Football London

Arsenal have several injury worries ahead of the weekend's Premier League clash against north London rivals Tottenham as Mikel Arteta prepares his squad for the match.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has reportedly returned to full training ahead of the North London Derby in a major boost for Mikel Arteta.

The influential midfielder - and captain - has missed the last seven matches with a knee injury he suffered during the 2-0 win over West Ham last month. The Sun report that he could be available in time for this weekend's clash against Tottenham Hotspur after returning to training.

Arsenal host rivals Spurs at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon (4.30pm) as they attempt to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners have earned 26 points from their opening 11 games this season, while they currently sit four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

The showdown vs Tottenham will give them a chance to bounce back after the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Sunderland before November's international break.

A potential return of Odegarrd will give the team a big boost ahead of the match, with the captain a key player under Arteta since his arrival from Real Madrid.

While he was unable to feature for Norway in the international break, Odegaard did join up with his international teammates to celebrate qualification for the World Cup - he turned down the chance to take a few days break to show his support.

It also gave him a chance to provide a positive injury update of his own to local outlets.

Speaking with TV2, he said: "It's moving forward. The match today came a little too early... But it's starting to look better, so hopefully I'll be back soon."

The positive news for Odegaard comes at the end of an international break which has brought further set-backs.

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes has been added to the injury list after suffering an injury while in action for Brazil in their friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. Brazil have since confirmed that the problem was a muscle in his right thigh.

He will join Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as all being major doubts for the game against Spurs.

Dejan Kulusevski has been out of action since May when he damaged his right patella (knee) in Tottenham's 2-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace

Sweden boss Graham Potter expects Tottenham attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski to finally make his long-awaited return to action in December.

The former Juventus playmaker has been sidelined since May when he injured his right patella against Crystal Palace, ruling him out of the Europa League final against Manchester United.

Kulusevski underwent surgery in mid-May and has been slated to return in the first few months of the current season but he remains absent and is yet to play a match under Thomas Frank.

However, there is now light at the end of the tunnel as Sweden boss Potter has issued an update on the 25-year-old's fitness.

He said following a 1-1 draw against Slovenia: “Dejan is taking steps forward. He was happy with where he is in his rehabilitation.

"It’s in Tottenham’s hands, and his. But he was feeling good when I last spoke to him and I look forward to seeing him maybe at Christmas or around New Year.

“There is a lot of football to be played until then. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like in March. That is the reality.

“But he is in a good place, and he was happy with his rehabilitation last time we spoke. Then he was ready to take the next step [in rehabilitation]. But there is no stress involved. He will do his rehab in a good way and if he does that, I am pretty sure we will see him on the pitch soon.”

During the international break, Destiny Udogie posted footage of Kulusevski back training on the grass at a warm-weather camp in the Middle East.

Spurs remain reluctant to rush his return though as they do not want to encounter any setbacks.

Speaking in September, Frank claimed he was hoping to have Kulusevski back before the end of the year, stating: "Instead of putting an exact month on it - October, November, December - I just want him back as quickly as possible.

"The medical guys and Kulusevski are working really hard on that. So, it's not tomorrow, but hopefully not too far away."

He added when asked if 'Deki' could be back before the start of 2026: "Yes, there's a good chance of that."

Sweden boss Potter should have Kulusevski available for March's crunch World Cup play-off against Ukraine.

The Scandinavian nation struggled without the Tottenham forward, finishing bottom of their World Cup qualification group.

Thankfully, they have earned a shot at qualification via the play-offs after topping their Nations League group.

Even if they beat Ukraine, they would still have to overcome Poland or Albania in the play-off final.

Ireland World Cup hero Troy Parrott has reflected on his time at Tottenham Hotspur, who sold the striker to AZ Alkmaar last year

Man of the moment Troy Parrott underlined class as he reflected on his Tottenham Hotspur departure.

The AZ Alkmaar striker has become a national hero after scoring a hat-trick as the Republic of Ireland snatched a World Cup play-off place from Hungary’s grasp with a dramatic 3-2 win in Budapest on Sunday.

Parrott brought the sides back to level twice before securing victory in the sixth minute of added time on a day when only three points were enough to keep their qualification hopes alive.

As a 15-year-old, Parrott was wanted by a host of top clubs in England before plumping for Spurs. However, it never worked out for him in north London and following numerous loan spells, he cut ties for good by joining Dutch outfit AZ in the summer of 2024 for £6.7million.

Parrott has no issue with how things panned out at Spurs and spoke positively about the club earlier this year. He said: “For me it just didn't happen [with Spurs]. I’m OK with that.

“I look back with a smile. It’s a place where I grew up. I moved away from home quite young, so when I went there, I was in a phase of going from a kid to a teenager and then past that. It helped me become the person and player I am now, so I can only look back on that with good memories.”

Speaking after his heroics in Budapest, Parrott told RTE: “I’m really, really emotional. They’re tears of joy. Ah, what a night, what a night.

“This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I’m from, so this means the world to me. My family is here. It’s the first time I’ve cried in years as well, I really, really can’t believe it.

“Everyone is crying. I said against Portugal [who Ireland beat a few days earlier] that this is what dreams are made of, but this, tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever have a better night in my whole life.”

Ireland have discovered their qualifying path in the World Cup play-offs. Heimir Hallgrimsson’s will play away to Czechia for the right to face either Denmark or North Macedonia in their path final. Ireland will host their play-off final, provided they beat the Czechs.

Wales will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their semi-final. Craig Bellamy’s side secured their place by finishing second behind Belgium in qualifying Group J and will be the home team for the one-off match.

Should Wales win, they will face either Italy or Northern Ireland for a place at the finals in North America next summer. Northern Ireland, who qualified through the Nations League, have been handed the difficult task of travelling to Italy for their play-off semi-final. The games will take place on March 26 and 31.

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic has been excellent on loan at Hamburger SV in Germany where he has caught the eye this season

Tottenham's teenage defensive gem Luka Vuskovic is reportedly being tracked by German giants Borussia Dortmund.

The 18-year-old Croatian is currently making a huge impression in the Bundesliga after joining Hamburger SV on loan in late August.

The former Hajduk Split prospect has made nine appearances in Germany to date, netting once against Heidenheim.

German newspaper reports from BILD indicate he's now caught the attention of Dortmund, who are managed by former Croatia national team captain Niko Kovac.

Tottenham are currently not interested in a sale as internally, they believe Vuskovic has a massive future in north London after they pounced to land him from Hajduk in September 2023.

While they reluctantly agreed to loan him this season, he is part of Thomas Frank's long-term first-team plans and his future will be re-evaluated at the end of the campaign.

Speaking recently while away on international duty, Vuskovic confirmed he remains in regular dialogue with Spurs despite admitting he is unsure when he return to N17.

Vuskovic said: “I’m happy with everything at HSV. My grades are good, even above expectations.

"My teammates are great, everyone supports me and I have no bad words or criticism. I just need to keep going.

“Tottenham? I hear from them, they follow me. They are a good club when it comes to developing young players. I don’t know when I will be back.”

The Croatia international wasn't short of loan interest this summer as a host of top clubs from Germany, Belgium and France made enquiries.

However, the fact Vuskovic's older brother, Mario, was already playing for HSV helped swing the balance when he was assessing the best potential option for his development.

Mario Vuskovic remains suspended until November 2026 due to a doping ban meaning the pair are unlikely to play alongside each other at club level.

Dortmund are unlikely to be the only side that are tracking Vuskovic as he is widely regarded as one of the best young centre-backs within all of world football.

Tottenham beat Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to his signature and other parties will also be conscious that he is yet to make his senior breakthrough at Spurs.

The difficulty facing Frank is that when fit, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are the first names on the Tottenham teamsheet and at this moment in time, Vuskovic requires regular minutes to continue his personal growth.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke has not featured since the end of August but is close to making his comeback from injury

Dominic Solanke has admitted his time out injured has been "difficult", although the Tottenham striker believes the squad can achieve "big things" when he does return.

Signed from Bournemouth in a club-record £65million deal in August 2024, Solanke has endured a frustrating start to the 2025/26 season under new boss Thomas Frank. An ankle injury has meant the 28-year-old has featured just three times for Spurs this term, with his last appearance coming in the 2-0 win over Man City on August 23.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea man saw his pre-season disrupted by the reoccurring ankle injury and the striker ended up having "minor surgery" to try and rectify the issue at the end of September. Now nearing a return, Solanke has explained just how frustrating the past three months have been.

“It’s been very difficult,” Solanke told The Athletic. “At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long but we didn’t really understand the extent of the injury.

"I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn’t happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back.

“I’m not putting a timeline on it because I’ve been telling everyone ‘I’m going to be back soon’ for the last few months. I’m taking it day by day but hopefully I won’t be much longer.”

Solanke is not expected to return for Sunday's North London Derby against Tottenham, nor the midweek Champions League clash with PSG. He has been back in the gym building up his strength in recent weeks and has also seen external specialists about the injury.

The striker is looking forward to working with Frank, who joined from Brentford in the summer and has already made a number of changes to how the club operates. “I haven’t had the chance to work with (Frank) too much but he is a great man manager,” Solanke said.

“All the players are loving having him around. He speaks with us all and has meetings every day. Even with the coaching staff he has brought in, everyone gets on so well. It’s a great environment.

“We have had a good start to the season. When a few of us come back (from injury) and strengthen the squad, hopefully we can do some big things.”

Elsewhere on the injury front, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray and Ben Davies remain sidelined. There's also fitness concerns over Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr going into the North London Derby.

Premier League action returns this weekend, as Arsenal play host to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London Derby of the season, but both clubs will head into the match hindered by injury

As many as 19 players will miss Sunday's North London Derby, as injuries plague Arsenal and Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta's Gunners play host to Thomas Frank's Lilywhites in the battle for bragging rights over their bitter neighbours this weekend, following a two-week international break. And while supporters of both clubs will hope to see their side reign supreme as they make their way down Holloway Road and into the Emirates Stadium, neither team head into the fixture at full strength.

Here, Football.London breaks down all of the latest injury news surrounding both Arsenal and Spurs, as Sunday's game fast approaches...

Arsenal

Arsenal could be without nine key players when they play host to Spurs this weekend. Despite surging in the Premier League standings at present, currently occupying the league's top spot with a four-point lead on Manchester City, Arteta's stellar run of form hasn't come without its setbacks.

Gabriel found himself subbed off 64 minutes into Brazil's friendly with Senegal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday with a knee injury. As a result of the knock, it is thought that the 27-year-old could miss a minimum of four weeks of action as fears emerge that he could be absent from play until January.

It comes as a major blow for Arteta, given that the centre-half is seemingly one of the first names on his team-sheet week in, week out. Elsewhere, Jurrien Timber required treatment for what looked to be a knee problem during the Netherlands' clash with Lithuania on Monday.

The Dutchman looked to be in significant pain as he sat on the floor, but was able to play on up until the hour mark when he was swapped out. However, he did post a reassuring message on social media after the match, and it is thought that the knock isn't any cause for major concern.

Meanwhile, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard continue to recover from respective knee injuries but Sunday's clash could come a little too soon for a return for either. Viktor Gyokeres wasn't included in Sweden's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland or Slovenia after suffering a hamstring injury against Burnley at the turn of the month, while Riccardo Calafiori was sent home from international duty with Italy as a result of a hip issue.

Gabriel Martinelli is still recovering from a thigh injury sustained against Crystal Palace in late October, and is not expected to be fit until early December, while Noni Madueke remains side-lined with a knee injury of his own which he picked up in September.

Finally, Gabriel Jesus is yet to feature for Arsenal since sustaining an ACL injury in January which required surgery. While he is nearing a return to the first-team, reports suggest that he will not be available for selection until December.

Spurs

Spurs, meanwhile, head into Sunday's match with Arsenal with a 10-strong injury list at present. Lucas Bergvall dropped out of the Sweden squad as a result of further concussion issues, and an update from his national team suggests that he may still be dealing with the issue, meaning he is a doubt to face Arsenal.

Reports from France also suggest that Randal Kolo Muani fractured his jaw during Spurs' 2-2 stalemate with Manchester United ahead of the international break, which will see him out of action until December at the earliest, while Dominic Solanke is yet to play for the Lilywhites since picking up an ankle injury in August.

James Maddison isn't expected to return until May 2026 courtesy of his ACL injury, while Dejan Kulusevski is nursing a knee injury of his own from May and should return in January. Radu Dragusin isn't expected to play for Spurs until next month as he continues to recover from an ACL injury, while Archie Gray could miss the short trip to Arsenal through a minor calf issue.

Tottenham are preparing for a huge North London derby against Arsenal - but have a few major problems on their hands

Tottenham have lost much of their early-season rhythm - and at a particularly inconvenient time too. A massive North London Derby against Arsenal is looming, quickly followed by a crucial Champions League clash with PSG.

Thomas Frank's side began the season at a decent pace, winning five of their opening seven fixtures across all tournaments after coming within touching distance of a memorable Super Cup triumph over PSG.

However, a taxing stretch in recent weeks - losses to Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea, plus a stoppage-time equaliser conceded against Manchester United - has sapped a significant portion of their earlier confidence and energy.

Spurs are still well placed, occupying fifth in the Premier League and sitting 10th in the Champions League table after going unbeaten so far in that competition, but it's clear that Frank must find solutions to re-energise his group following a stuttering run. With that in mind, here is a summary of the most recent Tottenham-related news stories.

Tel 'unhappy' in London

Mathys Tel is reportedly unsettled in London only months after joining Tottenham. The French attacker, who arrived on loan from Bayern Munich at the start of the year before completing a permanent move in the summer, is said to be open to a January exit after failing to earn consistent minutes in Frank's preferred line-up.

Tel has played just 24 minutes over the last four weeks, with rivalry for places in Tottenham's frontline extremely intense. Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski are all competing for similar roles, leaving minimal room for rotation.

Gazzetta dello Sport report that AS Roma are weighing up a loan proposal - and Spurs are willing to consider letting him leave. Still, Tel's goal against Manchester United earlier this month could persuade Frank to increase his involvement - potentially altering both the club's and the player's outlook in the near future.

Nightmare injury scenario

Tottenham may have to cope without Pape Matar Sarr for Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. The midfielder, a consistent presence in Frank's line-up this season, hobbled off during Senegal's 2-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday.

Initially the setback seemed slight, with Senegal manager Pape Thiaw minimising the problem. But Sarr was then left out of Senegal's 8-0 victory over Kenya on Tuesday, raising major concerns about his readiness for the weekend.

"We left him in London," Thiaw confirmed. "He took a knock, and we felt it would be difficult for him to recover in just two days. Since we were in his home city, we preferred to leave him with his club so he could receive treatment there."

Tottenham's squad is already depleted, with Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin all out injured. Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are also uncertain for the North London Derby, leaving Spurs worryingly light in central midfield.

Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri pulled off a brilliant goal which had echoes of a Robert Pires classic ahead of big week for the Gunners

Ethan Nwaneri scored a wonderful goal while on duty with England’s under-21s this week, as he again cements his place in the mind of Mikel Arteta. Discussion over minutes and potential loan moves has dominated the discourse of late.

However, the player again showed exactly why Mikel Arteta has the confidence to keep him in the group, knowing he will get minutes. However, it was the finish against Slovakia that drew parallels to a certain Arsenal legend and the Invincibles.

While it might have lacked the beautiful piece of skill Robert Pires executed, dinking the ball over George Boateng’s head in 2002, the chipped finish over Peter Schmeichel is what Nwaneri would recreate. Adam Hrdina was left helpless, running back watching the ball fly over his head to nestle in the back of the net.

Nwaneri’s minutes have been mitigated by the arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, in addition to the arrival into the senior setup of Max Dowman. Arteta has been open in his criticisms of Nwaneri in some ways.

Citing the duels he has lost or the lack of impact in some moments. However, there is no doubt about his keenness to get the best from a talent that he has shown belief in since he allowed him to become the Premier League’s youngest-ever player when he made his debut against Brentford at 15.

For the North London Derby, even with Martin Odegaard out, it is unlikely that Nwaneri would start the game, but with the clash with Chelsea just a week away, it wouldn’t be a surprise should Arteta decide to rotate in midweek.

Arsenal have won four out of four in Europe this season, and although Bayern Munich are by far the most challenging side they have faced this season, the desperation for points in the league phase pales in comparison to the Premier League right now. There are some other players returning from injury, as mentioned, but Nwaneri could still be in with a chance to start against the German champions.

Thomas Frank has had a solid start to life at Tottenham and is being backed to take Spurs high up the Premier League table

Tottenham have been backed to finish second in the Premier League, just behind Arsenal, ahead of the first North London Derby of the season.

Spurs make the short trip to face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday knowing they must turn around their horrific record in this fixture in recent years. The Lilywhites have lost five of their last six games against the Gunners and have not won against their arch rivals since May 2022.

Under Thomas Frank this season, though, Tottenham have been more solid defensively and currently find themselves fifth in the Premier League. They are still eight points behind league leaders Arsenal but know a win or draw will help them in their quest to finish in the top four.

In fact, Frank's side have been backed to finish second by former Gunners defender Bacary Sagna. When asked for his top four prediction, Sagna, speaking to Reece Mennie on his podcast, said: " Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Man City.

"People will say, but why would you say Tottenham? I saw them playing against Arsenal on pre-season. It's a long time I didn't see Tottenham playing this way. It's a long time I didn't see the intensity they put in defending, in reshaping the team, in taking players on one-on-one, technically, players at that level.

"And I was impressed. I was like, woah, you know what, this season they're going to be competing. I'm happy because I'm a football lover, to see them coming because I like competition.

"So I'm looking forward to see the Arsenal vs Tottenham game because this is what I like the most. And, of course, I support Arsenal, but as a football lover and for what it takes and for the showcase they will put on, I think it's good for football in general. So I'm happy to see them at the level they are because I love football more than anything and I like to see competitive games."

Under Frank this season, Tottenham have won five, drawn three and lost three of their 11 games in the league. While they have recorded an impressive win against Man City, they suffered embarrassing defeats to Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Chelsea at home.

The players were booed after that loss to Chelsea and Frank already knows how difficult it is to be consistent in the Premier League. "All the players are of course frustrated," Frank said after the 1-0 loss. "They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

"I think it is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that."

Tottenham performed much better in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United just before the November international break and Frank will be hoping his side can build on that against Arsenal. The goal remains finishing in the top four but whether that happens may well just depend on consistency.

Mathys Tel joined Tottenham on a permanent transfer from Bayern Munich during the summer window following a six-month loan spell in north London

Italian side Roma are said to be eyeing a January swoop for Tottenham winger Mathys Tel. The France U21 international has struggled for regular minutes so far this season under Thomas Frank after being omitted from Spurs' Champions League squad at the beginning of the campaign.

However, prior to the international break, Tel had a huge impact from the bench against Manchester United and netted in the pulsating 2-2 draw.

The former Bayern Munich starlet has scored just two goals in all competitions this season, however, having also netted in Tottenham's 2-1 triumph over Leeds at Elland Road in October.

Meanwhile, reports in Italy have indicated that Tel has been identified by Roma as a possible transfer option this winter.

But it's also been claimed that Spurs wouldn't be willing to listen to loan offers and would instead only consider permanent bids.

Given Frank's squad has already been depleted by injuries this season, it seems unlikely the Dane would be prepared to weaken his squad before strengthening it.

Roma also have Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee on their radar with Gian Piero Gasperini's side currently second in the Serie A standings and level on points with first-place Inter Milan.

There is also a chance that Tel could soon be added into Spurs' Champions League squad after Randal Kolo Muani suffered a fractured jaw against Manchester United.

Kolo Muani is projected to miss around six weeks of football, though UEFA rules state that participants can replace players with long-term injuries.

The threshold is that any player that is replaced must be scheduled to miss around 60 days through injury and at this moment in time, there is hope Kolo Muani might return sooner as he does not require surgery.

Tel joined Tottenham on a permanent deal for around £30million in June after helping the club achieve Europa League glory in Bilbao under Ange Postecoglou.

He joined Spurs late in the January window on an initial six-month loan despite widespread interest from the Premier League.

Back in September, the Frenchman shared his disappointment at being left out of the club's Champions League roster.

He said: "It's clear that when you're not on a list, it definitely hurts. But I'm someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I've worked a lot on the mental aspect.

"So today it's definitely a disappointment, I would have liked to be there. But the coach's choice is the coach's choice, we can only respect it and we're going to work to come back in the best possible way."