Football London

Ange Postecoglou has provided an injury update on Tottenham stars James Maddison and Son Heung-min.

After their stunning win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday night, Spurs return to Premier League action on Monday as they welcome Nottingham Forest to north London. Managed by former Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest are flying high in the Premier League and have hopes of finishing in the Champions League places.

Ahead of the fixture on Monday night, Postecoglou confirmed that Maddison is a doubt to face Forest, while Son has been ruled out completely. Son missed last weekend's loss at Wolves and the midweek win in Germany due to a foot injury. The South Korean was spotted in training ahead of the Europa League quarter-final second leg but, in the end, the Lilywhites captain did not travel with the rest of the group.

Maddison, meanwhile, was forced off during the 1-0 win over Frankfurt. The Spurs playmaker won a penalty in the first half after he was clattered by Kaua Santos following a ball over the top by Cristian Romero. Maddison tried to head the ball over the Frankfurt goalkeeper but instead was taken out. Dominic Solanke took the resulting penalty and made no mistake from the spot.

Maddison had to be replaced soon after by Dejan Kulusevski and is still "sore", according to Postecoglou. Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Australian said: "We had the day off yesterday as we didn't get back until the early hours of Friday morning. Madders is probably a bit sore so a doubt for Monday. Sonny is still out."

Asked for a time frame on Son, Postecoglou said: "Not really sure, something he's been dealing with for a while and we got to a point where it wasn't improving and it was deteriorating. So it's a good time to give him a bit of a rest."

While Son did not travel with the group to Germany, the Tottenham captain has been in constant contact with his teammates following the win. "He was in contact with the boys. We discussed whether he should come along but I felt that to have the best chance of Sonny being available for the semis, we left him behind," Postecoglou said.

"He was in the group chats, that's what they call them don't they? I just saw him this morning, I caught him in the corridor and he's delighted."

Ange Postecoglou is holding his press conference on Saturday morning ahead of Tottenham's Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

The Australian and his Spurs players will be on a high after reaching the Europa League semi-finals with an impressive display at Frankfurt to go through 2-1 on aggregate against the German side.

Spurs will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt across two legs in the semi-finals next month but first Postecoglou's men must get back to Premier League duty and he will be hoping that the European exploits inject some momentum into a stuttering domestic campaign.

Postecoglou will be welcoming one of his predecessors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the shape of Nuno Espirito Santo, who has got Forest flying high in third place in the table despite a little recent wobble in results.

The Tottenham boss will deliver an update on James Maddison ahead of the game, after he was forced off following the first half collision in Frankfurt that brought the penalty Dominic Solanke scored from to win the game.

Postecoglou could also deliver an update on Son Heung-min's foot injury as well as discussing what kind of team he will put out against Forest.

Our Tottenham reporter Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou ahead of the game. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

Mathys Tel repaid Ange Postecoglou's faith in him with a big performance in Tottenham's vital 1-0 win away at Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening. Always facing a huge call over selecting Son Heung-min's replacement in the captain's absence through injury, it was the Frenchman who was given the nod to operate from the left.

Tel was the choice of many, especially as he had contributed two goals in his previous three games to boost his confidence. His experience of coming up against a Bundesliga club was also a big plus point as he returned to Germany for the first time since departing Bayern Munich on loan at the beginning of February.

Tel's time at Tottenham hasn't been smooth sailing due to finding himself in and out of Postecoglou's team, but his display in Frankfurt has left many looking forward to what he can contribute between now and the end of May. On a night where players such as Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke grabbed the headlines, Tottenham's No.11 perhaps went under the radar slightly in comparison to some of his teammates.

He was rather unlucky with an effort 25 minutes in that forced Frankfurt stopper Kaua Santos into action. Tel's curling attempt after taking two touches looked destined to find the net but the Brazilian was on hand to tip his powerful shot wide of the target.

Tel was a threat to the Bundesliga club throughout his time on the pitch as his energy and powerful running really tested them at times. He also linked up extremely well with Udogie down the left flank and provided plenty of defensive cover to ensure the Italian wasn't troubled too much.

Amid Son's recent struggles in the team, Tel more than made his case to start over the South Korean as he offered something different in what was a really positive display. Tottenham have eight games remaining in the 2024/25 campaign and there will hopefully be another fixture to come providing that they get the better of Bodo/Glimt to reach the Europa League final.

That gives Tel ample opportunity to really make his case for a permanent Tottenham move. The club do have the option to sign the French youngster for £45.8million in the summer as part of the loan agreement they struck with Bayern at the beginning of February.

The teenager certainly looks better for playing on the left-wing and a few more repeats of his Frankfurt performance in the remaining games could perhaps sway Tottenham's decision. Tel very much looks committed to Tottenham, with his passionate celebration after Solanke's penalty saying everything.

What has also been noticeable during his short time in N17 is his willingness to stand up and take accountability in difficult times, most notably his decision to speak with fans after the Fulham defeat and his post-match interview following the recent loss at Wolves. This, after all, is a loan player who may not have a Tottenham future come the end of May and someone who could be forgiven for not taking on those responsibilities.

However, Postecoglou, speaking shortly after the star's move to N17, did indicate that Tel would be a Spurs player for the long-term future as he "didn't bring him here for six months". Talking in his press conference ahead of last Sunday's game at Wolves, the Australian was again pressed on Tel's future but he didn't give a definitive answer.

"Yeah, I mean don’t believe everything that comes out of German press. Any press really these days. I shouldn’t say press but just information in general. The days of it being double-checked, triple-checked, triple-sourced are long gone," said the Australian when asked about reports in Germany regarding the player possibly returning to Bayern Munich.

"No, Mathys is important for us. When he came in, people forget, he hadn’t played hardly at all at Bayern and we threw him in. He was playing game after game after game and it was always going to be a big ask for him, but that’s the challenge he had.

"Now we’re working with him at training, we really believe he can make an impact and physically he’s much better now. He’s in a much better place and he’s getting to understand our game a lot better, so we’ll keep working with him. I still think he’s an exciting talent and happy to have him."

Tel looks to be in a good position to make an impact for Tottenham in the run-in and his contribution could potentially prove decisive. Do that then Son's place in the team may no longer be guaranteed.

Preparing for Frankfurt - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Guglielmo Vicario believes the perception that Tottenham are fragile was never really the case after the impressive win in Frankfurt sent them into the Europa League semi-finals.

A Dominic Solanke penalty and a clean sheet from Spurs' resolute defence set up a place in the final four where Ange Postecoglou's men will take on Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt over two legs next month.

Spurs have endured some tough away days this season in both the Premier League and in Europe, but now find themselves in only their second European semi-final in 41 years.

When it was put to goalkeeper Vicario that there was a perception that Spurs crumble in noisy atmospheres he hit back.

"Yeah. It’s just a perception, but we know what we are capable of when we are really tuned in, when we work hard as a team like we showed tonight," said the Italian.

“The achievement in both legs has been very, very deserved from what we showed at our home ground and tonight with the resilience, the desire to fight. We got the job done and it’s a fully deserved semi-final of a big European competition."

He added: "It was an amazing night for us. An amazing achievement, an amazing result.

“We go to the semi-final now, the job is not done but I saw tonight there was a really big desire to fight to get this win and to go through this round from everyone who started, who came off the bench.

"It’s a really proud night for Tottenham Hotspur. We’ve managed to handle it and be proud of ourselves."

Postecoglou has been under pressure with the poor form in the Premier League and there were suggestions that a defeat in Germany would have sealed his departure from the north London outfit.

Vicario said it was satisfying to win for the Australian but also for a squad that has struggled through some tough times this year, particularly the winter injury crisis.

“Of course we are [satisfied] because everyone suffered a lot this season. It’s been a very tough one but now we are still alive and we want to fight for something special," he said.

“It’s an important achievement. The job is not done but it’s a big win for Tottenham Hotspur, for everyone, for the boss, for us players, for the staff, for the fans. So we are very proud of what we showed tonight."

Now it's key that Vicario and his team-mates take the momentum from a big win in a hostile atmosphere into their two semi-final legs next month, with a trip to play on Bodo/Glimt's plastic pitch.

"We know we are going to face another tough opponent in the semi-final. We know when we arrive at this stage of the competition that every game will be tough," said the keeper.

“But we will fight for sure because tonight we showed that we have the capacity of doing that.

“For us it’s very important to be through. It’s a big night. Now we want to live this moment altogether because it’s been a very suffering season.”

Tottenham produced an excellent performance away at Eintracht Frankfurt to seal a spot in the Europa League semi-finals. Ange Postecoglou's side headed to Germany at a slight disadvantage having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Following on from a 4-2 defeat to Wolves, optimism was not high and there was certainly some annoyance that Djed Spence was not in the starting XI.

Injuries in defence has seen the 24-year-old regularly feature in 2025 and he has arguably been one of Spurs' better performers alongside Lucas Bergvall. However, his absence was quickly forgotten when Dominic Solanke opened the scoring from the penalty spot on half time.

The Lilywhites then showed off their defensive resoluteness to see out the victory and set up a semi-final against Norweigan champions Bodo/Glimt.

Though every single player put in a tremendous shift, Destiny Udogie was particularly sensational. From intercepting balls into the channels before going on marauding runs forward, this was the Udogie of last season back in full flow.

Given the injury issues he has suffered in the last 12 months, it is no surprise that the Italian has struggled to reach the lofty expectations set by his own standards. However, there were glimpses of this exact type of performance in the first leg with the rest against Wolves allowing him plenty of time to recover and deliver another one.

On the opposite side, Pedro Porro was also imperious and Postecoglou's decision to name both, despite their recent inconsistencies while Spence has shined, was justified.

At the final whistle, the two full-backs were among the Tottenham players to celebrate passionately in the corner of the Deutsche Bank Park where their supporters were situated. Udogie also sent a clear message on Instagram before the semi-final first leg in just under two weeks.

Alongside a picture of him shouting with joy, he simply wrote: "BELIEVE!!! #blessed [hands together emoji]." Micky van de Ven, Solanke and Mikey Moore were among the Spurs players in the comments praising his display.

Tottenham Hotspur are through to the semi-finals of the Europa League and Ange Postecoglou had plenty to say in his press conference after the 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs played a mature game out in Germany. A cagey first half came to a dramatic close when James Maddison tried to head a Cristian Romero pass over Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos only for the Brazilian to smash into him. Dominic Solanke stroked home the penalty calmly after the referee was called over to his pitchside monitor to review it.

Spurs were the better side for much of the second half, with a number of chances, and showed a real maturity to their performance to see out the game despite the noise of the crowd and Frankfurt throwing everything at them to take their place in the semi-finals of the competition.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Postecoglou and here's the full transcript from the press conference in Frankfurt.

You must be delighted with the maturity of your team tonight?

Yeah, I'm delighted with many things, super proud of the lads. Going away from home, a quarter-final against a very good side, you know you're going to have to work really hard, be really disciplined and we needed to score. We had to show the quality we had as well.

To a man I just thought they were outstanding, so proud of them. In such a big game, they delivered a performance and it means we're through to a semi-final. I think over the two legs we deserved to go through. It could have been all over in the first leg but we earned the right to be in the semi.

After a difficult season do you have a sixth sense that Tottenham's name could be on this trophy?

No, I don’t think that way. From our perspective we’ve had a difficult season and I think there’s some reasoning behind that was pretty evident that when we've got our strongest team out there, a lot of things we’ve suffered with this year I’m sure we wouldn’t have. The spine of our team, at times we've been missing Vicario, Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Solanke, all of them we've been missing at different times this year.

We've got the whole group. It's not just them, it's the whole group together. We know that we can be a team that's pretty compelling against anybody. We're in the final four now so we've given ourselves a chance.

How is James Maddison?

He is fine. Unbelievable courage in that moment to put his body on the line knowing full well that he was going to get a pretty severe knock and I was surprised it wasn’t a red card. Super courageous from him. He is sore but I’m sure that has all been numbed knowing that he has helped us progress to the semi.

Were you pleased VAR helped or annoyed at no red card?

We can be facetious about that but I thought it was a clear penalty. I’m not sure why it needed VAR. When a player wins the ball and gets cleaned out, if that was a defender it definitely would probably have been a red card. It’s definitely a penalty. I don’t think it needed a review. Again, I think we got what we deserved.

How much confidence do you have in this squad now to go all the way and deliver what the fans have wanted for so long?

Look, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re in the semi-final and will play a difficult opponent in the semi, but it’s not about my belief in the team. What’s more important is the belief the team has had because after a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that (even) with all the noise around our season.

They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here and that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me. It isn’t so much my belief in them, it’s their belief in what we’re doing and both players and staff have been outstanding. I am the front man for it but they take responsibility for it as well and all my decisions and everything I do, but not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing. That is crucial when you’re having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there.

How do you feel Ange, there's been so much talk about you – is it a relief to come through?

I think I said yesterday, I am the same manager today that I was yesterday so if people think us winning tonight makes me a better manager or whoever thinks I wasn’t doing a good job yesterday, should be feeling the same way. I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That’s much more important than what others may make of me. So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer, mate, so let’s see how that goes.

Preparing for Frankfurt - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for the Europa League semi-final for the first time since 1984 after knocking Eintracht Frankfurt out in the quarter-final on Thursday night.

Dominic Solanke scored the decisive goal in the tie from the penalty spot to hand Spurs a 2-1 aggregate win. After a 1-1 draw in north London last week, Solanke's penalty in Germany meant Tottenham kept their 2024/25 season alive.

Spurs' Premier League campaign has been left as a write-off with Ange Postecoglou's men sitting 16th. However, Thursday night's win in Frankfurt means Tottenham will play at least two more games this season.

They will face Lazio after the conclusion of their quarter-final clash with Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian side had won the first-leg 2-0 but was denied a place in the last four in dramatic fashion when Lazio netted an injury-time leveller.

They will face Bodo/Glimt after they knocked Italian side Lazio out on penalties in a dramatic second-leg in Rome. The first leg will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday May 1 before the return leg in Italy follows a week later.

The two teams met in the Europa League group stage back in 2012, both fixtures ending 0-0. In the other semi-final, Athletic Bilbao take on Manchester United.

Bilbao eased past Rangers 2-0 in Spain on Thursday while United came from two goals down to win 7-6 on aggregate against Lyon.

The final is set to take place on May 21 2025 at the home of Bilbao. Fortunately for Postecoglou, Spurs go into the last four with no suspensions after the three players walking a tightrope avoided yellow cards.

Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski are all currently on two bookings and one more would have seen them receive a one-match ban. All three stayed out of the referees book and will be available for the semi-final.

Ange Postecoglou is holding his press conference after Tottenham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League with a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

A cagey first half came to a dramatic conclusion when James Maddison tried to head a Cristian Romero chipped pass over Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos only for the stopper to wipe him out. Dominic Solanke stroked home the subsequently given penalty calmly before Maddison had to eventually go off following the collision.

Spurs were the better side for much of the second half and showed a real maturity to their performance to see out the game and take their place in the semi-finals of the competition.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference in Frankfurt.

Tottenham are through to the semi-finals of the Europa League following a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night. Following the 4-2 defeat at Wolves last Sunday, Ange Postecoglou made a number of changes to his team as he tried to pick his perfect Spurs side to get the better of their German opponents.

Mathys Tel got the nod on the left-wing in Son Heung-min's absence and Brennan Johnson was selected on the right, but there was to be no place for Djed Spence in the starting XI as Destiny Udogie started at left-back. The hosts did threaten on a couple of occasions in the first half before Tel forced Kaua Santos into an excellent save with his shot from distance on course to find the net.

Santos was to be involved in a big moment just before the break as he clattered into James Maddison and a penalty was awarded following a VAR check. It was Dominic Solanke who stepped up and he made no mistake from the spot as he knocked the ball down the middle of Santos' goal to give the visitors a deserved lead.

Spurs went so close to doubling their lead on the hour mark as Cristian Romero headed millimetres wide from Pedro Porro's inviting corner with the goalkeeper well beaten. Tottenham were almost made to pay for their missed chances as Guglielmo Vicario made a big save from Fares Chiabi and Rasmus Kristensen then narrowly headed wide of the far post seconds later.

Kristensen was to have two further chances in the closing minutes but Spurs managed to see the game out to secure a 2-1 aggregate win. Here are five things we spotted in the game at Deutsche Bank Park:

Kulusevski's fitness

Kulusevski finally made his return to the pitch at Wolves last Sunday as he came on the for the final 15 minutes of the contest. Many believed that late cameo would result in a start in Frankfurt given the importance of the tie to Tottenham and also to Postecoglou's future.

That was not to be the case, though, as Johnson was picked ahead of him on the right-wing. That decision hinted at the Swede's current fitness levels but it also meant that the head coach had a huge weapon to bring on in the closing stages of the match.

After all, he recently mentioned that the substitutes would have a huge role to play in the tie. Kulusevski did enter the fray a bit earlier than many expected as he replaced the injured Maddison on the cusp of half-time.

The Sweden international more than played his part in the win as he carried the ball extremely well in the second half and helped Tottenham get the job done. Kulusevski will hopefully get even more minutes on Monday night when the team return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest.

Vicario's kind act

There was no way Postecoglou was going to drop Guglielmo Vicario for the Eintracht Frankfurt game despite his struggles at Wolves last weekend. As Antonin Kinsky is not registered as part of Tottenham's Europa League squad, it would have been between Brandon Austin or Alfie Whiteman to start had the head coach elected to wield the axe.

Lining up as the Europa League anthem played ahead of the European tie, Vicario could be seen trying to protect the mascot stood in front of him from the rain. As it was pouring down inside Deutsche Bank Park, the goalkeeper held his gloves above the mascot's head to try and keep him dry.

It was a kind act from Vicario and no doubt something the youngster appreciated. Amid his Wolves woes, the Italian produced a big performance with some key saves as Spurs won in Germany.

Penalty decision

VAR came to Tottenham's aid just before half-time as they were awarded a penalty after Santos had cleaned Maddison out in the area when the midfielder had headed Romero's long ball towards goal. The referee initially believed it was a natural coming together before he was advised to go and check the screen.

Following a bit of a moment the last time they were awarded a penalty against Southampton as Tel scored when many believed Johnson would step up to complete his hat-trick, the Frenchman this time had hold of the ball and stood by the spot ready to take. However, there was to be a late change as he put the ball in Solanke's hands and he did the rest.

Whether it was a tactic to allow Solanke to compose himself away from the Frankfurt players remains to be seen. What was clear to see, though, was Postecoglou bellowing 'Dom, Dom' at the top of his voice from the touchline as he wanted his striker to take on the responsibility.

It proved to be the right call as the striker put the ball down the centre of Santos' goal and then went over to celebrate in front of the packed home end.

Tel-ing impact

It was Tel who won the race to replace Son in the Tottenham team away in Germany. Having plenty of options to operate from that side of the pitch with Wilson Odobert and Richarlison having experience there, Postecoglou opted for the loanee and it proved to be the right call.

Tel has maybe not set the world alight since joining from Bayern Munich at the beginning of February but this was undoubtedly one of his best performances in a Spurs shirt. Going into the game in confident mood after scoring two goals in his previous three games, he almost added another one to his tally with a curling effort from outside the box that Santos did well to keep out.

He was a constant threat down the left with his running and he also helped out defensively at times as Tottenham tried to keep their opponents quiet. Spurs certainly didn't feel the absence of Son as Tel stepped up to the mark and delivered an excellent showing.

Postecoglou and Spurs masterclass

Following that 4-2 defeat at Wolves on Sunday, some Spurs supporters perhaps didn't feel very confident at all travelling to Frankfurt for the crucial second leg. They needn't have worried as Postecoglou's side delivered such a professional performance and one of their best showings of the season.

Tottenham were brilliant from the very first minute as they tried to nullify the hosts and limit them to very little. The Lilywhites did create chances of their own and maybe should have scored more than the one goal they netted on the night given the attempts they had in the second half.

Frankfurt, on the other hand, didn't force Vicario into action too often but they still had some great openings to score, with former Leeds United man Kristensen passing up a hat-trick of opportunities. All of Tottenham's players put in huge shifts on the night, including Romero, Udogie, Micky Van de Ven and Solanke to name a few who were outstanding and really pushed Spurs on to victory.

The scenes at the full-time whistle said everything. It was a colossal showing from Tottenham and hopefully three more are to follow in Europe as they look to get their hands on the Europa League trophy.

Preparing for Frankfurt - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Tottenham were handed a huge boost in their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League semi-final with them leading 1-0 in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs travelled to the Bundesliga side level on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in north London last time out. In Germany, after riding an intense wave of attacks from Frankfurt, Spurs grew into the game.

Mathys Tel forced a smart save from Kaua Santos before Dominic Solanke was inches away from connecting with a cross. However, just before half-time, Spurs were handed a penalty after James Maddison was clattered to the floor by the Frankfurt goalkeeper.

A ball from Cristian Romero gave Maddison a free run into the home side's penalty area. The midfielder connected with the ball with head before Santos' collision left him on the floor.

Whilst VAR checked the incident, cameras panned to Ange Postecoglou barking orders out to his players. The Spurs boss was spotted shouting: "Dom. Dom," pointing towards Dominic Solanke to take the penalty.

At the time, Tel was holding the ball. Solanke was then handed the ball before calmly putting Spurs ahead. It comes after Tel was involved in a penalty row with Brennan Johnson in the recent win over Southampton.

Johnson was left frustrated after being denied the chance to clinch his first Premier League hat-trick. The Wales international had the ball taken off him by Pedro Porro before Romero gave it to Tel.

Elsewhere, Spurs will be sweating over the fitness of Maddison. After receiving treatment on the pitch, he did continue before going back down and being replaced by Dejan Kulusevski.