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Tottenham Hotspur centre-back, Radu Dragusin has been recovering from an ACL injury throughout 2025 but has just taken a huge step on his quest to return to action.

Radu Dragusin has been out of action for Tottenham Hotspur since January after suffering a season-ending ACL injury. This came at a time when Spurs were in desperate need of centre-back reinforcements.

It was the Romanian’s injury that convinced Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs board to secure Kevin Danso’s services from Lens in the winter window.

Dragusin reassured Spurs supporters that he will work as hard as possible to recover quickly, and it appears that he has been making very good progress.

Dragusin has been steadily working his way back to full fitness, sharing footage of himself in the gym just two weeks after undergoing surgery.

The 23-year-old appears to be on course to make a return at the start of next season, with his latest social media post looking very promising.

On his social media, Dragusin posted a picture showing that he was out on the field, practising on his own with a bag full of footballs. His caption reads: “Off the radar, on a mission.”

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Postecoglou says Dragusin has a role to play in the Europa League finals

Dragusin, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison will all be devastated at missing out on the opportunity to play in a big European final.

However, they will be in and around the squad in the lead-up to the big game and will be very much involved in preparations.

Tottenham Hotspur could be without Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison for the Europa League final. Here are four options to replace Dejan Kulusevski in the Tottenham XI for the Europa League final

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a few blows ahead of the Europa League final, with Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison set to miss the clash on Wednesday, May 21.

Dejan Kulusevski suffered a knock to his knee in Spurs’ clash against Crystal Palace, although Ange Postecoglou provided an optimistic report on the injury after the game.

However, it was reported on Wednesday morning that Kulusevski is now a doubt to feature in the Tottenham squad for the Europa League final.

Should the Swede not recover in time, Ange Postecoglou would have to get creative as he searches for solutions. We have now identified four ways Spurs can set up in the absence of their creative 10s, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Pape Matar Sarr’s pressing could unlock Tottenham ten role

One of the options Postecoglou is set to have at his disposal should Kulusevski not make it in time for the final would be to push Pape Matar Sarr further up the pitch.

Doing this would help Tottenham to press and suffocate Manchester United very high, given the Senegalese’s work rate and pressing ability.

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However, while that could work, the issue with this setup is that Spurs would suffer when trying to break down United’s rest defence.

In possession, Sarr’s inability to pick out those killer passes could hinder Spurs’ attacking play, especially when United are looking to defend in numbers.

The Senegalese midfielder has also struggled for form in recent weeks, and his lack of creativity in the opposition box and final third makes him less ideal for this role.

Rodrigo Bentancur could advance further up the pitch

Another option that could be explored is Rodrigo Bentancur occupying the 10 role, while Archie Gray comes in to cover the deeper midfield.

Honestly, that setup inspires the least confidence, as Tottenham would be weakening their midfield by playing an out-of-form Gray and an inconsistent Yves Bissouma in the engine room.

While Bentancur has improved in recent weeks, particularly in the Europa League, it is always better if a side plays their best players in their best positions, as this would help them to maximise their full potential.

Gray has also struggled each time he has played in that deeper midfield role – it would be a huge risk playing him there in one of the biggest games of Tottenham’s season.

Postecoglou could return to Odobert 10 experiment

Another option available to Tottenham is playing Wilson Odobert in the 10 role, a move we have already seen Postecoglou deploy this season, with the young Frenchman playing in there briefly against Crystal Palace.

Postecoglou himself was quick to admit that most of the players who featured against Palace failed to take their chance to stake a place in the Europa League final.

The Tottenham boss also admitted that the only reason Odobert was moved to the central position against Palace was because he did not want to risk any of the players he would love to start in the final.

Odobert’s performance against Crystal Palace did not inspire much confidence either, as the winger did not complete any crosses, played one pass into the final third, was dispossessed twice, and completed no dribbles.

Richarlison and Dominic Solanke could make a Tottenham front two

A final option that could be tried out is playing Dominic Solanke and Richarlison up top together – and this time not as out-and-out forwards, but as fluid forwards who interchange their positions.

Dominic Solanke has proven to be effective outside the box this season, while Richarlison has shown that he can find the back of the net.

Having Solanke play as a second striker is another option available to Postecoglou. However, while it might sound good on paper, this is something we have not seen happen quite a lot this season.

In fact, the most recent occasion where these two played together was against Nottingham Forest in the dying moments of the game, and Richarlison did find the back of the net on that occasion.

Perhaps Postecoglou might test out this option against Aston Villa in the League to see whether it is a feasible plan.

Tottenham Hotspur could be hit with yet another major injury blow ahead of the Europa League final, with Dejan Kulusevski facing a race against time to be fit for the clash at Bilbao.

James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall recently joined long-term absentee Radu Dragusin on the treatment table, but Tottenham Hotspur had another injury scare during their 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Dejan Kulusevski was forced off on 19 minutes with a knee injury, with the Swede eventually being taken off after initially trying to soldier on.

Ange Postecoglou said after the game that Kulusevski had only sustained a knock and that he should be ready to go for the final, but it turns out that might not quite be true.

Dejan Kulusevski could miss Tottenham’s Europa League final

Manchester Evening News have now indicated that Postecoglou’s diagnosis might have been too optimistic. According to their sources, the attacking midfielder’s chances of being fit for Wednesday’s final in Bilbao have now been reduced.

Losing Kulusevski would come as a major blow to Postecoglou, given that he is already without his two other creative midfielders in Maddison and Bergvall.

Spurs fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that the 25-year-old makes it in time for the final.

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Who will Postecoglou turn to if Kulusevski is unavailable?

The Tottenham boss potentially faces a big dilemma regarding who to play as the number ten if Kulusevski does not recover in time.

He decided to experiment with Wilson Odobert in that role against Palace with minimal success. After the game, Ange Postecoglou indicated that playing Odobert centrally was borne out of necessity rather than something he had planned.

The other option for Postecoglou would be to pack his midfield with runners and play all three of Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentacnur, although that trio certainly does not scream creativity.

Ange Postecoglou has issued a pointed warning to Heung-min Son following the Tottenham captain’s timely return from injury, with the Europa League final on the horizon and silverware now within touching distance.

Tottenham Hotspur are just eight days away from stepping out onto the pitch at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao for their biggest game of the season.

The Lilywhites are still nursing a couple of injury concerns, with James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall both expected to miss the clash against Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Before that, however, Ange Postecoglou must navigate a tricky Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, where he will need to strike the right balance in selection to ensure his side are prepared for the final without risking further setbacks.

Ange Postecoglou sends warning message to Heung-min Son

Spurs have been handed a significant lift with the return to fitness of Heung-min Son, who is back in contention just in time for their European showdown.

The South Korean forward could feature against Aston Villa this weekend, with Ange Postecoglou keen to give his captain valuable minutes to build rhythm ahead of the trip to Bilbao.

Son will be desperate to make his mark in Europe this time around, having suffered heartbreak in the Champions League final in Madrid six years ago.

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Ange Postecoglou, however, was quick to reiterate that individual sentiment will not outweigh the needs of the team, and selection will be based on what is best for the club.

The manager said as relayed by The Daily Mail: “It comes down to getting him ready to play and then making a decision, he understands better than most what a trophy would do for this football club.

“And for him personally because he’s had an unbelievable career here in which he’s done just about everything.”

Postecoglou urges caution with Son as Spurs chase silverware

Postecoglou continued: “But the key bit, that silverware which every player craves, he knows how significant it would be for the club and him personally.

“So, the fact that he is back available is good. In terms of his fitness, he is progressing well. We should get him some game time against Villa on Friday and, if he trains right through, he should be in a good condition.”

Heung-min Son is without doubt part of Tottenham’s strongest XI to face Manchester United in the final. His big-game pedigree and leadership are crucial at this stage of the season.

The Korean winger also has a decent record against Manchester United, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 20 appearances, and Tottenham will be banking on him to deliver when it matters most on Wednesday, 21 May.

Tottenham could face a major summer dilemma as Real Madrid prepare to move for Cristian Romero, with the Spanish giants now keen to rebuild their back-line under incoming boss Xabi Alonso.

Cristian Romero’s future at Tottenham Hotspur remains uncertain, with the defender stating publicly that he would love to play in La Liga.

Atletico Madrid have shown interest in Romero, and reports have stated that Cristian Romero is in talks with Diego Simeone’s side.

The Spanish club are yet to meet Tottenham’s valuation of the Argentine, and should they fail to match the figure, it would be difficult to prise him away from north London.

Real Madrid eye Tottenham defender Cristian Romero in summer rebuild

Tottenham Hotspur are in the Europa League final, and they would be hoping to win the competition to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

The Lilywhites will hope that qualifying for Europe’s top competition proves enough to convince Cristian Romero to stay, although that could be complicated as another Spanish side are reportedly sniffing around.

According to a fresh report from The Sun, Real Madrid are set to target Romero this summer, as they aim to build a new defensive core ahead of next season.

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Incoming manager Xabi Alonso is said to be a strong admirer of Romero, and he reportedly sees the Argentine as a key piece who could help Real Madrid challenge for major trophies once again.

Spurs could lose Romero despite Champions League return

Real Madrid’s defence has been the problem area for much of this season, and the club now appear set on addressing that weakness during the upcoming window by investing in proven quality.

They have already agreed a deal to sign Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, and while the England international is an outstanding footballer going forward, questions remain regarding his defensive acumen – that is precisely why Romero has emerged as a serious target.

With the Europa League final a little over a week away, Ange Postecoglou still has some tough calls to make regarding his starting XI against Aston Villa on Friday night. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to face Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur are now a spot above the relegation zone, after suffering their 20th Premier League defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.

Next up for the Lilywhites is a trip to Villa Park, where they are set to take on Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, a side chasing a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Ange Postecoglou is set to have a selection headache, with the Australian now needing to decide whether or not to start his first eleven or give another chance to his fringe players.

Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to take on Aston Villa this weekend.

Predicted Tottenham XI vs Aston Villa in the Premier League

Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: Antonin Kinsky was handed a rare start against Crystal Palace and, to his credit, did not look out of place, making a couple of decent stops to keep the scoreline in check. However, with the Europa League final on the horizon, we expect Guglielmo Vicario to return between the sticks.

Right-back – Pedro Porro: Pedro Porro surprisingly started at the weekend when many thought he would be rested. But with the back four needing to rediscover some defensive rhythm ahead of the Manchester United fixture, Porro is expected to start for Tottenham once more.

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Centre-back – Cristian Romero: Cristian Romero was rested last time out and should come straight back into the heart of defence. His aggressive style and leadership are crucial if Tottenham are to get anything from this trip.

Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: We expect Micky van de Ven to feature in this clash on Friday night as Postecoglou would be hoping he can build some sharpness ahead of the United tie. Though it is unlikely he will play a full ninety.

Left-back – Destiny Udogie: Destiny Udogie is expected to return to the starting XI, replacing Djed Spence, who has endured a difficult few weeks.

Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: Yves Bissouma featured from the bench against Palace and should now be ready to reclaim his spot in Tottenham’s midfield.

Central midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: Rodrigo Bentancur was substituted at half-time against Palace in what appeared to be a pre-planned move. He is expected to start again this weekend.

Central midfielder – Pape Sarr: Dejan Kulusevski picked up a knock and will hopefully return to training soon, but his chances of starting the Europa League final are uncertain. There is a chance he starts this one from the bench, with Wilson Odobert or Pape Sarr taking his place.

Left midfielder – Richarlison: Heung-min Son made a brief appearance at the weekend, but it is unlikely he will be thrown in from the start. Richarlison is expected to feature on the left.

Striker – Dominic Solanke: Dominic Solanke was rested against Palace but should return to lead the line. His hold-up play and finishing ability will be key if Spurs are to threaten Villa’s defence.

Tottenham Hotspur are back under the lights this Friday night, as Ange Postecoglou’s men travel to Villa Park in what is their final league game before their decisive Europa League final matchup. Here’s how to watch the clash between Tottenham and Aston Villa on Friday.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action later this week, after the league granted Spurs’ request to have the fixture against Aston Villa rescheduled to accommodate their Europa League run.

The last time these two sides met, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, producing a stunning second-half display that blew Unai Emery’s men away.

Aston Villa are firmly in the race for a UEFA Champions League place, currently sitting sixth and trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by just three points as the season nears its conclusion.

This upcoming meeting will be Spurs’ final league outing before they head to Bilbao to take on Manchester United in the Europa League final – a historic opportunity for the north London club.

When and where is the game?

The Premier League fixture between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur will take place at Villa Park on Friday, 16 May 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 PM (UK time).

How to watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa in the Premier League

Supporters in the United Kingdom can catch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR, with full coverage and analysis available across both platforms.

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Spurs and Aston Villa team news ahead of Villa Park clash

Tottenham Hotspur are heading into this encounter with several notable injury concerns. Radu Dragusin is sidelined with an ACL injury and will miss the remainder of the season, while James Maddison is also unavailable following the knee injury he sustained in the first leg against Bodo/Glimt.

Lucas Bergvall is another absentee, ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to ankle ligament damage, adding to Ange Postecoglou’s selection headache.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, have their issues, with Jacob Ramsey suspended for this one. Marcus Rashford is also set to miss out with a hamstring problem, while Youri Tielemans remains unavailable due to a muscular injury.

Spurs Web Prediction

Tottenham’s performances in the Premier League have been appalling, to say the least. Aston Villa, driven by the lure of Champions League football, will be determined to get the better of Spurs under the Friday night lights.

Ange Postecoglou may choose to field his strongest available side, aiming to rebuild momentum before their European final on 21 May.

Tottenham could nick a result if they replicate the kind of football they have played in the Europa League this season. However, Villa’s energy and directness might be too much to handle, and the Lilywhites could very well slump to their 21st league defeat of the campaign.

Eric Dier has opened up on what it feels like to finally win the first trophy of his career, admitting that he feared he would never be able to win one before hanging up his boots after failing to get over the line time and again at Tottenham.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side would arguably go down in history as one of the best sides to have never won any silverware.

Under the Argentine, Spurs competed for the Premier League twice, amassing 86 points during the 2016-17 season and falling short in various semifinals and finals, including the 2019 Champions League final.

After going through the heartbreak of that Tottenham journey, Harry Kane and Eric Dier now finally have the sweet feeling of success after Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions.

Eric Dier admits the winning feeling is better than he imagined

Eric Dier has now opened up on the feeling of failing at the final hurdle with Tottenham and England over the best part of the last decade, admitting that the journey makes this success even sweeter. The centre-back admitted that there is a bit of relief, given what he went through in North London.

Dier said (via The Sun): “To win a trophy feels good and it feels better than anyone has ever described. Obviously, it’s been a long time coming. The longer you go, the more you wonder if it’ll happen. And I think that is normal, especially when you have close calls and you don’t get it.

“I think back a lot to the first season at Spurs when we were in the Carabao Cup final in 2015 and we lost that. There are always a lot of ‘what-ifs’ in your life and your career. And if I had got a trophy that early on, then who knows what would have happened.

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“But it doesn’t matter now, I’ve got it. It’s been an amazing year. Being in an environment where you learn how to win and what it takes to do it, does help. There’s an aspect of relief that you’ve finally done it. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders in that sense, but obviously it is not about me or any individual, it’s a huge collective effort.”

When asked about the fact that he won it alongside his longtime friend and teammate Kane, Dier responded: “Yes, for me to win it with Harry is incredibly special. We’ve played together since we were 20 and in the England national teams before that. We were together when we officially won it the other night and that was a special moment for us.”

Dier reveals he could have stayed at Bayern Munich

The former Tottenham man will leave the Allianz Arena when his contract runs out at the end of this season.

Dier has now confirmed that the Bundesliga giants did offer him a one-year extension, but he decided to sign for Monaco, who showed that they really wanted him by offering a two-year contract.

The England international said about his departure from Bavaria: “We had good conversations with the club, but just couldn’t find an agreement, so then I started to look at what I thought would be the best opportunity for myself.

“Now I’m very excited. You don’t have regrets, but when you’re in one place for a long time, you don’t realise the big world out there. Football is very big in lots of different countries, and you can learn a lot just by moving around and into different cultures, different types of football, different leagues — so I think it’ll do me good.

“Monaco really, really wanted me, and I appreciated that. They made all the effort for me to go there, so I’m talking about it, but I don’t think it’s official yet!”

Johnny Cardoso is reportedly expecting several offers to leave Real Betis this season, and Tottenham Hotspur may not be able to strike a deal with the midfielder despite their clause to buy him this summer.

It has been widely reported over recent weeks that Spurs are expected to activate the £21m option to buy Cardoso this summer, with the North London club convinced that the midfielder will be a valuable addition to the squad.

That is not surprising when one considers the way the 23-year-old has kicked on this season, with the American quickly establishing a reputation as one of the best players in his position in La Liga.

However, over recent weeks, some sources from Spain have suggested that Cardoso may turn down a move to Tottenham and remain at Betis for one more season, and a fresh update has now explained why the operation might be complicated for the Lilywhites to complete.

Johnny Cardoso is expecting more lucrative offers than Tottenham

According to El Desmarque, the Betis man has not yet decided where he wants to play his football next season.

The report points out that Tottenham’s clause is only active during June and explains that even if the Premier League side activates the clause, Johnny Cardoso ‘will have the last word’ on whether he wants to move to N17.

The outlet reveals that Cardoso could remain at Benito Villamarín Stadium for one more season and that the player’s entourage are also confident that both Man United and Atletico Madrid will make offers for him.

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While Cardoso is happy and settled in Seville, his representatives are aware that they could receive ‘better offers’, both in terms of sporting merit and financially.

Spurs’ chances of signing Cardoso might depend on one factor

A player of Cardoso’s reputation and potential will be wanted by several top clubs, and he will thus have to be convinced that he can win trophies at Spurs in order to greenlight a move to North London.

One would think that Tottenham would be in a much better position to do that if they win the Europa League and secure qualification to the Champions League.

In fact, one can argue Spurs’ chances of signing many of their top transfer targets this summer could be heavily influenced by the result of next week’s final.

Eric Dier has just won the first trophy of his career, and the centre-back is now desperate for Tottenham Hotspur to break their own trophy drought and lift the Europa League title next week.

It has been 17 years since Tottenham Hotspur last won a piece of silverware, and there have been several great Spurs sides that have since fallen at the final hurdle or two, repeatedly failing to get over the line.

Eric Dier and Harry Kane were part of most of those sides, but they have now managed to get their hands on silverware, with Bayern being crowned Bundesliga champions.

Kane has admitted that he will be cheering Spurs on against Man United, and his Bayern teammate has now also spoken about the upcoming Europa League final.

Eric Dier claims Tottenham are on the cusp of an incredible achievement

Dier has even more connections with the current Spurs set-up than Kane does, with the centre-back having worked under Ange Postecoglou for the first half of last season before making the switch to Germany.

The 31-year-old has now confessed that he would be incredibly pleased to see his former teammates and coaches get over the line and lift the trophy in Bilbao.

When asked about Tottenham’s upcoming Europa League final, Dier said (via The Sun): “It will be incredible, and I still know a lot of the players and so much of the staff. So, I’d be incredibly happy for them to win and for the club.”

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Eric Dier still has England ambitions

Dier came for a lot of flak during his final few seasons in the Premier League, but he has proven his doubters wrong, playing a key role for Bayern, both under Thomas Tuchel and Vincent Kompany.

The centre-back will leave Bavaria this summer to join Monaco this summer, and being stuck on 49 England caps since 2022, the former Tottenham man still has not given up hope of reaching a quarter of a century and more, with Tuchel now at the helm of the Three Lions.

When asked if he believes he can still feature for England, Dier simply responded: “I hope so. I think I’m playing my best football.”