Football London

Former Tottenham youngster Paul-Jose M'Poku says he always knew one of his team-mates was 'in advance' of the rest

Former Tottenham prospect Paul-Jose M'Poku arrived at the club aged 15 during Gareth Bale's rise to prominence in north London and played alongside Harry Kane. Yet when it comes to the biggest teenage talents he remembers from his time at the club, John Bostock's name stands out.

Bostock signed for the club from Crystal Palace in 2008, just weeks ahead of M'Poku, and the starlet's former colleague says he fully deserved the attention surrounding him. Neither player managed to establish themselves in Spurs' senior squad but both flourished abroad before reconnecting this year in Baller League, the small-sided tournament featuring ex-Premier League pros alongside talented players who never made it at the highest level.

"He was already, let's say, his body and his mind, everything was already in advance compared to most of us. So you will see things that you never see from a young player at this age," M'Poku told Express Sport.

The two players remain close and their journeys followed comparable trajectories. Both joined Spurs for substantial sums as teenagers - Bostock commanded £700,000 following his Crystal Palace debut at 15 while M'Poku also set Spurs back a decent amount after starting out in the Standard Liege academy - and both went on travel the world during their respective careers.

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Bostock featured in five different countries after just a handful of cup outings with Spurs while M'Poku played in nine, most recently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia. The winger - now 34 - is still banging the drum for young players keen to broaden their horizons and recognise the wealth of opportunities beyond the English football pyramid.

"I told him many times you should go abroad and he actually went abroad and he did really well," M'Poku added. "He went to France and he won the best player in Ligue 2 [award] with Lens and he had some great experience in Belgium and everything.

"I really believe more English players should do that, because, sometimes there are so many opportunities and good clubs and good leagues abroad that give young players the chance to play.

"I was speaking with [academy director] Alex Inglethorpe in Liverpool. I was speaking about how, for me, young players need to go abroad because not everyone will make it to the Premier League."

M'Poku arrived in England as a 15-year-old who couldn't speak the language and faced a steep learning curve. However, a year on loan with Leyton Orient alongside fellow Spurs loanees Kane and Tom Carroll made a huge difference for him.

The move represented his first experience of senior football and establishing the groundwork for a career that took him far and wide. He might not have played Premier League football but Serie A and Super Lig minutes demonstrated he had the talent to succeed.

"I was feeling like I was a young man, but living like a pro," he said. "[From] 15 years old, you have gym, you have hard training, they put you in the Premier League atmosphere, but at your age, let's say they're trying to prepare you for what the Premier League is demanding and everything.

"So for me it was a little bit of shock in the first few months. I was so tired, sleeping all the time. My body was not used to it and then I got used to it."

"One of the things that helped me so much was being able to go on loan at Leyton Orient at a young age with Harry Kane and Tom Carroll. It was really good for my development."

Ultimately, that coveted first-team opportunity never materialised at Spurs, although he did feature in a matchday squad for an FA Cup fixture under Harry Redknapp. The presence of Bale and Aaron Lennon proved an insurmountable obstacle on his path to the senior side, and he eventually made his return to Standard Liege.

A distinguished career followed, encompassing 22 senior caps for the Democratic Republic of Congo and in excess of 300 top-flight appearances. Fellow former Spurs academy product Sam Cox persuaded M'Poku to join Baller League, more than a decade after they shared digs in London, and he took the plunge after leaving his most recent club in Saudi Arabia.

"My first impression is good because it's giving hope also to other players that didn't really make it as a professional like me," he said. "For me it's another way to play football and for other people to dream that they can maybe play one day in the Baller League."

He highlights the crowds at the Copper Box Arena where the games are played regularly get into the thousands. This means more people have been in attendance for his Baller League exploits than watched certain top-flight games during his professional career.

He also wants to emphasise that nobody should presume a top-flight career adequately equips them for what he has encountered in Baller League. "I grew up playing in the street and playing futsal and to be honest, it's not the same," he said.

"It's really a new era of football. If you only played futsal, you won't be able to play there. If you only played [11-a-side] football, you won't be able to play there. So it's in between.

"You have to understand quick, you have to think quick, you have to do things in another way. Don't come here and say 'I played in the Prem, it will be easy' or 'I played futsal and it will be easy'. No, no, no, no, no. It's a different game."

We asked our Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to name the team they would like to see face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday

Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of his third Tottenham game on Saturday and it must bring his first win at the helm as they travel to Wolves in the Premier League.

Molineux has not been a happy hunting ground for Spurs over recent years. They have not won a league game there since a 1-0 victory back in August 2021 and the last time the north London club overcame Wolves in any location came the following year. With Tottenham in 18th place and two points from safety with just five matches to go, they must bring that poor run to an end this weekend.

We asked our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to select the team that they would like to see De Zerbi pick to face Wanderers on Saturday afternoon. Here's what they came up with.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent

Destiny Udogie looks to be out of this game if the information coming from in and round the club is correct and that means De Zerbi will have to choose between Djed Spence and 19-year-old Souza for the spot.

The Brazilian got plenty of experience last season in a relegation fight with Santos but has not played a minute of football in more than a month and was not included in the first two matchday squads under the new boss.

I'd stick with most of the team that performed well against Brighton for large periods on Saturday, including the experienced midfield pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, together for the first time since the Europa League final in Bilbao 11 months ago.

The only change I might make is bringing in Mathys Tel in place of Randal Kolo Muani. De Zerbi will probably prefer the latter as he is more natural on the right but Tel just has that little bit more hunger and trickery which Tottenham need at Molineux.

Gold's team: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bissouma; Tel, Gallagher, Xavi; Solanke.

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Ryan Taylor - Sports reporter

Tottenham Hotspur have outlined Fabio Paratici's successor as Johan Lange looks to appoint a co-sporting director

Sebastian Kehl is the leading candidate to join Tottenham Hotspur as their co-sporting director. The North London club are looking for someone to provide support to Johan Lange after Fabio Paratici left the club to join Fiorentina in January.

The Italian, who initially left Spurs in 2023 before returning, worked alongside Lange as the club's joint sporting director but expressed a desire to return to his native country. According to various reports, the Premier League strugglers have held discussions with the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

Kehl left a similar role at the Bundesliga club in March, while The Athletic has reported that no former offer has been made, he is among the leading contenders, but is currently undecided on his next steps.

It has been said that Tottenham's hierarchy want Kehl alongside Lange to rebuild the squad, as their Premier League status hangs in the balance. Spurs sit two points off safety with five matches left.

In a tweet to X, Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg said: "Sebastian Kehl is now the leading candidate for a role as Tottenham’s new director.

"Spurs’ board want him to rebuild the team alongside Johan Lange. Kehl’s career as a top player, his management skills and his extensive international network are highly valued within the club and during the conversations.

"However, a quick decision does not appear imminent. Sources close to Kehl indicate that the former BVB sporting director has not yet decided whether he wants to return to the game immediately or take some time off first."

The 43-year-old departed Signal Iduna Park last month, leaving a club where he made 274 league appearances, as part of a major shake-up following a trophyless season for Dortmund.

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Kehl held the position for nearly five years after he was appointed as the successor to Michael Zorc, a successful football director in Germany, who was in situ when Dortmund won the Bundesliga three times.

The former midfielder is said to have other options and has been the subject of consistent links with a return to a senior position at Bundesliga clubs, namely Hamburg.

Lange is said to have been behind the recruitment process to find his sporting director partner, having worked with Paratici briefly before he left the club.

After the Italian left the club, he said speaking to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera: "The Premier League is as good as the NBA. I’ll just tell you that the head of human resources evaluated 50 resumes for my assistant. Everything there is perfect, and of a superior standard.

"They run more, but above all they run the ball faster. They have to learn to pass better for that, and the training pitches are always mowed and wet. Technique comes naturally that way."

Paratici was banned for 30 months by FIFA after being found guilty of false accounting during his tenure at Juventus. While the Turin club were hit with a 10-point deduction, his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year ban was rejected by Italy's highest sports court.

With the 53-year-old in position at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs made a number of high-profile signings, including Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, among others.

Tottenham face yet another huge Premier League match this weekend as they travel to Wolverhampton looking to get out of the bottom three

Tottenham's performance at Wolves this Saturday will go a long way to deciding their Premier League status as they look to put pressure on West Ham.

Despite a much-improved performance from Spurs against in-form Brighton, it is now 15 matches without a victory in the Premier League and the north London side have won only seven games all season in the competition. That leaves them 18th in the table and two points from safety behind West Ham, five points from Nottingham Forest and now nine points behind Leeds with a game in hand after Daniel Farke's side's draw at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.

Forest travel to Sunderland on Friday night, before West Ham host Everton at the same time as Tottenham play at bottom side Wolves, who had their relegation confirmed last weekend. Manchester City's win at Burnley on Wednesday evening rubberstamped their drop back into the Championship.

Spurs will be desperate to avoid that same fate and Roberto De Zerbi will need to get his team selection spot on if the north London side are to win their first Premier League game of 2026. Working on the assumption that Destiny Udogie will miss the game through injury, which appears to be a strong suggestion from in and around the club, here are five different ways De Zerbi could line up Spurs.

Use Spence

A simple first line-up would be for the Italian to keep the same side that started and performed well against top of the form table Brighton but with just the one change at left-back.

If Udogie is, as expected, out of the game at Molineux then the next in line for the left-back spot in terms of seniority is Djed Spence. The England international is yet to start under De Zerbi and this could be his chance to show what he can do.

The issue of course is that Spence provides less width than Udogie because he is not left-footed, so more often than not will cut inside on to his right foot.

Elsewhere the team would remain the same with Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma in the middle and Conor Gallagher in the more advanced number 10 role with Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani either side behind Dominic Solanke.

Souza time

If De Zerbi does want some balance down that flank then he could turn to 19-year-old Souza to come in at left-back to replace Udogie.

It's a big ask to bring the teenager in for such a crucial relegation battle game but the Brazilian had plenty of experience last season in a relegation fight with Santos.

The main issue for Souza is that he has not played a minute of football in more than a month and was not even included in the past two matchday squads under De Zerbi so he is going to be rusty as anything for a massive clash where any mistake will be seized upon.

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Xavi in the 10

Xavi came to life on Saturday with that great assist against Brighton for Pedro Porro's goal and then his spectacular curling strike which looked to have won the game for Spurs before the late heartbreak.

The question for De Zerbi is whether he impacted the game better from the left or whether he could have even more involvement in a central position behind the striker.

One danger with Xavi on the flank is that the full-back does not get much cover unless a midfielder comes across to help out but De Zerbi is also a big fan of Gallagher and the former Chelsea midfielder played his best game so far in a Spurs shirt with his all-action pressing display against Brighton.

If Xavi were to come into the 10 role then Gallagher would either have to drop out for Mathys Tel, come into a deeper role or be shoved out awkwardly on the flank.

Gray or Bergvall return

Another option is to bring one or both of the 20-year-old midfielders in, with Archie Gray one of Spurs' most in-form players in recent months and Lucas Bergvall making a major impact when he came on and won the ball back before assisting Xavi's strike.

The problem with bringing either in would be disrupting the experienced midfield of Bentancur and Bissouma who looked bright and were back together in the engine room for the first time since the Europa League Final win against Manchester United in Bilbao 11 months ago.

"[Bentancur] had a great game. Like Bissouma, both are very important for us as personalities, as experience. They know, they have a great connection between them," said De Zerbi.

"We have also Archie Gray, Joao Palhinha, Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall. Lucas played 10 minutes, but he changed the game. We have a lot of good players."

Tel comes in

There are a couple of attacking changes that De Zerbi could make. One is to swap Solanke out for Richarlison and another is to bring in Tel for Kolo Muani.

De Zerbi holds Solanke in very high regard though and the way he spoke after the game suggested that Kolo Muani is the most at risk of the front players who started against Brighton.

"I would like all attackers to play like Solanke and Xavi today. They are not arrogant, but they believed in themselves and were clear," he said.

"I have to work with Kolo Muani. He is a big talent. I want to help him not only to win a game, but just for him to show what he is able to do on the pitch."

The Premier League club have received a fine and warnings from UEFA after something that happened in their Champions League game

Tottenham Hotspur have been fined £10,000 and given a warning by UEFA, as has former interim head coach Igor Tudor, following events at their Champions League game at Atletico Madrid.

Spurs' match in Spain last month caught the eye mainly for the north London side's nightmare start to proceeding which saw them 4-0 down within 22 minutes and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky hauled off after just 17 minutes following a couple of gaffes.

However, the club have also found themselves charged and sanctioned for incidents within the Champions League last 16 clash.

UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body decided that Tottenham, who received five yellow cards to their starting XI in the match, should receive a warning for "improper conduct of the team" for picking up five or more bookings in the encounter in Madrid. The body also decided that the London club should be fined 10,000 euros (£8,656) for causing a late kick-off and their ex-boss Tudor was also handed a warning for the delayed kick-off.

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Spurs lost the first leg 5-2 to Diego Simeone's men and despite a rallying 3-2 win eight days later it was not enough for them to progress to the quarter-finals and Tudor would later leave his post, to be replaced by Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi's task now, after signing a big five-year contract with the club, is to keep the Lilywhites in the Premier League as they currently sit 18th in the table and two points from safety.

This Saturday they make the trip to already relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, knowing that they must finally win a league match in 2026.

Roberto De Zerbi has struggled for form since signing a long-term deal with Tottenham Hotspur at the end of March, as the club stare down the barrel of relegation

Facundo Medina has explained that he was "furious" with Roberto De Zerbi's decision to leave Marseille in February.

The 46-year-old was in charge of the Ligue 1 giants for just two years before he left via mutual consent following a torrid run of form and the club's early exit from the Champions League. After a brief break in managerial duties, the Italian was appointed as the new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur in late March.

It marked the club's third manager this season, following the dismissal of Thomas Frank in February and Igor Tudor's departure after just 44 days and seven games in charge.

However, Marseille defender Medina has now opened up about his former coach's decision to part ways with the French outfit. Speaking with RMC Sport, he said: " For me, it deeply annoyed me, I was furious."

The Argentine also explained how he had brought up his frustration with De Zerbi in the aftermath, adding: "It bothered me a lot, I told Roberto.

"He and I have a very sincere relationship because we have somewhat similar backgrounds. We share a similar childhood and this fire or this passion that lives within us.

"That's why it hurts me so much when I know that some people make sacrifices to support us, and we can't reciprocate that investment."

He continued: "His departure hurt, it was disruptive, but it's our responsibility to continue our mission. We couldn't control it, we have to take responsibility for our mistakes.

"I came here to be part of a project. Six months later the coach left, then the president, and soon (sporting director) Medhi Benatia...

"These are blows that hurt, and we're human beings, we can be affected. But personally, it will never stop me from stepping onto the pitch with the desire, the hunger, the will, and the right attitude."

De Zerbi has failed to secure victory in his first two matches at the helm of Spurs, suffering a 1-0 loss to Sunderland AFC on his debut before being held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton at the weekend.

Up next for the head coach is a trip to Molineux to face a rock-bottom Wolves side come Saturday, April 25, where he will hope for his first win.

Chelsea have parted company with another head coach and that could have a knock-on effect for their London rivals and their relegation battle

Tottenham and Chelsea appear to be in a fight this season to be the more chaotic of the London clubs although Spurs have a more perilous battle on their hands.

Spurs currently sit 18th in the Premier League table and just two points behind West Ham with only five games remaining of the season. Nottingham Forest lie in 16th, with five points more than Tottenham and three more than the Hammers. Above them all are Chelsea in eight place who sacked their head coach Liam Rosenior on Wednesday, just three months and 106 days after he replaced Enzo Maresca at the helm.

The former Strasbourg boss recorded just 11 wins in 23 matches and Tuesday's 3-0 loss at Brighton was Chelsea's fifth consecutive Premier League defeat without scoring, their worst scoreless run in 114 years.

But what does that have to do with Tottenham, who have gone through four head coaches themselves in the past nine months or so?

Well, Chelsea are set to have a big say in the relegation battle in the next five games. They host Nottingham Forest on Monday, May 4 at Stamford Bridge and while Forest might seem out of the relegation battle right now, it's worth remembering that aside from a tricky run-in, they also have two big Europa League semi-final legs against Aston Villa to fit around that Chelsea game with a squad that is starting to pick up some injuries to key players.

So having a potential new manager bounce at Chelsea with their expensively-assembled squad getting a new leading voice could kick them back into life. It's not a particularly fresh voice of sorts as Rosenior's assistant Calum McFarlane has taken over as interim manager until the end of the season, but the players will no doubt want to prove it wasn't their fault on the new man's home debut.

The mixed blessing though to any uptick in form is that Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham must also travel to Stamford Bridge, a place where victories are near non-existent for them. With Rosenior's scoreless struggles, there might have been more hope of a win finally arriving there, but a change in the dugout might dampen those hopes.

The Lilywhites are currently scheduled to travel the short journey across London to Chelsea on May 17, set with a standard 3pm kick-off. However, that could yet be moved if the Blues overcome Leeds in their FA Cup semi-final, McFarlane's first match, this coming Sunday. That is because the final at Wembley would be played on Saturday May 16. So the new Chelsea interim boss could immediately have an impact on Tottenham with his first game at the helm.

Johan Lange already has a 'clear picture of which positions and profiles' to target in the summer, but the Tottenham sporting director could be forced to scrap his plan.

Tottenham Hotspur appear keen to appoint a co-sporting director. Earlier this year, the Lilywhites announced the departure of Fabio Paratici, leaving Johan Lange in charge of recruitment ahead of the summer.

In an interview with the club website a few weeks later, shortly after the January transfer window had slammed shut, the Spurs chief announced his 'big ambitions of strengthening the team'. Lange claimed he already had a 'clear picture of which positions and profiles' to target.

However, the Dane could be forced to rethink his plans if Vinai Venkatesham drafts in a new director to assist him. According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, Sebastian Kehl has emerged as a leading candidate for such a role.

The report claims that Tottenham want the 46-year-old to rebuild the team alongside Lange. It's said that the Lilywhites 'highly value' his playing career, management skills, and 'extensive international network'.

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Kehl only parted ways with Borussia Dortmund last month after four years as a sporting director. The German was tasked with restoring the Bundesliga outfit to its former glory when he replaced the long-standing Michael Zorc in 2022.

But, during his four years at the helm, Dortmund never lifted a piece of silverware. They did, however, almost win the German top-flight in Kehl's debut campaign, missing out on goal difference on the final day of the season.

So, with that being said, football.london have looked at some of Kehl's best and worst signings at the Signal Iduna Park.

Kehl's best signings

Niklas Sule

Sule was the first addition of the Kehl era at the Signal Iduna Park, arriving on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Bayern Munich. The Germany international was an excellent addition to the backline, chalking up over 100 appearances for Dortmund.

Unfortunately for Sule, whose deal will run out in the summer, his time at the club was plagued with injury. The centre-back will become a free agent again at the end of the season, unless he decides to extend his stay.

Nico Schlotterbeck

Shortly after getting his hands on Sule, Kehl signed Schlotterbeck from Freiburg for just €25m (£21.7m). He, too, became, and remains, a stalwart in the Dortmund backline, tallying over 150 appearances for the club.

Despite his injury problems as well, the defender has also established himself as a regular for Germany ahead of the World Cup. Shortly after it was announced that Kehl would step down as sporting director, Schlotterbeck signed a contract extension, keeping him at the Signal Iduna Park until June 2031.

Serhou Guirassy

Kehl didn't get his hands on another genuine ceiling-raiser until July 2024 when he signed Guirassy from Stuttgart for just €17.5m (£14.7m). After an incredible breakout campaign in the Bundesliga, the former Dortmund chief wasted no time in signing the striker, who has since scored 57 goals and counting in just 92 appearances across all competitions.

Kehl's worst signings

Jadon Sancho

Dortmund operated on a hamstrung budget during the early days of Kehl's spell as a sporting director, so, naturally, he was very picky, and therefore had very few signings which could be classed as mistakes. The 46-year-old did, however, re-sign Jadon Sancho on loan in January 2024.

Although the Manchester United winger started and ended his second spell at the Signal Iduna Park fairly well, he didn't have the desired impact. Sancho returned to Old Trafford at the end of the season, and is now on loan at Aston Villa.

Carney Chukwuemeka

Chukwuemeka was one of a few pretty disappointing arrivals last summer, which marked the beginning of the end for Kehl at Dortmund. After what was a pretty tame season-long loan from Chelsea, the German giants forked out £24m for the midfielder.

The 22-year-old has since struggled to establish himself as a key player, making most of his appearances from off the bench. To put Chukwuemeka's time at Dortmund into perspective, he's only ever completed 90 minutes for the club once and it was last weekend.

Fabio Silva

Jobe Bellingham could very well have featured on this list, but Fabio Silva claims the third and final spot. Dortmund signed the 23-year-old striker from Wolves for €27m (£23.4m) last summer after a pretty average season in La Liga.

While out on loan at Las Palmas, Silva scored 10 goals in 24 Spanish top-flight appearances. Despite having performed well below expectations since the Premier League outfit paid Porto about £35m for his signature in September 2020, Dortmund became the next club to take a punt.

Although Silva hasn't featured much this term, playing just over 1,000 minutes, he only has two goals to his name across all competitions. Fortunately for Kehl, Guirassy, who he signed a couple of years ago, hasn't missed a beat.

Tottenham Hotspur are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League and are now looking to hire a sports psychologist to help the squad out

Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new club psychologist to help the players in their squad who are mentally drained.

Spurs find themselves in an unexpected relegation battle, with Roberto De Zerbi's side currently rooted to 18th place in the Premier League, following the new head coach's appointment in the aftermath of the departures of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor.

Tottenham have lost to Sunderland draw with Brighton in the club's two Premier League fixtures since De Zerbi was appointed on a long-term deal.

The club are now taking extraordinary steps in their bid to avoid the drop to the Championship.

Xavi Simons appeared to have helped steer Tottenham away from the danger zone against Brighton with a long-range strike at the weekend, only for a stoppage-time leveller from Seagulls star Georginio Rutter to see them drop two precious points in the battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The club are now actively seeking a sports psychologist in a bid to address the mental fragility gripping their underperforming squad.

In a job listing, Spurs stated: "Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is committed to building a world-class performance environment for our Men’s First Team.

"As part of this ambition, we are seeking an outstanding Performance Psychologist to join our Performance Team. This is a high-impact role embedded within the Men’s First Team environment at Hotspur Way.

“Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team you will lead the delivery of evidence-based psychological support to elite professional players.

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"The role encompasses individual player support, systemic work across the coaching and performance staff, and the ongoing development of a psychologically informed performance culture throughout the team.

“This role demands a practitioner who is credible, discreet, and highly effective in a Premier League environment, capable of building trust with players and coaches while operating with the professional rigor expected at the highest level of the game.”

An identical position has also been advertised for their women's side.

The job post comes days after De Zerbi emphasised the importance of the "mentality" of the players in the battle to avoid relegation.

"My job is not now to change the style of play. I did two or three things with the ball, two or three things without the ball, but the crucial part is not with the ball or without the ball. It's in our mentality to be positive," De Zerbi said after the defeat to Sunderland earlier this month.

"We have to find the right energy, the right spirit. When they stay with me during the week, they will find a positive coach because I believe in them. They are human and ‌maybe they are suffering too much.

"We have to stay all together and close and improve in the details of the football, but to be better as a mentality."

Tottenham return to action on Saturday against an already-relegated Wolves outfit. More dropped points in the trip to Molineux could see Spurs move even closer to being relegated to the Championship

De Zerbi's squad then travel to Aston Villa before welcoming Leeds United, followed by fixtures against Chelsea and Everton before the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur will be closely monitoring Luka Vuskovic, who suffered a knee injury in training earlier this month.

Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa has provided an update on Luka Vuskovic. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee suffered a knee injury in training earlier this month, and he's missed each of the German outfit's last two games.

Hamburg had only conceded seven goals in their previous five Bundesliga matches with Vuskovic in the backline. But since the Croatia international has been sidelined with a slight ligament strain, they've let in just as many in only two games.

Speaking to German outlet Bild ahead of Hamburg's clash against Hoffenheim on Saturday, April 25, Claus Costa outlined the challenges of managing the teenager's injury. The sporting director said: "A knee sprain or contusion causes internal bleeding.

"This makes it difficult to control the knee precisely and correctly. That’s something that takes time. Of course, we miss Luka. Because he’s not on the pitch, he’s somewhat sidelined."

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The Hamburg chief continued: "We have to be patient and wait until he’s available again. I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to play again this season.

"If he’s fit to play, nothing can stop him. He’s extremely ambitious and desperately wants to play for us again. That’s why we’re confident."

According to Bild, the joint in Vuskovic's knee was 'more severely damaged' than originally thought, preventing him from beginning any individual rehabilitation work on the grass. However, Sportske Novosti, a newspaper in Croatia, later downplayed concerns, claiming the centre-back was due a break, having clocked well over 2,000 minutes this season.

Then, local outlet Hamburger Abendblatt reported that the final decision on a return to action would rest with the Lilywhites due to a clause in the loan agreement. Ultimately, football.london understands that Spurs will make the final call.

Vuskovic has featured 25 times in the German top flight this season, scoring five goals from centre-back. The Croatian has helped the newly promoted outfit distance themselves from a relegation scrap, with seven points separating them from the bottom two.

Since joining Hamburg, Vuskovic has established himself as one of the most promising young players in Europe, earning great praise from the likes of Lothar Matthaus, Vincent Kompany, and Luka Modric. Naturally, the 19-year-old defender has been linked with moves to several top clubs, but he's under contract with Tottenham until June 2030.

In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung earlier this month, Vuskovic provided an update on his future. On one day playing with his brother, Mario, who was given a four-year ban from football in November 2022 for a doping offence, he said: "In football, you never know.