maddison

Potential return date: Summer 2026

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Tottenham have been hit by another major injury blow after scans showed Randal Kolo Muani suffered a fractured jaw against Manchester United.

Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time on Saturday and Spurs head coach Thomas Frank initially said the issue for the on-loan forward was “nothing big”.

But Kolo Muani has undergone tests and reports in France claim the injury is “more serious than expected”.

Kolo Muani has withdrawn from the France squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Azerbaijan, and Spurs now face a nervous wait to learn how long he will be sidelined.

Spurs are already without Dominic Solanke, who has not played this season due to an ankle injury.

The French Football Federation said on Sunday: “Randal Kolo Muani will miss the international break which begins this Monday.

“The Tottenham Hotspur striker suffered a lower jaw injury on Saturday against Manchester United.

“After consulting with Dr Franck Le Gall, who had previously spoken with his Tottenham counterpart, Didier Deschamps confirmed Randal Kolo Muani's withdrawal."

Frank said this week that he hopes Solanke will return before the end of 2025 but it is unclear when he will be fit.

Losing Kolo Muani will leave Richarlison is the only fit striker available to Thomas Frank. Mathys Tel can also play through the middle.

Kolo Muani impressed in Tuesday’s 4-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen and losing him will be a huge blow for Spurs.

United head coach Ruben Amorim confirmed Sesko suffered a knee injury after the £73.7million summer signing was forced off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Sesko came on as a substitute after 58 minutes but went down three minutes from time chasing down a long ball and it was immediately obvious he could not continue.

It was the latest setback for Sesko, who has endured a difficult start to life at Old Trafford.

But reports in Slovenia claim Sesko has already had initial tests on his knee and that they “indicate that the injury is not serious”.

Sportklub say the scans did not show a “worrying condition” but “only an MRI scan will show the full picture”.

The report says Manchester United “remain cautious for now” and that “the final diagnosis will be known after additional examinations”.

Slovenia are likely to provide an update on Sesko in the coming days ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden.

“I'm concerned with an injury, because it is in the knee and I don't know,” said Amorim. “We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check. He has something in his knee. Let's see.”

The pair both started against Manchester United but neither were on the pitch for the late drama as Matthijs de Ligt scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to make it 2-2 in north London.

That came after Richarlison had put Spurs in front in the 91st minute, whipping his shirt off as Spurs wildly celebrated what had looked set to be a dramatic victory.

Romero was replaced by Kevin Danso with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining. He was an animated figure on the touchline, conducting the defenders from the technical area and then charging onto the pitch in celebration for Richarlison's goal.

"Yeah, he was just done physically," Frank said of the decision to bring off Romero.

"He just came back from that injury. He's fine."

Frank also confirmed that Romero would fit to join up with Argentina for international duty.

On whether Spurs missed him at the back when conceding from a corner in the final seconds, Frank added: "Yeah, but I think his position, he wouldn't have been near the goal anyway.

"So it's a cross on the side and then he would have been in the middle zone, so this was back post, so that wouldn't have affected anything."

Kolo Muani, meanwhile, started up front with Richarlison on the left wing, but the Frenchman was replaced by Wilson Odobert at half-time.

Explaining that, Frank said: "He actually struggled a little bit, but nothing big."

Mohammed Kudus was not involved at all on Saturday but Frank is confident winger will be available for selection against Arsenal after the international break.

"The knock, just too short a turnaround," he said. "Keeping him out for Tuesday game and this game. Very confident that he should be available for the next one."

With Spurs 1-0 down after Bryan Mbeumo's opener and pushing for an equaliser, Simons was withdrawn with just over ten minutes remaining and replaced by Mathys Tel.

There were loud boos around the stadium as Simons' number went up on the board, but it was Tel who then scored to get Spurs level five minutes later.

Richarlison put the hosts in front in stoppage time but Matthijs de Ligt headed home a dramatic equaliser in the 96th minute.

"But of course every single time I take a decision to sub a player it’s with one aim. To make the team win or get back into the game or try to see the game out. It’s with only one aim. To try to win the game.

"Mathys did well, great goal, great involvement and in general I think Xavi did a fine game. A positive but also you need a bit of freshness."

Pushed on whether he heard the boos after Simons' withdrawal, Frank added: "I'd just say every single time I make a decision, there's one aim and that is to make the team better."