Football London

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic is making a real name for himself while on loan in Germany at Hamburger SV and he's expected to make his first international start for Croatia later this week

Luka Vuskovic has revealed he's still in touch with Tottenham despite being on loan at Hamburg, however, he doesn't know when he'll be going back to Spurs.

The 18-year-old centre-back has been an instant hit in the Bundesliga this season and has forced his way straight into HSV's starting XI.

His glistening form has also been rewarded at international level as Vuskovic is currently in line to earn his first senior Croatia start on Friday evening against the Faroe Islands.

Ahead of this week's World Cup qualifier, he was nominated to speak to the media back in his homeland and inevitably, he was asked about his future.

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.”

Spurs currently have no plans to recall Vuskovic from his current loan as he is playing regular football in one of Europe's top-five domestic leagues and additionally, he's performing well.

The talented teenager is expected to remain with HSV until the end of the season when his future will be reassessed by the Tottenham hierarchy.

The Europa League winners have huge faith in Vuskovic's potential but there is also recognition that Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are among the best centre-back pairings in world football.

Vuskovic is understood to have personally pushed to depart Spurs on loan in pursuit of regular playing time.

Given Thomas Frank also has Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin at his disposal, Spurs were unable to offer Vuskovic consistent minutes this season.

The Croatian gem did make a notable impression in pre-season though, notching a goal and an assist on his first Tottenham appearance in a 2-0 friendly win at Reading in July.

A number of clubs from Germany, France and Belgium were queuing up to sign Vuskovic on loan in the summer but he chose HSV as his older brother, Mario, also plays for the Bundesliga outfit although he's currently suspended.

Vuskovic netted his first Hamburg goal back in September when he scored in a 2-1 league victory over Heidenheim.

His Spurs contract runs until the summer of 2030, so Tottenham are under no immediate pressure to make a decision over his future after pipping Manchester City and PSG to a deal in September 2023.

There's a huge Premier League match to come for Tottenham Hotspur's players and coaches once this international break comes to a close

Thomas Frank will already be plotting for his first north London derby and he will be raring to go in training as soon as his Tottenham players return from international duty.

The Dane and his non-international Spurs players, those who are not recovering from injury, are enjoying a rest in the early days of this week before returning to sessions at Hotspur Way. When those players return, Frank will look to get one or two involved in an U21s friendly at the training ground, with Radu Dragusin set to play after training with his Romania team-mates.

Then Frank will be sweating on the return of the international stars as all but one take on two matches during this fortnight. With the Premier League return taking place at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, both Tottenham and Arsenal have one extra day to prepare and recover after the players return.

The first player back from international duty should be captain Cristian Romero because Argentina recently postponed next week's friendly against India, meaning he will only play once for his country on Friday in a friendly away against Angola.

The next set of players back at the Enfield training complex will be Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven, with the Netherlands playing a home World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on Monday night, while Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel will play for France under-21s in their home European Championship qualifier against the Faroe Islands. If they all play then Tuesday will be a recovery day at Hotspur Way before returning to full training on Wednesday.

Then on Tuesday, six Tottenham players are in action across the globe, starting with Pape Matar Sarr in Senegal's friendly against Kenya in Turkey and Lucas Bergvall, following his concussion return, playing for Sweden at home in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

Kevin Danso has a home World Cup qualifier with Austria against Bosnia-Herzegovina as does Brennan Johnson for Wales against North Macedonia and Pedro Porro with Spain against Turkey. As with Sarr playing closer to home, so is Richarlison as Brazil will face Tunisia in a friendly in France.

Rodrigo Bentancur however is playing for Uruguay away against the USA in a friendly later than evening at midnight UK time, which means the midfielder could be the latest player back to Hotspur Way, potentially on the Thursday after travelling back.

That leaves Frank with three days to work with his entire squad of available players before taking on Mikel Arteta's side across north London.

Arsenal have several injury concerns ahead of a clash against Tottenham Hotspur after the international break

Arsenal will be hoping that their injury list begins to clear up after the international break reaches its conclusion.

The Gunners have a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table and were forced to settle for a draw in their previous match against Sunderland.

Manchester City's win over Liverpool on Sunday saw Pep Guardiola's side close the gap on Arsenal, who will now look ahead to the North London Derby on November 23 when the top flight returns.

Mikel Arteta has been forced to handle several injury concerns throughout the season so far, despite managing to maintain frequent wins that have built a decent lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Arsenal will be hoping that some of the players on the sidelines return from injury after the international break, but there are still question marks over several members of the squad.

Here, football.london takes a look at Arsenal's current injury list and potential return dates.

Viktor Gyokeres

After scoring six goals since his move to Arsenal, Viktor Gyokeres has missed the last two matches with a muscle injury.

The Gunners will hope to have Gyokeres available after the international break, with Arteta recently expressing his concern for the striker's fitness.

“I am concerned because he [Gyokeres] hasn't had many muscular issues and he had to leave the pitch," Arteta told reporters on November 3. "He was feeling something and that’s obviously never a good sign.

"Especially for a player that is very, very explosive, so we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we will announce it when we know more.”

Potential return date: November 23 - Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard has spent a large portion of the season on the side lines with various injury concerns.

After overcoming a shoulder injury in the early weeks of the campaign, the Arsenal captain is now recovering from a knee injury he picked up at the start of October and is not expected to return for some time.

"It is steady. It is going in a steady direction but he is some distance away," Norway manager Stale Solbakken recently said about Odegaard's recovery.

Potential return date: Late November/December

Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz has been sidelined for the majority of the season with a knee injury that he picked up in the Premier League opener against Manchester United in August.

Havertz needed minor surgery on the injury and is not expected to return until later in the year.

"Let’s see how he absorbs the load first when he starts to train with us, and when he’s done that, obviously we’re going to have to, especially in the first few weeks, keep an eye on him to manage the amount of minutes and when we play him," said Arteta when asked about Havertz last week.

Potential return date: December

Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke has missed Arsenal's last 11 matches due to a knee injury that he suffered back in September.

There will be optimism, though, from the Gunners to have the England international back available for the clash against Tottenham after the international break.

Potential return date: November 23 - Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli has been recovering from a knock that has kept the Brazilian on the sidelines for the last four matches.

The Gunners will be hoping to have Martinelli back in training and available for selection once the international break draws to a close.

Potential return date: November 23 - Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined with a knee injury that he suffered back in January.

After undergoing surgery, the striker has gradually been building up his fitness with the aim of returning to the matchday squad later in the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur have two players in their squad who could hand them a major financial boost

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to be handed a significant financial boost as a major update emerges about the value of some of their stars.

Spurs are currently in the early days of the November international break, which will be the final two-week hiatus from Premier League football for the calendar year.

Thomas Frank's side were held to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United over the weekend in their last fixture before the break, but two players were missing from the game.

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were both unavailable to face Man United due to injury, but each of the duo represent major financial value to Spurs.

The CIES Football Observatory have provided a report on the most valuable teenagers in world football, with both Bergvall and Gray featuring on the list.

Bergvall is among the highest-valued players on the list at €67million (£59million), while Gray is not far behind with a value of €54million (£47million) on the current market.

Given that both players are still under 20 years of age, Tottenham will be hoping that their market values will only increase as the years go on, along with their quality and importance to the team.

Bergvall is currently sidelined with a head injury that forced the midfielder to miss the draw with United through the Premier League's concussion protocols.

"Lucas got a concussion, which was probably pretty obvious from the footage," Frank told reporters last week when providing an update on Bergvall's injury.

"Big praise to the medical team, because it's a tricky situation to be in when it's two minutes into a game. So, well done to them because it's the player’s health that's the most important thing."

Before the injury, Bergvall had made 15 appearances for Tottenham this season with one goal to his name, which came against West Ham in the Premier League back in September.

Gray is also on the sidelines with injury, with the midfielder recovering from a calf issue that has forced the teenager to miss Tottenham's last four matches.

Tottenham will be hoping to have Bergvall and Gray back from their respective injuries after the international break reaches its conclusion.

football.london caught up with a former Tottenham striker who has packed plenty into his career so far in the game and is now enjoying a new football format

Kazaiah Sterling has packed more into the past decade than most of us will squeeze into a lifetime.

Having turned 27 on Sunday, the Spurs academy product can tell you about his days training with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, making his Champions League debut at Wembley, being scared of Mauricio Pochettino, having a frightening injury, playing football in the USA and on Monday night making Hollywood star Idris Elba rather unhappy.

Back in March 2017, Sterling took part in his first ever media interview after an FA Youth Cup game at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium. It was with football.london and the 18-year-old striker spoke exactly as you would imagine a youngster to, with a touch of nerves and precious little in the way of words.

It came just days after Pochettino had revealed that Sterling would be training with the first team the following season alongside Kane because "there is no better teacher to learn from".

Fast forward eight-and-a-half years and it's a very different Kazaiah Sterling speaking with football.london today. He has been moulded by a career that has taken him through most levels of the sport across the world and now he is one of the stars of a new football format that has got a lot of people talking and watching.

Back in 2017 though and the young Sterling faced a formidable figure in Pochettino who helped set him on his path.

"He was really good, but my first years, I was very scared, because he didn't really speak to us, he didn't give too much away," said the former academy striker. "My first encounter with him, I was definitely very scared. Obviously, as a young player, you want to really impress.

"But the more I got to work with him, I really enjoyed it. He's very professional, very demanding. I feel like even to this day, a lot of the habits he kind of forced upon us stick.

"With him, because he's very professional, if you're not doing certain things, you won't be in the first team. When I first came up, he didn't really care who you were, if weren't training properly, not professional all the time, you weren't going to be anywhere near the first team.

"That's how Harry Kane got his chance. That was Pochettino's philosophy. It doesn't matter who you are, as long as you work and show that you're willing to listen and be professional, then he'll give you a chance. It was really good to be around that sort of environment."

Not long after Sterling had first joined Spurs from Leyton Orient and become a scholar he found himself training in the academy with two stars who had fallen foul of Pochettino's ways - Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon.

"Adebayor was hilarious, honestly. When he was training with us, he was quite good to be fair. Aaron Lennon was really good," said the striker. "I'd say that definitely helped me.

"In my first few months, I was paired up with Aaron a lot in time of training against him. It was good to see what the level of a first-team player was like. I enjoyed them training with us. It helped me get a taste for what first-team football is like."

At the end of the 2016/17 campaign, Pochettino took Sterling on the post-season trip to Hong Kong with the first team and the young forward netted his first senior goal in the game against Kitchee in added time.

Dele Alli played him in down the left and after a defender's tackle only bobbled the ball back up against him, Sterling calmly slotted it through the goalkeeper's legs to complete the 4-1 victory. He grinned widely as Dele hugged him while Kane applauded before coming over to do the same.

The following season would bring the chance to work more closely with the player who would become Tottenham's record goalscorer, the England captain and now Bayern Munich star.

"To me Harry Kane wasn't just a first team player, he was an academy prospect as well. Knowing I was going to be training with someone like that, taking the same steps, was so inspiring and encouraging," he said.

"And on top of that, his quality was like...well it was a joke, honestly. Everything he'd do was literally perfect, each strike was perfect, honestly. Training, even replicating it in games, seeing what he's doing now is no surprise to me at all."

Sterling revealed that there were a couple of defensive players in the Spurs squad back then who looked after him in particular as he stepped out wide-eyed into a new world.

"Danny Rose was really good with me. He really looked out for me," he remembered. "Eric Dier, he was really good with the young players. Michel Vorm as well. Danny took me under his wing and was very encouraging, as was Eric."

Rose would spend his final season at the north London club with the U21s after seeing out his contract and unregistered in the Premier League squad.

"He was really good with the boys. Whilst he was training with us, he was so professional," said Sterling. "He would talk to the boys about football and on and off the pitch stuff.

"He was really encouraging and you don't really expect that when a first team player comes down to train with you. For a lot of the boys who didn't know him as well, they were probably a bit shy to talk to him, but he was really good with them, very encouraging. He was a very good role model whilst he was with us. He's a good guy."

Sterling had his moments for Tottenham, named on the bench in the Premier League against Manchester City in April 2018 and again the next season away at Fulham. He made his FA Cup debut in January 2019, coming off the bench in the 81st minute in the 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

It was Sterling's full debut the previous season in December 2017 though that he will remember forever as he replaced Dele in the final minutes of the Champions League win against APOEL Nicosia at Wembley Stadium in front of 42,679 supporters.

"I had a good feeling that I was going to make my debut that day," he recalled. "[Pochettino] didn't actually say it, but there were a few of us on the bench, Luke Amos and Kyle Walker-Peters.

"We weren't entirely sure who was actually going to come on, but I just had a feeling. The game was going great as well. It was 3-0 at the time. I just had the feeling that I was going to be able to come on.

"I did and it was such a great feeling. I would have loved it to be at the new stadium, but being at the national stadium, not many people get to say they played at Wembley. My family being there as well. It was incredible."

In that moment Sterling became the youngest ever player at that point to represent Tottenham in the Champions League at 19 years and 27 days.

It was a remarkable achievement. Footballers are easy targets for criticism. People don't realise quite how much effort and sacrifice it takes just to get into an academy, let alone making it all the way through that multi-year process to the first team.

Imagine being 18 or 19-years-old and after getting all the way over the years you find that your competition for a spot in the team is Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and an experienced star in Fernando Llorente, who had won everything across the game.

"A lot of people don't actually realise that as a young player, even just making that step up from being an academy player to the first team, it's almost impossible," said Sterling.

"Each age group, there are 15 players from each age group and you're all technically competing for that same spot. And then on top of that, you've got players in the first team who you're battling for a spot against.

"I feel like a lot of people from the outside, they don't realise how hard it is actually competing for a spot. It's not just 'you're young, we'll give you a bit of game time' or 'we'll just throw you in there'.

"You have to actually be at a certain level for them to even consider giving you a slight chance, because I'd say there were players who were better than me that at the time weren't even getting chances. There were players in the first team who weren't even getting minutes.

"I'm also competing against those guys for minutes in the first team. So from the outside, I feel like a lot of people don't really realise how hard it actually is."

So with all that in mind, sometimes people can look unfavourably on a player when their career reaches a peak and then heads over the other side, despite the odds overwhelmingly suggesting that's going to happen, even if they've beaten those odds to get to that point in the first place.

Over the next two years, Sterling was sent out by Tottenham on a string of loans across the Football League to Sunderland, Doncaster Rovers, Leyton Orient and Southend United and then up in Scotland to Greenock Morton.

He told football.london that he knew while on his second loan of that bunch that he would probably never get back into the Spurs first team reckoning.

"I'd say the loan at Doncaster. I feel like that would have been a really good loan for me with Darren Moore. I'd known him from my younger years. We were a young team and I felt like that was going to be the loan where I properly kicked on," he said.

"And then I ended up getting injured. It just started off as a dead leg. It was a freak injury. It was a dead leg, then I ended up getting a blood clot in my leg and it turned into the bone. It was a proper freak injury.

"I ended up not playing for almost a year. I feel like that period, that's when I knew I'm realistically not going to be in the first team.

"[Jose] Mourinho had just come in as well. I think Poch got sacked around the same time, I'd got the injury. So a new manager had come in. Mourinho, he's known to be very cut-throat as well. So, realistically, I couldn't see myself being out for this long and then just going straight into the first team."

Sterling was mentally strong enough to process what was happening when many others might not have. Hundreds upon hundreds of other academy products at clubs across the game have spoken about having injuries and misfortune rob them of their chance and struggling with the realisation.

"It was hard, but honestly, I don't like to look too far ahead. I thought realistically that's probably not going to happen, so my main focus was just trying to get back fit," said the former Spurs man.

"Get back fit and playing and then once you're back fit playing, you never know what can happen. I made peace with that quite early, which made the process a bit easier."

It was after his short spell in Scotland that Sterling's career took a new and unexpected turn with a spell in non-league football before the game swept him across the Atlantic.

"I was training with a few teams. It was around the COVID era as well so it was probably the worst year to be transitioning from team to team because even getting trials was really hard," he said.

"Just because of the whole COVID situation, teams weren't really having people in. You'd have to go through certain procedures just to come in and train. It was a crazy time.

"One of my close friends, who passed away recently, he was playing at Potters Bar and he just said 'do you want to come play?'. I thought, you know what, I'm training in places but I'm not really at a team right now. I'm just going to get some games, enjoy football again. I ended up playing there for a bit.

"Then to be fair, me playing there, I got a lot of interest from a few National League teams wondering why I was playing at that level. People were confused as to why I was playing there, but honestly, it was just to get some fitness and enjoy the game again."

Then came a transatlantic opportunity in 2022 as Sterling grabbed the chance to play in the levels beneath the MLS where you now see the likes of Messi, Son and Hugo Lloris. He would score goals aplenty for South Georgia Tormenta and then last year moved to Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

"In my head, I always wanted to go to play in America. I thought, why not do it now?" he said. "It's so different. In America, in the colder areas, it's proper cold so while in the south, a lot of them have grass pitches, on the west coast, California, a lot of the places up north like New York, Chicago, they have Astroturf pitches.

"You get decent crowds at that level. The team I was at, I'd say they got up to 4,000, some teams would get up to 6,000 and it was a mixture of young and old people. They're really loud. Some of them bring whole bands to the games. You get a good atmosphere at a few of the grounds.

"Also there's a lot of good players out there. How their sports system works is you do four years at university, then you go into whatever pro sport you're doing so it's a good structure that they have."

For Sterling, it was a chance for football to take him to places and meet people he otherwise might never have seen.

"It just opened my eyes to the world. There's so much stuff out there that you wouldn't even imagine in different environments," he said. "It was really good to experience different things, see different cultures as well, how sports are in different countries.

"Especially growing up in an academy, you're not really exposed to what life is outside a Premier League environment. There's loads of good organisations, you meet loads of good players as well that you didn't think would be out in these sort of places. It was a really good experience."

Now his former Tottenham team-mate Son has made the move to the USA and Los Angeles. So how does Sterling think the South Korean will do in a land where the American sports dominate?

"You know the type of character he is. He's obviously a great player, but he's a great character as well," he said. "I can't see him not having a positive impact over there. Just naturally, the type of person he is. Fans will love him as well.

"Players will love him. Great guy to work with. I can only see him having a positive impact out there. Even just in terms of more players maybe being willing to go out there. Seeing a player like Sonny out there, I feel like that will attract more players to go out there as well and play."

That's Son's future though. What about Sterling's? The 27-year-old has begun coaching young players and was doing so just moments before this interview took place. He will begin working through his UEFA licences this year.

"I enjoy working with younger kids. In my head I still see myself as quite young, I feel like I can relate to them," he said. "In terms of the journey as well. As much as I can I try to teach young kids what I know, talk to them when I can about little things because I feel like it all adds up."

On Monday nights you will find Sterling playing in the second season of the Baller League, shown live on Sky Sports each week.

The striker was the MVP of season one, firing SDS FC to the title during a finals day held in front of a crowd of 20,000 at The O2 Arena.

If you haven't heard of it yet, the Baller League is an indoor six-a-side competition that originated in Germany and has now swept into both the UK and USA, propelled by influencers, Hollywood actors and former football stars.

It's football but with a twist at times. For example, during the final three minutes of each 15-minute half, the format can suddenly change to three v three, or long-range goals counting as double and even goalkeepers not being allowed to use their hands.

Managers also get two wildcards per week, so can pick anyone in their team for that match and penalties are like ice hockey ones, with a one-vs-one situation with six seconds to score.

Last season, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Luis Figo, John Terry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Ian Wright and TV host Maya Jama were among those in charge of various sides in the 12-team league, alongside stars of YouTube, TikTok and Twitch.

This season's edition has added Idris Elba to their ranks as the manager of Rukkas FC and on Monday night, the Hollywood star could only watch on unhappily as Sterling scored the winning goal for SDS from a one-vs-one penalty situation in a 3-2 victory at London's Copper Box Arena.

Last week, Sterling scored a hat-trick in a dramatic 5-5 draw with Ian Wright and Alan Shearer's Wembley Rangers.

With the large crowds it draws and the followings of the people involved, Sterling believes it's something that can exist alongside the regular game of football each week.

"I definitely think there is a chance for it to thrive. This time last year, I didn't even know what Baller League was," admitted the striker. "In this short space of time, it's grown drastically. I feel like it gives players a chance to showcase themselves in a different style.

"You see different types of football as well, with a good combination of players and content creators as well, which boosts the exposure. Five-a-side, six-a-side, that's something that's been going on in England for years, but it's never really had the platform.

"This has given it such a platform. They have millions of viewers each Monday. So, I can only see it getting bigger."

Sterling is one of the stars of the league alongside various former players and he is looking to get back into regular football again alongside it, as he is nearing full fitness again following a period in hospital with rhabdomyolysis, yet another freak twist in his career.

Now he is close to full fitness and sharpness, the Baller League is giving him highlight reels aplenty to show prospective new clubs.

Sterling still keeps a close eye on that club in north London where his journey began and did so with a couple of coaches now on Thomas Frank's staff - Justin Cochrane and Matt Wells.

"Justin was my first ever coach at Spurs. I had him at under-12s and then again at under-16s and 21s, so I've known him basically my whole life. And Matt, I worked with him when I was a scholar around that 2017/18 time, he was the 21s coach," he remembered.

"He was a great coach, both of them. Great coaches. Proper footballing coaches. They're coaches that if you work with them, you'll improve. You're guaranteed to, a lot.

"I'm not surprised they're now part of Thomas Frank's staff. It's really inspiring to see. Honestly, just as a player, knowing them personally, a lot of what they've been through on their journeys, to see that full circle moment of them coming through.

"It's a bit similar as a player. You see a player building through the academy, making it to the first team. Seeing a coach build, go up all those levels and make it to the first team, it's really good to see. I'm really happy for them."

For Sterling and his own path from academy to the Champions League and then across the world, he has no regrets over a career that brought some wonderful moments before misfortune took it in a different direction.

"I do often think about this, but looking back honestly I don't think there's anything I would have done differently," he said. "When I was at Spurs I was working hard. I didn't take my position for granted. I gave myself the best chance I could. I was a bit unfortunate at times but that is how life works.

"Those misfortunes shaped how I am today. In that aspect I don't really regret any of that. If any young players are going to read this, I would probably say give yourself the best chance possible in terms of working.

"Don't take anything for granted. It sounds very cliché but honestly keep working hard and give yourself the best chance you can then at the end of it, if it doesn't work out at least you know you tried your best and gave yourself the best chance."

The striker has high hopes that the next young Tottenham star will grab their chance at the north London club.

"With football there's always someone coming through next, but you never know who it's going to be," he said.

"One of my favourite games to watch as a former academy player was the one [against Elfsborg] and seeing three academy boys come on and score. That's literally what it's all about.

"It only takes one moment to put yourself on the map and get yourself in and around the first team. There's always going to be another player who's up and coming and then it's about taking your chance.

"You might as an academy player not get as many chances as someone that's been brought in who might be the same age as you, but that's how it goes. So if you get there you've got to take your chance."

Sterling has his eye on one Spurs academy product in particular who is currently trying to grab some minutes amid the club's injury list.

"I've trained with Dane Scarlett. I know Dane personally, he's a great, great player and I feel like he's got so much to give," he said. "He's definitely one of the players I feel can progress and be a regular in the first team.

"100 per cent he can take the chance. He came on the other day and won a penalty. I'm sure he would have loved to have taken the kick as he takes great penalties.

"I've always said, if I was ever in that situation where I was playing and there was a younger academy player, or a young player, I would always, even though I'm a penalty taker, let them take it.

"I would 100 per cent make sure he's taking it, but I guess, Richarlison, he's a striker as well, he wants to get his goal. But I feel like there's definitely a chance for Dane there. It's going to be hard, obviously. I feel like Tottenham, they're always under a lot of pressure for results.

"But you've just got to do as much as you can in training, get the trust of the manager, and when he does get a chance, hopefully take it."

Only eight years have passed since Mauricio Pochettino declared that one young Tottenham academy striker would get his chance among the stars.

Football has taken Kazaiah Sterling across the globe in the years since, through the highs and the lows, and it has shaped him in ways he could never have imagined. His story though is far from over.

Brazil are set to face Senegal and Tunisia in international friendlies as their World Cup preparations continue after securing qualification for next summer's finals

Tottenham striker Richarlison has been warned his place in the Brazil squad is under threat ahead of next summer's World Cup finals.

The 28-year-old was included in Carlo Ancelotti's latest squad for upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, however, the decision has been heavily scrutinised back home in South America.

While Richarlison was excellent for the Selecao at the 2022 World Cup, scoring three goals and registering one assist in Qatar, his form has been patchy this term for Tottenham.

In fact, the ex-Everton forward has not scored for his country since netting in the 4-1 last 16 triumph against South Korea at the 2022 tournament.

It means he has now gone nearly three years without scoring for Brazil, yet he continues to be picked by Ancelotti.

Brazilian newspaper O Globo have published an article assessing Ancelotti's latest squad and have noted that Richarlison is facing his "last chance" to justify his inclusion.

Last month, he was a second-half substitute in Brazil's friendly matches against South Korea and Japan as Chelsea star Estevao grabbed the headlines. Additionally, the Brazilian media have also argued that Brentford's Igor Thiago should be in the squad after rattling in eight Premier League goals for the Bees. Prior to last Saturday when Richarlison struck late in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, he hadn't scored for Spurs since the 2-2 draw at Brighton in September.

He also recently missed a penalty in Tottenham's 4-0 Champions League demolition of Copenhagen, typifying his struggles in front of goal.

Tottenham have a large number of players out on loan across the global game but which of them could return from their adventures in January?

January marks the time when clubs evaluate their loan players to decide which ones will return, which will be sent on new loans and which of them need to continue their development and Tottenham are no different.

The north London club have got 13 players out plying their trade on loan at clubs across England, Scotland, Germany, Spain and even Argentina, with Spurs' Head of Loans and Pathways Andy Scoulding keeping a constant eye on them, either remotely or going to watch them in action.

The former Rangers man constantly keeps in touch with the players, their families and agents as well as the clubs they have been loaned to in order to keep track of their development, opportunities, behaviour and everything else a player needs to succeed.

Sometimes though, circumstances change at a club or back at the parent team, and players must return or move on in the January window with most loan moves - but not all - having a break clause in the agreement in the winter window.

Here's a look at all of Tottenham's loan players and whether we think they will stay, return or get a new loan.

Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Luka Vuskovic is thoroughly enjoying himself at Hamburg, the club that have supported his brother Mario through his suspension until next year.

Barring a huge centre-back injury crisis at Tottenham it would appear to be detrimental to the 18-year-old's development to take him away from the Bundesliga, where he has become an ever-present at the back and often leads their defensive stats. The German club and the fans love him and it feels like the perfect education for Vuskovic at a higher level than he was playing in before.

The teenager admitted himself soon after moving that he could quickly tell after training with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven just how far below their level he was at this stage in his development. His potential is huge though and learning in the German league, with its similarities in pace and physicality, should help him bridge that gap and get involved with Tottenham's first team fully next season.

Last month, Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa said he was not worried about a January recall for Vuskovic.

"We had very constructive discussions with Tottenham; they’re a top-professional club, judging by the communication with loan manager Andy Scoulding. They’re closely monitoring the player, which shows how they assess Luka. Tottenham isn’t interested in weakening us or ruining the loan," he said.

"It’s understandable that they’re trying to protect themselves against possible worst-case scenarios. Otherwise, I don’t want to comment further. I believe Tottenham also knows how good the situation here is for Luka. That’s why I hope we never get into a situation where we have to think about anything else."

Verdict: Stay (barring an injury crisis)

Manor Solomon (Villarreal)

In contrast to Vuskovic's time in Germany, Manor Solomon's last-gasp loan to Villarreal on deadline day has not been a success so far as the 26-year-old has made just one La Liga start for the club.

The winger has been left unused on the bench for three of the past four matches in the league and missed out entirely on their most recent matchday squad for Saturday's 2-0 win at Espanyol due to a back problem. In the Champions League, he has been unused in three of the Spanish club's four games, albeit one of those against Juventus he missed as it fell on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

Solomon's back problem has kept him out of international duty with Israel this fortnight but he is expected to return to action soon.

The question is whether he gets any minutes on his return. This felt like a hastily put together loan after Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the winger's loan move there.

If the Spurs winger's situation does not improve then it would not be the biggest surprise if he returned from Spain to head out on loan elsewhere in January. Another spell at Leeds United, who need goals and creativity, would likely be popular all round.

Verdict: New loan if nothing changes

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

If we had done this a month ago then it might have been a different answer. Mikey Moore was having a tough time at Rangers, the fans were unhappy with him, the team, the club and everything really to do with the Russell Martin era.

However, out went Martin and in came Danny Rohl and in a roving role in the attack, the 18-year-old has started to win over the fans with his undoubted potential and some good performances, not least scoring his first goal at the weekend against Dundee.

On speculation that he was looking for a January return to north London, Moore said at the weekend: "I was never ready to go back. I always knew that at some point it would change and I’ve changed it for myself a little bit in the last few weeks, but I need to keep building and playing even better than I am.

"I’m picking up goals and assists, as I said in midweek that I need to, so I’m happy with the goal on Sunday. I’m feeling a lot more confident, I’m getting used to the league, used to my teammates and the manager’s helped me a lot as well, he’s come in and he’s gave me confidence and belief in myself which has been good from him, so I’m excited to keep going.

"There’s a lot of pressure on a young boy coming from the Premier League, but as long as I’m improving and I’m helping Rangers go win games and picking up goals and helping the team, that’s all that matters for now."

If everything remains on this upward trend then it would seem daft to take Moore away from a big experience with plenty of pressure that should help shape him for the future.

Verdict: Stay

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz is loving life back at Rosario and the 22-year-old has netted five goals and recorded one assist in his 15 matches back at his old club.

After a couple of unsuccessful loan spells in Spain, the Argentine has had exactly the move he needed even if it meant stepping back to where his senior career began.

The league season in Argentina ends next month but Spurs announced Veliz's loan as being for the entire 2025/26 campaign and it would take a huge effort for anyone to prise the youngster away again from the club he loves.

Much depends on whether Tottenham receive any interest in the striker that benefits them financially during the transfer window. Even with their own current striker problems, it's unlikely that Veliz will play again for Spurs at this point, barring a miraculous change in fortunes.

Verdict: Stay (barring a January transfer bid)

Ashley Phillips & Jamie Donley (Stoke City)

There's two different answers here for the two young players Tottenham sent to Stoke. Centre-back Ashley Phillips was out in the cold but has now started the past eight matches in the league for the Potters, playing every single minute of them.

However, the same cannot be said for Jamie Donley as the 20-year-old has barely featured for the Potters. He has not started a single game in the Championship and has only come off the bench twice in the past 13 matches in the league.

Donley is not believed to be pushing for a new move, but has not been included in the past three matchday squads under Stoke boss Mark Robins and Tottenham will be wary of his development being stunted, with just 77 Championship minutes to his name across four matches after such a successful season at Leyton Orient following some initial teething problems.

Spurs are lacking in playmakers but Thomas Frank never really seemed to take to Donley in the summer so a return to the club might not be on the cards yet.

Verdict: New loan for Donley while Phillips stays

Yang Min-hyeok (Portsmouth)

Yang Min-hyeok has had a positive loan at Portsmouth on the whole and even if the minutes have dropped slightly in the past couple of weeks, the young winger has had plenty of game time and scored a couple of terrific goals across his 10 appearances.

His displays have also earned him a place in South Korea's squad this month alongside former Spurs captain Son Heung-min.

As long as all parties are happy to continue, as with Moore up in Scotland, this time in the Championship feels like a good education for the 19-year-old.

Verdict: Stay

Will Lankshear (Oxford United)

Oxford might be facing a battle to remain in the Championship, but Will Lankshear is doing everything he can to keep them up.

The 20-year-old netted his fifth goal from 14 games at the weekend as they lost 2-1 at Ryan Mason's West Bromwich Albion.

The young striker is scoring goals, looks happy and unless anything changes, he's the man who appears most likely to help United stay up.

Spurs will assess Lankshear's situation next month but a relegation battle is usually a toughening up experience for young players - just ask Pape Matar Sarr from his final season at Metz - and unless there's a move to a higher level abroad where he will play week in, week out like this, Lankshear will likely stay.

There's a scenario where Dane Scarlett heads out on loan and Lankshear returns to be in and around the first team set-up, but that doesn't really help Lankshear in any way.

Verdict: Stay

Alfie Devine (Preston North End)

Alfie Devine is enjoying himself at Preston and the Championship club are very happy with the 21-year-old midfielder.

Devine has notched two goals and two assists from his 14 matches for North End so far this season and it seems very unlikely that they will part company in the January transfer window at this point barring a huge shift in circumstances in the next month and a half, particularly because Preston have an option to buy the midfielder, who also signed a new contract before departing.

Verdict: Stay

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Alfie Dorrington is currently out with a groin injury which will keep him on the sidelines for a few more weeks at Aberdeen.

Before the injury, the 20-year-old centre-back had been getting minutes in defence, albeit without being able to nail down a consistent starting spot like he did last season at the Scottish club in the second half of the season.

This current injury came at an unfortunate time and Dorrington had just been reinstated to the Dons' Conference League squad after initially missing out, due to Kristers Tobers' injury.

He's still got 12 appearances to his name and 716 minutes of football so far this season at a club he won the Scottish FA Cup with last season, so it would seem unlikely that he would switch midway through the campaign unless something changes at the club.

Verdict: Stay

George Abbott (Wycombe Wanderers)

Another player out injured, George Abbott has a quad injury that interrupted a promising start to the campaign for the 20-year-old at Wycombe.

At a push, the midfielder could potentially be back just before Christmas if all goes well and it would seem to make more sense to continue his development at the League One club as he eases himself back into life in the Football League.

Verdict: Stay

Damola Ajayi (Doncaster Rovers)

Damola Ajayi has been getting experience on his first loan with 15 appearances and one goal with 585 minutes under the 19-year-old winger's belt at Doncaster Rovers, including that Carabao Cup match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The teenager is mostly being used off the bench so unless a drop down to League Two is an option, it makes sense to continue his development with a team he's getting good first team exposure at.

Verdict: Stay unless a League Two offer arrives

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall has been dazzling for Notts County and scored again on Monday night in their 2-1 win at Cheltenham in League Two.

The 20-year-old has racked up six goals from midfield and one assist across 904 minutes in 15 appearances on his first senior loan. There's interest in Hall from clubs in League One and the Championship but the player and County are enjoying life together.

It would take something big with similarly regular football to give Spurs a decision to make in January if he continues on his current trajectory.

Thomas Frank has a number of players in the treatment room at Tottenham

Tottenham star Ben Davies has pulled out of the Wales squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia.

The defender has not played since being injured during his 100th Wales appearance against Belgium a month ago. Tottenham boss Thomas Frank said later the 32-year-old defender would miss “weeks” with a hamstring problem.

Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore and Swansea defender Ben Cabango have also withdrawn from Craig Bellamy’s squad due to injuries.

“Isaak Davies and Rhys Norrington-Davies have been added to the squad to face Liechtenstein and North Macedonia,” read a Football Association of Wales statement. “Ben Davies, Ben Cabango and Kieffer Moore have withdrawn due to injuries.”

Davies is yet to make an appearance for Tottenham this season, mainly due to injury and the fact Frank has preferred other options when the defender has been fit.

It comes after Mohammed Kudus did not join up with Ghana following the injury that resulted in him missing the past two Tottenham matches. Kudus missed the 4-0 Champions League victory against Copenhagen and then Saturday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United with what was described as a knock by Frank ahead of that first game.

Now football.london understands the winger has not joined up with Ghana for their friendlies in Asia against Japan and Son Heung-min's South Korea on Friday and Tuesday respectively.

Frank had said Kudus was "touch and go" for the game against United but was not in the squad on the day. The Ghanaian could be seen standing in the tunnel in the early moments of the game before joining his team-mates on the sidelines to watch the match that brought two added time goals as the teams shared the spoils.

Elsewhere, Randal Kolo Muani saw a specialist on Monday afternoon to get clarity on the jaw injury that forced him off at half-time in the draw with Manchester United and meant he had to withdraw from France duty.

Dominic Solanke will be working on his rehabilitation during this international break from his long-standing ankle problem, while Radu Dragusin is expected to step up his recovery from his ACL injury sustained back in January. Lucas Bergvall should be available to play for Sweden as he can return from the concussion protocol just before their friendly against Switzerland on Saturday.

Dejan Kulusevski, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison are still in rehabilitation from their injuries.

Thomas Frank given Cristian Romero injury boost at perfect time ahead of Tottenham's clash with Arsenal after the international break

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is set for extra rest ahead of the North London Derby as Argentina recently postponed next week's friendly against India.

The World Cup winners are currently training in Spain ahead of Friday's friendly against Angola in Africa.

The initial plan was for Lionel Scaloni's side, who finished top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification standings, to square off against two nations from other corners of the globe this month ahead of next summer's finals.

However, their friendly against India in Kerala, pencilled in for November 17, was postponed in late October meaning Romero and his Argentina team-mates will only play once before the return of club football.

It's a boost for Spurs in particular, who have only just welcomed Romero back to full fitness following several weeks on the sidelines with an adductor injury.

He played 30 minutes from the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea before returning to the starting XI for matches against Copenhagen and Manchester United.

The friendly match against India is expected to be rescheduled for March 2026. It's a long-haul journey to Asia too and instead, the 27-year-old will return early to Hotspur Way to begin preparations for Arsenal.

Argentina were reluctant to hastily arrange another fixture as there was recognition their stars are already playing a huge amount of football.

Additionally, there are no guarantees Romero will even play 90 minutes against Angola. That's because Scaloni is expected to shuffle his pack and experiment whilst trying new combinations on the field.

Spurs have been hit with a number of notable injuries already this season and keeping Romero fit will be crucial if they're to achieve their goals this season.

Striker Randal Kolo Muani suffered a fractured jaw in the dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The Frenchman doesn't require surgery, however, so there is hope he won't be sidelined for as long as initially feared.

Defender Radu Dragusin is also closing in on a return and when he's back fit, it should ease the load on both Romero and Micky van de Ven.

football.london understands the 23-year-old is set to do some training with the Romania national team during the break and he could also feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly for Tottenham next week.

His recovery will not be rushed though because Dragusin has put a lot of work into his rehabilitation following ACL surgery in February.

Kota Takai, who is yet to play a competitive game for the club, is also close to returning to fitness and he will also be capable of providing defensive cover for Romero, Van de Ven and Kevin Danso.

Tottenham Hotspur have injuries galore at the moment and that could benefit one young attacking player within Thomas Frank's ranks

Randal Kolo Muani's jaw injury could open the door for two young Tottenham players and one in particular who has found minutes hard to come by.

The 26-year-old, on loan from PSG, had to come off at half-time in Spurs' 2-2 draw with United on Saturday as he struggled in the aftermath of a collision with England international Harry Maguire just 12 minutes into the contest. Kolo Muani, who had previously missed a spell for Tottenham with a dead leg suffered in a training ground collision with Pape Matar Sarr, then had to withdraw from international duty with France and saw a specialist in the UK on Monday afternoon about his jaw.

football.london understands the specialist confirmed the forward's fracture but concluded that the Frenchman does not require surgery so his recovery time should be less than the six to eight weeks that has been speculated in recent days.

Kolo Muani had just begun to impress up front for Tottenham after regaining his fitness. His positive prognosis will come as some relief to his head coach Thomas Frank, who is still awaiting Dominic Solanke's return from an ankle problem that has dogged him since the summer.

It leaves Richarlison and France U21 international Mathys Tel, who both scored against United, as Spurs' only fit senior strikers currently.

However, it could also open the door to some minutes for academy product Dane Scarlett. The 21-year-old has played just 10 minutes of football so far this season for Tottenham, coming off the bench for a bright cameo in the Champions League win against Copenhagen. The youngster showed plenty of skill in winning a late penalty that Richarlison sent against the crossbar.

Scarlett has made 23 appearances for Spurs over the seasons, scoring once and providing three assists. He has been sent out on loan to Oxford United, Portsmouth and Ipswich over recent years but Tottenham were unable to find a suitable move for the young striker in the summer so he remained with the first team.

"I think with Dane, first of all, I think he's a great player. I think he's a fantastic finisher," Frank told football.london. "He finishes at a very, very high level, left and right foot. I think probably he needs the bits that every player needs. He needs to play minutes and games.

"That's the biggest thing and right now the competition is tough here. And to be able to give him, let's say, three, four, five games in a row is probably a little bit difficult. It's never impossible, but it's a little bit difficult. So, for me, he needs to play games."

That chance might come now with Kolo Muani out and Solanke not yet back in the fold. Tottenham will return to action after the international break with the first north London derby of the season at Arsenal and then a Champions League clash in Paris against Kolo Muani's parent club PSG.

Scarlett has been heralded by previous Spurs managers as a big talent for the future.

"He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential,” Jose Mourinho said four years ago while in charge at Tottenham. "He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality. He is still 16, 17 soon [in March] and I believe next season he will be a first-team squad player because he has a lot of talent.

“He is going to be a fantastic player and I hope everything around him goes well. He is a striker, a number nine, I have been playing him from the sides similar to Marcus Rashford and he is very clever."

He added: "Dane has incredible talent. I don't want to speak too much because tomorrow I arrive in the building and the kid's [academy] boss is going to kill me. I don't want that so I don't want to speak too well about him. I just want to say that he will be 17 next month and I want him to be part of the first-team squad next season.

"So this season he is there and here, goes to training sessions with us and matches with the kids of his age and trains there. Next season he has to be a first-team player. Immense talent. Very good physical development. He's very good, he's going to be very good. I hope that nothing is going to destroy that potential. He must have feet on the ground and head on his shoulders because he has a fantastic talent."

Antonio Conte said of the young forward: "This guy is improving a lot. He's a really important prospect for Tottenham. I see a brilliant future for him."

Mourinho, after leaving Tottenham, then tipped Scarlett for an England spot in the future when he said: "I know he’s still very young, just 17, and it is probably too early for the next World Cup, but Tottenham Hotspur have a striker in Dane Scarlett. If everything goes well, is going to be phenomenal. For England, there is lots of promise."

Scarlett's career is yet to ignite despite brief streaks of goals in the Football League while on loan at Oxford and Portsmouth and he will be hoping that if he gets the chance for Tottenham in the weeks ahead then he can remind everyone why plenty of the game's top managers picked him out as one to watch.