Football London

Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on Pape Matar Sarr after the Tottenham midfielder was taken off early in the second half against Aston Villa on Friday night.

Sarr headed straight down the tunnel at Villa Park after he was replaced by Yves Bissouma just seven minutes into the second half. Speaking after the match, Postecoglou confirmed the midfielder felt something in his back.

There was also some concern for Mikey Moore, who was taken off in the closing stages of the 2-0 loss, but the teenager was simply suffering with fatigue.

The Australian told reporters: "Pape felt something in his back so we took him off as a bit of a precaution. I don’t think it’s anything too significant speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back and I think Mikey (Moore) was okay. It was fatigue as much as anything else. He hasn’t played that sort of amount of minutes before."

The injury scare will be a huge worry for Tottenham, who play Manchester United in the Europa League final next Wednesday. The likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall have all picked up injuries in recent weeks and, judging by his team selection against Villa, Postecoglou did not want to take any further risks.

Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Brendan Johnson, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke all did not start against Unai Emery's side.

After a resolute first half from Tottenham, the home side took the lead soon after the break as Ezri Konsa smashed the ball in from close range after a Ollie Watkins header from a corner. Boubacar Kamara doubled Villa's lead with 73 minutes played and, in truth, Tottenham never really looked like getting back into the game.

On the game Postecoglou added: "I thought up until they scored the boys had worked hard, they were really disciplined and organised. We didn't really let them create too many clear openings.

"We had our moments as well, going the other way, but once they scored we lost a little bit of belief. We got a little bit fatigued. A lot of those guys haven't played a lot and we looked like we were fatiguing and then the game just got away from us."

Ange Postecoglou is speaking to the media following the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday evening.

In a makeshift side with the Europa League final in mind, Postecoglou did hand Son Heung-min his first start since mid-April, with a first Premier League start of the season for Sergio Reguilon and 17-year-old Mikey Moore was also handed a start while Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie did not even travel to Villa Park. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was on the bench with the rest of the likely starters in the final as Antonin Kinsky started the game.

The first half brought an organised display from the makeshift Spurs line-up and they had a few good chances through Son and Wilson Odobert, while Antonin Kinsky made a great save from Ollie Watkins.

However, in the second half Villa found the breakthrough after the hour mark when Ezri Konsa hooked home after a corner was headed into the six-yard box. Villa scored a second with just over 15 minutes remaining. Boubacar Kamara found space on the edge of the box and his low shot flew past Kinsky.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou after the 21st Premier League defeat of the season for the north London outfit. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Villa Park.

Tottenham lost 2-0 at Aston Villa in their penultimate Premier League match of the season on Friday night and here are our Spurs player ratings from the game.

Ange Postecoglou went for a much-changed Tottenham line-up to the one that will likely play in the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday. It does mean though that a number of players will be without any match action in their legs for almost two weeks by the time the game in Spain comes around but the injury to Dejan Kulusevski, who required surgery to his patella in his right knee, looks to have shaken the Spurs boss.

Postecoglou handed Son Heung-min his first start since mid-April, with a first Premier League start of the season for Sergio Reguilon and 17-year-old Mikey Moore was also handed a start while Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie did not even travel and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was on the bench with the rest of the likely starters in the final.

The first half brought an organised display from the makeshift Spurs line-up and they had a few good chances through Son and Wilson Odobert, while Antonin Kinsky made a great save from Ollie Watkins.

In the second half Villa found the breakthrough after the hour mark when Ezri Konsa hooked home after a corner was headed into the six-yard box. Villa scored a second with just over 15 minutes remaining. Boubacar Kamara found space on the edge of the box and his low shot flew past Kinsky.

Here are our Tottenham player ratings after that 21st Premier League defeat of the season:

Antonin Kinsky

Made a brilliant reaction save from Watkins 19 minutes in. Sent Odobert away with a great throw early in the second half only for the Frenchman to take a poor first touch. Saved well from Watkins soon after but couldn't do much about the two Villa goals soon after that, with one from close range and the other he seemed unsighted for the powerful low Boubacar effort. 8

Djed Spence

Some sloppy passing in the first half, but he tried to get Spurs up and down the right flank and defended without too much cover. 6

Kevin Danso

Made an important block to deny Watkins and was one of Spurs' better performers on the day. 7

Ben Davies

Played a lovely early ball into Son's path to send him away down the left. Was better than the scoreline suggests. 6

Sergio Reguilon

Considering it was only his second start of the season, he wasn't off the pace particularly. Succumbed to what looked like a knock on 74 minutes and was replaced. 6

Mikey Moore

Got around 84 minutes before picking up an issue and he worked hard but didn't produce enough. The 17-year-old has the ability to take people on but seemed reluctant to do it. 5

Archie Gray

Picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Watkins. Other than that was disciplined in the first half but got a bit ragged in the second period and was too late rushing out to Boubacar before switching to left-back. 5

Pape Matar Sarr

Helped Spurs remain organised in the first half but came off early in the second half and went straight off down the tunnel with a member of the medical staff. 6

Son Heung-min

Curled a shot over the crossbar from the edge of the Villa box 15 minutes in. Had a couple of bright runs and got 74 minutes into his legs. He looked bright when Spurs could get him the ball. 6

Wilson Odobert

Saw a lovely back flick saved by Martinez early in the game. Other than that he struggled to carve out opportunities and probably didn't do enough to claim a go at the 10 spot in the final. 5

Mathys Tel

Another energetic display and he set up Odobert for the chance in the first half. Probably one player who is pushing for a chance in the final. 6

Subs

Yves Bissouma

Gave the ball away for Villa's corner they scored from and gave Konsa the space to do so. Then stepped away from Boubacar as he ran on, expecting a pass. A pretty poor cameo from the midfielder and he'll have to be much better on Wednesday. 4

Rodrigo Bentancur

Came on for the final 15 minutes or so and just kept it simple. 5

Dominic Solanke

Also got 15 minutes in his legs but didn't have much to work with other than one turn and run. 5

Richarlison

Got the final five minutes or so to run around a bit. N/A

Brennan Johnson

Came on late on for Moore and didn't have much to do. N/A

Pape Matar Sarr went straight down the tunnel with a member of the Tottenham medical staff after he was taken off early into the second half of their Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The midfielder was one of few first-team stars named from the off at Villa Park with club captain Son Heung-min also making his first start for a number of weeks. However, he lasted just over 50 minutes with Yves Bissouma coming on in his place.

It looked to be a pre-planned alteration but Sarr gingerly walking off sparked concerns and not going to the bench furthered those concerns.

The Lilywhites have already lost James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski to injury before their Europa League final against Manchester United next Wednesday. The latter is the newest injury blow with knee surgery required to fix the knee issue picked up last weekend against Crystal Palace

"Disappointing news," Postecoglou said when asked for an update. "Initially we thought it wasn’t too serious. The medical team were worried structurally about how the knee was but it blew up the day after and we knew there was an issue there. He has had surgery and it will put him out for at least a few months."

Asked if he could be back in time for the start of next season, he replied: "We will see. To be honest, I have only got basic information at the moment in terms of recovery but it will certainly put him out for a while."

Rumours began circulating that Bergvall had made a miraculous recovery to train earlier this week but Postecoglou later clarified his situation.

"No, it is still the same sort of timeframe," he admitted when asked if the Swede could return. "He was never a long-term one but he has literally just got out of the boot and taken his first tentative steps on the grass but he won’t be available."

Losing Sarr as well, considering the existing midfield absentees, would be a huge blow. Despite that, it was unlikely he actually started the Europa League final with Wilson Odobert the most likely inclusion ahead of Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur.

While the Uruguay international was named on the bench, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie did not even travel to Villa Park.

Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim have taken opposite approaches for their last Premier League matches before the Europa League final meeting next week. Tottenham travel to Aston Villa whilst Manchester United are at Stamford Bridge.

With neither team having anything to play for other than saving the total embarrassment of finishing 17th, all focus is on Bilbao. However, the two managers have still gone with different methods ahead of Friday's games.

Whereas Postecoglou kept with his plan of using a rotated XI to save his likely starters for the final, Amorim picked a close to full-strength team. It not only suggests that the United head coach is keen to find some form and fluidity after yet another loss at the weekend, but it also offers a hint for the side that will lineup in Spain as well.

Amorim made five changes from his rotated team which was beaten by West Ham at the weekend. Postecoglou made two but has been keeping a group of key players safe.

Spurs lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace on Sunday but have been protecting Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, Guglielmo Vicario, and Brennan Johnson of late. None of them start at Villa Park having also stayed on the bench at the weekend.

Postecoglou's hesitancy to go with anything close to his best team has only been heightened by injuries to Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski. Son Heung-min has returned but does not appear to have a place in Postecoglou's favoured team.

United are likely to welcome Manuel Ugarte back whilst Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho will be competing for a spot in the final. Spurs will surely look even more changed as Vicario, Pedro Porro, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Johnson, and Solanke all watch on from the bench in the Midlands.

Postecoglou and Tottenham have been rocked by injury problems throughout the season, once more losing both first-choice centre-backs at the same time. He has also been left without a striker and depth across the squad.

With only the small ambition of finishing above United (and maybe still United, West Ham, Wolves, and Everton) left to play for in the league, it is no surprise that Postecoglou has not risked his expected finalists for an ultimately meaningless fixture. His choice is one of fitness over consistency.

Tottenham XI to face Aston Villa: Kinsky;, Spence, Danso, Davies, Reguilon; Gray, Sarr; Moore, Odobert, Tel; Son.

Manchester United XI to face Chelsea: Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Mazraoui, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Amad, Mount; Hojlund.

Ange Postecoglou has decided on his Tottenham line-up for the club's final Premier League away day of the season at Aston Villa.

Postecoglou had to balance up giving the Tottenham players minutes to ensure they did not go into the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday without any match action in their legs for almost two weeks with the fear of losing more of them to injury and he went for the latter.

The Australian has no creative midfielders available following this week's surgery for Dejan Kulusevski after the Swede injured the patella in his right knee.

Postecoglou has handed Son Heung-min his first start since mid-April, but the rest of the team is very much a shadow side with a first Premier League start of the season for Sergio Reguilon while Mikey Moore also starts while Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie have not even travelled and Guglielmo Vicario is on the bench.

Here's the Tottenham team Postecoglou has gone for to face Villa:

Kinsky, Spence, Danso, Davies, Reguilon; Gray, Sarr; Moore, Odobert, Tel; Son. Subs: Vicario, Porro, Bissouma, Bentancur, Olusesi, Ajayi, Johnson, Richarlison, Solanke.

Harry Redknapp prediction

Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes Spurs will lose tonight's match against Villa.

Speaking to BetVictor the Englishman said:

This looks an interesting test for Aston Villa. They finish with this and Manchester United away, so it might all work out for them. Winning at Bournemouth last week was huge for them; they’ve got a real chance of finishing in the top five now.

Spurs lost yet again to Palace and to be honest, it could have been even worse. Obviously, all eyes are on the Europa League but I’m not sure turning up to that game in such poor form is great preparation.

Villa, 2-0.

Dejan Kulusevski injury update

Tottenham confirmed this week that Dejan Kulusevski has undergone surgery on a knee injury suffered in Sunday's defeat against Crystal Palace. The news regarding the Swede comes at the worst possible time for Ange Postecoglou as it means the attacking midfielder is now set to miss next Wednesday's Europa League final showdown against Manchester United.

Spurs have already seen James Maddison ruled out for the season with a knee injury and Postecoglou recently revealed that it is unlikely Lucas Bergvall will be back for the final following an ankle injury picked up in training at the start of May. That in turn gives the north London club a real headache in terms of creativity from midfield going into next week's European final.

"We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend," read a Tottenham statement that was published on Wednesday evening.

"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki."

Read the latest here.

Tottenham predicted team vs Aston Villa

Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make when it comes to his Tottenham line-up for the club's final Premier League away day of the season at Aston Villa.

Postecoglou will have to find a balance between ensuring no more injuries to add to those that have wiped out his creative midfielders, including this week's surgery for Dejan Kulusevski after the Swede injured the patella in his right knee, but the Tottenham boss will also be wary of his players going almost two weeks without any match action before they take on Manchester United in Bilbao.

The starters next Wednesday will need tuning up but they don't need to play the full game at Villa Park and the Spurs head coach will also worry about getting further injuries. Postecoglou could use certain players for 45 minutes to an hour of the clash with Unai Emery's side and then replace them with others set to play in Spain next week.

The midfield will be more challenging with so few players available and up front a decision needs to be made over Son Heung-min, who needs time to get sharper ahead of the final, while Dominic Solanke and Richarlison could play a portion of the match each.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon Postecoglou could go for to face Villa in a match that is important for both teams but in completely different ways:

The big talking point from a Tottenham perspective ahead of the Europa League final is who will play in the creative No.10 role for Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian will be without his first choice options in James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, both of whom have been ruled out with knee injuries.

Lucas Bergvall would probably be the next choice to move forward from his No.6 or No.8 role, but he too is injured and highly unlikely to return in time for Wednesday night's clash in Bilbao, despite the teenager's desire to make it.

Wilson Odobert played there after Kulusevski went off injured against Crystal Palace, but did not look comfortable in there. The likelihood is that one of Rodrigo Bentancur or Pape Matar Sarr will be asked to play a bit further forward.

However, there are a couple of other options being touted about on social media.

Dominic Solanke could drop back into the 10, with Richarlison pushing into the striker role, given the former Bournemouth striker's ability to hold the ball up.

There's another rogue choice too - Pedro Porro moving into midfield, with Djed Spence potentially coming in at right-back.

Porro has an incredible delivery and an eye for a pass, and his defensive nous would see him easily slot in to potentially come looking for the ball from the defenders like Maddison does and progressing the play from deep.

Only Dejan Kulusevski (65) has created more chances for Tottenham in the Premier League than Porro (56) this season, while only Son Heung-min (14) has created more big chances than the Spaniard (9) according to FootMob.

Postecoglou refused to rule out a curveball decision when naming his team lineup for Bilbao. Speaking on Thursday, ahead of the game with Villa, he said: "I think it's all in the realms [of possibility]. When you're in this position you go through all the different scenarios. A lot of it will depend on seeing how we get through tomorrow night [at Aston Villa], see how people get through the game.

"There’s obviously a few players who will play tomorrow night who haven’t played regularly or a lot lately who will get an opportunity.

"There could be a performance tomorrow night that convinces me to go one way or another. You consider it all. At the same time, even if you do something radical, whether it’s a positional change, it’s always better done in the confines of having a real solid foundation there."

And Porro has already sent a wordless message of sorts that he can fill the void left by Maddison.

The Spaniard admitted it was a cross, rather than a shot, that looped over the Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper to put Spurs 2-0 up on the night and 5-1 up on aggregate in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final last week.

And after celebrating his goal with his teammates, he beckoned the cameraman behind the touchline and mimicked Maddison's darts-throw goal celebration.

It was a message to Maddison, who had been ruled out for the season, that his role in the team will not be forgotten, but it could also have been an indication to Postecoglou that Porro can step up into a new role.

After tonight Tottenham's full focus will be on the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday.

Spurs take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League on Friday night in their penultimate league clash of what has been a dismal campaign.

Tottenham have nothing to play for in the Premier League, apart from a bit of pride and perhaps a few million pounds when it comes to finishing places in the top flight. Twenty defeats in the Premier League is Spurs' worst record in any campaign and with matches against Villa and Brighton on the final day to come, it could get even worse.

But Spurs' priority is winning the Europa League against Manchester United on Wednesday night and ending their 17-year trophy drought.

Ange Postecoglou will have to beat United without a number of key players, though, in particular in the midfield. James Maddison was already ruled out before Dejan Kulusevski picked up an injury that needs surgery to address. Lucas Bergvall has been ruled out by Postecoglou, although the teenager is understood to be doing everything he can to make the final.

Here football.london takes a look at the key decisions the Spurs head coach will have to make for his final lineup.

Who plays in the 10?

This is the biggest question of all.

With both Maddison and Kulusevski now ruled out, who takes on the No.10 role? Lucas Bergvall would be the most obvious choice, were he not injured as well.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the Villa clash, Postecoglou said: "No, it is still the same sort of timeframe. He was never a long-term one but he has literally just got out of the boot and taken his first tentative steps on the grass but he won’t be available."

Wilson Odobert was tried there when Kulusevski went off injured against Crystal Palace, but did not shine. Rodrigo Bentancur or Pape Matar Sarr could be utilised in there, while Postecoglou refused to dismiss rumours that he could throw a curveball and use either Pedro Porro or Dominic Solanke in the role.

Right-back choice

This would seem an obvious choice, with Djed Spence struggling a bit of late and Pedro Porro showcasing all of his qualities.

But it is those qualities on the ball and his eye for a pass that may make this an interesting dilemma for Postecoglou.

As we mentioned above, Porro has been touted for the No.10 role and should that surprise decision bear fruit, Spence would be the automatic choice to play at right-back.

"I think it's all in the realms [of possibility]," Postecoglou said when asked about Porro or Solanke being the choice for the No.10.

"When you're in this position you go through all the different scenarios. A lot of it will depend on seeing how we get through tomorrow night [at Aston Villa], see how people get through the game."

Son Heung-min decision

It's like the Champions League final of 2019 all over again.

Back then it was whether Harry Kane would come straight back into the team following injury after Lucas Moura's semi-final heroics. Mauricio Pochettino made the decision to go with Kane, but Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool.

Now, captain and talisman Son Heung-min is working his way back from injury. Does he start in Bilbao, or does Postecoglou go with Odobert or Mathys Tel instead?

Son got 32 minutes against Palace on Sunday and will play some part against Villa on Friday night. Postecoglou said: "He'll definitely play tomorrow. Whether we start him or not, we’ll have a look at, but he reacted well to playing the other day. There were no issues with his foot, he’s trained well and it makes sense for him to get more match-minutes. It could be as a starter and if not, he’ll definitely play at least half a game tomorrow."

The big decision then comes as to whether he starts against United or makes an appearance off the bench in the final.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has seen his net worth increase by £200m this past 12 months as speculation continues surrounding the future of his ownership.

Levy has become an unpopular figure in the Spurs half of north London as the club continue to fall short of expectations in the Premier League. The 63-year-old has been accused of lacking ambition and the performance of the club this season has only stoked anomosity.

Spurs fans have held protests against Levy's ownership as the club slipped to a disastrous 17th in the Premier League. Amid all this has been claims that the businessman could be willing to sell his shares in the club.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Qatari banker and Manchester United fan who attempted to purchase the Old Trafford club two years ago, has been linked with interest. It is believed he is keen to invest his money into a Premier League team, despite his affiliation with United.

However, any move has yet to materialise and, for the foreseeable, Levy remains in charge. On Friday morning, The Sunday Times' Rich List was released for 2025 and it showed good news for the Tottenham chairman.

His wealth has grown by £200m in 12 months to £650m. This has lifted him from joint 301st richest person in the UK to 236th in the rankings.

This figure pales in comparison to Sheikh Jassim. Investopedia estimates his family's wealth to be $172.9bn (£129.8bn).

Exact figures for Sheikh Jassim's wealth are unclear but Forbes have previously estimated he has a personal wealth of $1.2bn (£901m). As shown with his attempt to purchase United, the Middle East businessman would be uninterested in buying a minority stake of a football club and would push for a full takeover.

But, it remains to be seen if Levy will relinquish his power any time soon.