Football London

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has delivered an update on the injury situation with captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean has not played for Spurs since the Europa League quarter-final first leg draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on April 10 having picked up a foot injury.

He missed the defeat to Wolves, the second leg win over Frankfurt that secured a place in the semi-finals for Spurs, and the defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Monday night.

Tottenham take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, in a game that will see the Reds lift the Premier League trophy if they take anything from the game.

Following that comes Spurs' Europa League semi-final first leg with Bodo/Glimt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, head coach Ange Postecoglou delivered an update on Son's fitness for the two games.

He said: "Sonny is improving which is a positive for us, not for Sunday. Everyone else from the last game has backed up well."

Postecoglou was then asked about Son's chances of playing against the Norwegian side. "We'll see," he said. "It was his first time on the grass today and he said it felt better."

The forward may not have had his best season, by his own high standards, but has still managed 11 goals and 12 assists in 43 games for struggling Spurs this season, proving he is still an important part of the Postecoglou system.

Ange Postecoglou is holding his press conference at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's trip to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

It is set to be a big day at Anfield this weekend as Arne Slot's men need just one point from Sunday's encounter to mathematically secure the Premier League title and Spurs will be turning up hoping to play the role of party poopers. The visitors could have one eye though on Thursday's season-defining Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Postecoglou will have to juggle his team accordingly.

Spurs have not had the best of times against Liverpool this season. While they did win the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against the Reds, they have lost their other two meetings this season in the Premier League at home and the second leg of that cup semi by conceding 10 goals in total, netting three in reply. Postecoglou and his players will be hoping for a better showing on Sunday despite their hosts' desire to wrap up the title and the expected noise of the Anfield crowd.

Ahead of the game, the Australian is speaking to the media and the subjects will likely include Liverpool and Spurs' contrasting seasons, the latest on captain Son Heung-min's foot injury, the continuing speculation about his own future at the north London club and plenty more.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

All eyes will be on the Tottenham teamsheet on Sunday afternoon when Ange Postecoglou's side take on Liverpool. Spurs head to Merseyside on the back of a Premier League defeat against Nottingham Forest but they have bigger priorities right now with the first leg of their Europa League semi-final showdown with Bodo/Glimt almost upon us.

The sides meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, May 1, with the return leg in Norway taking place the following week. Spurs' Premier League season has been a complete disaster but they have a chance to finish the season on a positive note by triumphing in UEFA's second club competition.

Ahead of the crucial first leg in N17 next week, Postecoglou may opt to switch things about at Anfield to ensure his key players are fit and firing for Bodo/Glimt. So who could come into the Tottenham team? football.london takes a look below.

Destiny Udogie for Djed Spence

Destiny Udogie was not part of the Spurs squad against Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the week but Sunday will likely see him return to the matchday 20. The Italian certainly could do with minutes ahead of next week's Europa League tie against Bodo/Glimt and he may very well go straight back into the team in place of Djed Spence.

Archie Gray for Pedro Porro

Pedro Porro would certainly benefit from some time on the sidelines after 3,712 minutes for Tottenham across the campaign. It would be sensible to start the Spaniard on the bench against Liverpool and that could result in Archie Gray operating at right back.

Ben Davies for Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven only played 45 minutes in the Nottingham Forest defeat as he made way at the break in a pre-planned substitution. It remains to be seen if Postecoglou will start him at Liverpool or he will name him on the bench to begin with, with Ben Davies possibly the player to gain from the situation.

The Dutchman is so important to the Tottenham team and the boss has a big call to make over him. One thing for sure is that he needs some sort of minutes going into the Bodo/Glimt encounter.

Kevin Danso for Cristian Romero

There will also be question marks over Cristian Romero for the Liverpool match as he was also a pre-planned alteration last time out. Kevin Danso is a player who would certainly benefit from a start after only recently returning to action following time on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue.

Lucas Bergvall for Pape Matar Sarr

Lucas Bergvall has started the past two Premier League matches on the bench for Tottenham and he will be hoping not to make it three successive league games out of the team. The Swede was influential in the first meeting between the sides this year after scoring the only goal of the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A repeat of that performance would do just nicely this weekend. The reintroduction of Bergvall could possibly be bad news for Pape Matar Sarr if the boss wants to switch things up in midfield.

Yves Bissouma for Rodrigo Bentancur

It probably wouldn't be a surprise if Rodrigo Bentancur makes way on Sunday so that he is in tip-top condition for Tottenham's Europa League return. The Uruguayan is a key player in Postecoglou's system and the boss may believe it is best not to push him too much and get him to play another 90 minutes.

Yves Bissouma has barely played of late but there could be an opportunity for him to feature for the first time since the Wolves defeat. The ex-Brighton man may no longer be in Postecoglou's preferred XI but he still needs to keep him sharp just in case something happens to Bentancur or another midfielder in the run-in.

James Maddison for Dejan Kulusevski/Wilson Odobert

James Maddison was able to take his place on the bench on Monday night but he did not feature after taking a big hit in the win at Eintracht Frankfurt eight days ago. He is another player who would benefit from pitch time after not getting any at the beginning of the week and that could mean he starts.

It may be a question of either taking Dejan Kulusevski's place in midfield or Wilson Odobert making way and the Swede moving into attack as a result.

Dominic Solanke for Richarlison/Mathys Tel

Dominic Solanke could return to the starting XI this weekend after a rare appearance on the substitutes' bench. It may all come down to whether Postecoglou wants to get more minutes into Richarlison again or start him as a sub at Anfield.

Richarlison can operate from the left flank, thus allowing Solanke to come in up front and that would see Mathys Tel miss out in the process.

Brennan Johnson for Wilson Odobert/Mathys Tel

Finally, there is Brennan Johnson to consider when it comes to Tottenham's front three. The Wales international started there against Eintracht Frankfurt and Postecoglou was impressed by the shift he put in as Spurs won in Germany.

One of Odobert or Tel could be sacrificed if Johnson is to start.

Tottenham supporters are waiting to see if talented youngster Mikey Moore gets another opportunity to play before the season ends.

The 17-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Spurs, scoring his first goal for the club in the Europa League and grabbing his first assist in the Premier League, with another in Europe as well. Moore was so impressive in the win earlier in the season against AZ Alkmaar that vice-captain James Maddison said he thought Neymar was playing ahead of him during the second half of the game.

A virus knocked the young winger out of action for two months and while he was handed a couple of starts after his return, he found himself taken off in both matches at half-time. In all, Moore has been given 632 minutes of first team football this season by Ange Postecoglou across 16 appearances.

However, the teenager has not played a minute in the Premier League since February 2 and has not been included in five of the nine matchday squads in the competition since then. With the league season heading towards a disappointing conclusion, many Spurs fans have wondered why Moore has not been given some minutes for further experience and instead has become something of a forgotten man.

Our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest touched on the lesser spotted Moore in the latest episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, as well as discussing their candidates for player of the season as a difficult campaign at the club heads down the final straight. The duo also discussed what team Postecoglou might pick to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Ella Morris' first goal for Tottenham ended up as a bittersweet moment after Aston Villa scored late on to condemn Robert Vilahamn's side to another Women's Super League defeat.

Two goals in a five-minute spell at Brisbane Road on Sunday saw Spurs fight back from 2-0 down to get back on level terms as Jess Naz halved the deficit after Anna Patten and Ebony Salmon had put the visitors ahead. Then in the 70th minute, Morris grabbed the equaliser with her first Spurs and WSL goal as the 22-year-old rounded the goalkeeper before slotting home.

However, Villa grabbed all the three points when Kirsty Hanson netted in the first minute of stoppage time. It means that Tottenham have not won a game in three months, since January 19, in the league and currently sit ninth in the table with just five victories to their name and 11 defeats from 19 games.

"It was a disappointing outcome but there were a lot of positives to take from the game,” said Morris. "Going 2-0 down is never easy so to have fought back to get on level terms shows our resilience but now it’s just about working out how to maintain that draw or push for a win."

On her first goal in a Spurs shirt, the England youth international added: "It was obviously bittersweet to have not gone on to get the win from it, but I was just very grateful to have had the opportunity to be on the pitch and score my first goal for the club.

"As a defender, I have never been that goal-driven but it’s always nice to get that goal when those rare moments happen, but hopefully it will be the first of many."

Next up is a trip to Liverpool this coming Sunday with Spurs needing to get back to winning ways before the season comes to a close next month.

"It will be a really good game," said Morris. "Liverpool are a good side, they have a lot of great players, and I think transitionally they’re a really great team, so that’s something we will have to work on. But I definitely think we can go up there and push for a win at the weekend."

The end of the season is almost upon us. We are now just one month away from Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham wrapping up their campaign with a home encounter against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, May 25.

Spurs may have another month to go in their season but that is not the case for all clubs. In the EFL, the regular season draws to a conclusion on Saturday, May 3.

That will see a number of Tottenham's loan players play their final games for their current clubs before returning to Hotspur Way for pre-season training at the beginning of July. However, a few players may have another game or two to come after the regular league season has come to a close.

football.london takes a look at the players below who may be involved in play-off action very soon and also an academy star who could head back to N17 with a winners' medal in his possession.

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Aberdeen have fine games remaining in the Scottish Premiership season as they look to finish third in the table behind Celtic and Rangers. The top flight in Scotland divides into two for the final five games, with Aberdeen playing fellow top-half sides Hibs, St Mirren, Rangers, Celtic and Dundee United in the run-in.

Alfie Dorrington and the Dons have a further game to look forward to after the regular season has come to a close after setting up a Scottish Cup final showdown against Celtic at Hampden Park on Saturday, May 24. The on-loan defender has been a regular in the team in recent weeks and he will be determined to cap off his time in Scotland by collecting a winners' medal against Scotland's best side.

Will Lankshear (West Brom)

Will Lankshear and West Brom can still mathematically achieve a place in the Championship play-offs but it looks extremely unlikely right now as they trail Coventry City in sixth by six points. Their 3-1 home defeat to Derby County on Monday evening looks to have cost them dearly as Bristol City, Coventry, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers fight it out for the final two places.

West Brom, who have now parted with manager Tony Mowbray, have matches against relegation-threatened Cardiff City and Luton Town to come in their final two games. They may look decent fixtures on paper but both clubs are fighting for their lives as they bid to avoid the trapdoor to League One.

You can never say never when it comes to the play-offs but it would be one huge surprise if West Brom manage to find a way in there.

Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient)

Leyton Orient lead the way when it comes to the fight for the final spot in the League One play-offs. Richie Wellens' side are level on points with Reading going into their final two games but their goal difference is better by nine.

What has helped Orient jump into the play-offs is a run of four successive league wins, with Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley more than playing their part in the promotion push. The London-based club have two very tough games to come as they host automatic promotion contenders Wycombe Wanderers this weekend and then they go to Huddersfield Town on the final day.

Reading, on the other hand, have Bristol Rovers away and Barnsley at home to come. As four teams can still all finish third in League One, it would be one of Wrexham, Wycombe, Charlton Athletic or Stockport County for Leyton Orient providing they finish sixth and sew up a play-off berth.

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott and Notts County are in the League Two play-off places as things stand and they crucially have a three-point advantage over Colchester United heading into their final two games. The Magpies' goal difference is better by ten and that could possibly make all the difference come the final day if they are to finish on the same points.

An away game against Harrogate Town, who currently sit 19th, is next up and then Notts County host current leaders Doncaster Rovers on the final day. Abbott has proved to be a key player for Stuart Maynard's side this season and that will be the case in the play-offs if they seal their spot in there as they bid to win promotion to League One.

Tottenham Hotspur finishing in the top half of the Premier League table this season would seem like a flight of fancy.

Spurs have been atrocious for much of the campaign, falling to 18 defeats in their 33 games so far. With just five games of the season to play, the Lilywhites are languishing in 16th place on just 37 points.

One more defeat and they will equal their worst-ever losing performance in a 38-game Premier League season - they lost 19 out of 38 in the 2003/04 campaign.

Given the positions and the form of the two teams, it is likely that 19th defeat will come at the weekend as Spurs make the trip to Anfield for a game that will see Liverpool crowned Premier League champions should the Reds secure anything from the game.

And another defeat would make finishing higher in the league particularly more difficult for Ange Postecoglou's Spurs.

However, there is a way Spurs can lose against Liverpool on Sunday and still get into the top half of the table come the end of the season, which would be something of an incredible feat given where they currently sit.

But that requires a lot of results to go in their favour.

The three teams directly above Spurs are just a point ahead of them. Wolves, Manchester United and Everton all sit on 38 points, meaning it would not be too difficult for Tottenham to move up to 13th place.

However, getting any higher does become tough.

Crystal Palace are 12th on 45 points - eight clear of Spurs currently. Brentford sit 11th on 48 points, with Brighton & Hove Albion in 10th, also on 48 points.

If Spurs are to lose to Liverpool, as expected, they could only get as many as 49 points this season, with four other matches left - against West Ham, Palace, Aston Villa and Brighton.

To overhaul those above them and finish 10th, Spurs would need to win their other four games, with Wolves, United and Everton only managing 11 points from their final five games - not unrealistic given the trio's form this season and Ruben Amorim's admission in particular that he will be prioritising the Europa League above domestic fixtures.

Palace would also need to only get a maximum of four points from their final four games - again not unrealistic given one is against Spurs and we need Tottenham to pick up all three points from that encounter.

What also needs to happen though, is perhaps more unrealistic. Or at least as unrealistic as Tottenham managing to string four straight wins together!

Brentford can only amass three points from their five games against Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Ipswich Town, Fulham and Wolves, while Brighton or Fulham can only get one point from their final five games.

Brighton play West Ham, Newcastle, Wolves and Liverpool before Tottenham on the final day, while Fulham face Southampton, Aston Villa, Everton, Brentford and Manchester City.

It does not seem possible, particularly given Spurs need to win four of their last five games, but if it does happen, it would not be the worst season for Postecoglou after all.

There is the very real possibility of Tottenham finishing the 2024/25 Premier League season in 17th position. That is something that seemed unthinkable back in August but a run of 18 defeats in 33 league games has left Ange Postecoglou's side hovering above the drop zone.

Tottenham could in fact be in 17th come 4:30pm on Sunday when they visit Liverpool, with West Ham playing at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon. The north London club have five games remaining in the league season to try and avoid setting an unwanted record for their lowest ever Premier League points total, something Postecoglou and all connected with the club will be fearing and desperate to avoid.

Forty-four points in the 1997/98 campaign still remains their worst tally since the dawn of the Premier League back in 1992, and Tottenham's current class of 2024/25 have to obtain eight points from a possible 15 to avoid setting a new record. So who exactly do Tottenham and their rivals in the league table have to play in the final five games? football.london takes a look below.

Tottenham

Tottenham have a very tricky end to the season, which will only boost their league rivals, and they must achieve enough points to ensure they don't finish 17th. What could have an impact on their Premier League points is that their Europa League semi-final encounters against Bodo/Glimt come directly before the West Ham and Crystal Palace fixtures.

Spurs will not be expected to get anything at Anfield this weekend on a day where Liverpool can wrap up the league title. Their following match at West Ham could also prove problematic considering their recent record at the London Stadium and also because the Hammers will be doing everything in their power to finish above their London rivals come the end of May.

In the team's final two games, Aston Villa will need the points as they battle for a place in the Champions League and Brighton could also be in a similar boat as they look to secure a European finish.

Everton

Everton have performed very well since David Moyes returned to the club and they will be intent on ending the term on a positive note. The Toffees certainly have some winnable games in their final five fixtures, including the home games against Ipswich Town and Southampton as they bid a tearful farewell to their Goodison Park home.

Away trips to Chelsea, Fulham and Newcastle United will be tough but Everton have demonstrated recently that they can achieve maximum points on the road against the Premier League's best after winning at Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

Man Utd

Manchester United are in a similar position to Tottenham right now as both clubs are targeting a Europa League triumph come the end of May. The Red Devils could quite easily finish 17th in the table considering the games they still have to play and Ruben Amorim's admission about playing the youngsters in the league with Europe the priority.

The away fixtures at Bournemouth and Brentford will be tough over the next week or so, thus giving their rivals in the league table a chance to move ahead of them. Chelsea and Aston Villa are then not exactly ideal matches to end the league campaign.

Wolves

Wolves are bang in form at present after recording five straight Premier League wins to move clear of the relegation zone. Vitor Pereira's side will be expected to make it six on the bounce this weekend when they host relegated Leicester City at Molineux.

Their following game at Man City will certainly be a difficult one but they could quite easily pick up points in their last three matches considering their current momentum.

West Ham

West Ham are really struggling for Premier League wins at present and Graham Potter needs to find a way of putting things right. The head coach will return to his former club Brighton this weekend, with Tottenham and Man Utd, their current rivals in the league table, to come after that.

Their final home game of the season is against Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town, whose relegation could be confirmed this weekend, will be looking to end their year in the Premier League on a high by beating the east London club at Portman Road on the final day.

Tottenham legend Teddy Sheringham has sent Daniel Levy a clear message over Ange Postecoglou's potential sacking and bringing Mauricio Pochettino back to the club.

Speaking to CasinoHawks, Sheringham said that he still does not understand why Pochettino was sacked by Spurs in 2019 when asked who he thinks should replace Postecoglou if he is sacked.

The former Tottenham striker's mind went immediately to Pochettino when asked about replacing Postecoglou, and he bemoaned the fact that the Argentine was let go in 2019.

He said: "I still don't know why they got rid of Mauricio Pochettino in the first place. I think he was the right fit for Tottenham. I think back to the time when they played in the Champions League final against Liverpool and then after that there was no movement in the transfer market to really enhance the club.

"Sir Alex Ferguson always said if you stand still with the players you’ve got – you're falling behind. So you always need to keep striving to be better. That wasn't the case with Tottenham at that particular moment. They just didn't look to go further.

"Whether that was Pochettino's idea of not wanting to buy anyone or Daniel Levy's that he didn't want to spend any money on new players, who knows? But it's definitely a time when you need to enhance the squad, when you're doing well."

It is clear Sheringham would like to see Pochettino back in N17 to finish the job he started in 2014. Pochettino has gone on record on more than one occasion to say he would like to return to Spurs one day, claiming he has unfinished business at the club.

However, Sheringham also admitted his "love" for Postecoglou and that success in the Europa League this season is the only thing that will save him from the sack.

Sheringham added: "I love him. I love what he stands for. But he needs to win it. He needs to win it. He won’t deserve a statue, but it would make amends for a really tough season.

"Ange Postecoglou definitely needs to win the Europa League, the pressure is just piling up.

"They shouldn't be in the position that they're in in the league so anything other than winning the Europa League is not going to be good enough the way I see it for Ange Postecoglou."

While there has been speculation aplenty about Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham future with plenty of reports suggesting that his time could be up even with a Europa League trophy to his name, one man from his past has pushed in the opposite direction for him to stay.

It has been a difficult campaign for Postecoglou and Spurs with an injury crisis ripping the squad apart through the winter months meaning the same 11 to 13 players were having to be wheeled out every three to four days to play through the huge schedule of fixtures. Results naturally suffered and are yet to recover despite players coming back with Tottenham sitting 16th in the Premier League table.

However, the north London club reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and are now in the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt over two legs next month with the aim of reaching the showpiece final in Bilbao against either Manchester United or Athletic Club.

Many have suggested that Postecoglou could still leave Spurs even if the 59-year-old were to bring the club its first trophy in 17 years and first European silverware in 41 years. There is a certain irony that the last time Spurs won in Europe, lifting the UEFA Cup, they finished the season in 16th place under Keith Burkinshaw, scoring plenty of goals but conceding too many and losing 18 times in a 33-game season. It was Burkinshaw's final game for the club following a disagreement with the board.

One face from Postecoglou's past believes that history repeating itself would be a major mistake. Former Australian international Craig Foster had a major bust-up on air with Postecoglou in 2006 when the now Tottenham boss was in charge of the country's youth sides.

Foster had called on him to resign after his U20s missed out on World Cup qualification. The heated exchange went viral and Postecoglou has always felt that much-publicised moment caused him to struggle to work for some time afterwards. Foster has interviewed Postecoglou in the years since and the duo have put the incident behind them. Foster now believes that the problems at Spurs lie within their culture rather than with Postecoglou.

"Whether Ange wins the Europa League or otherwise should not necessarily be the determinant," Foster told Australian media outlet Wide World of Sports. "When injuries are taken into account, the team is operating at a top-five or six position in the Premier League in his second season, similar to his first.

"On that view alone, Ange should certainly be given a third season, irrespective of results in the Europa League, although a semi-final and likely final only adds weight to that view.

"The noise around the club is of course reaching fever pitch because of the Premier League results, however rather than change between coaches and philosophies, at some point the club will need to decide how it wants to approach the game of football, and give trust over more than one or two seasons to someone to create consistency. Otherwise, placing all faith in another saviour is hardly the answer.

"The question is whether Spurs believes that Ange is working in the right way towards a future where the football matches the expectations of club and fans, and is capable of winning the Premier League and competing in the Champions League, as was the case in 2019."

He added: "It is clear that Tottenham is a graveyard for coaches. Some of the world's best and most successful, such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, both of whom talked about a club culture of failure and that this should be addressed before another coach is replaced.

"Some, like Nuno Espirito Santo, are proving their quality at other clubs such as Nottingham Forest while Spurs vacillate from one choice to another.

"Spurs are not alone. Manchester United are similar... there is little evidence that constant change of philosophy bears results over time. In order to change this, Spurs will need to avoid the constant cycle of sackings and place trust in someone they believe has the ability to take the club to the next level. As Australians, we would like to believe that is Ange Postecoglou.

"He has certainly earned the right to a third season and to demonstrate what a fully fit squad is able to achieve. He has also worked in the interests of the club, which is not always the case. Many coaches will spend exorbitant amounts of money on short term player solutions that buttress today but do nothing to build the future.

"Ange has mostly invested in young talent which will emerge in coming seasons, rather than to save his job this year. This should be taken into account and respected by the club's fanbase."