Football London

The Tottenham interim head coach has been speaking about a moment that went viral between him and a long serving member of the club staff

Igor Tudor affectionately calls one long-serving Tottenham employee 'Arne' after a viral moment when many believed he hugged the Spurs man after mistaking him for Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

Before the north London club's draw at Anfield last weekend, the Tottenham interim boss playfully tapped a bald-headed man's shoulder on the touchline, appearing to believe it was the Dutchman. However, Tudor's smile suddenly dropped as he seemed to realise after hugging them that it was not Slot.

The Croatian had instead grabbed Spurs' team manager and player liaison officer Allan Dixon. The moment with the long-serving Dixon, who is the brother-in-law of ex-Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, swept across social media as football fans tried to work out whether a gaffe had been made.

On Wednesday night, ahead of Spurs' 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League the two men recreated the exchange in a light-hearted moment on the touchline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"This time we did it on purpose!" joked Tudor. "What happened was my son, who is 20-years-old, said 'in Croatia everyone is laughing at you because you made this mistake'.

"I said, ‘What mistake?’ You do know who the guy is?’. ‘No, I don’t know’. I said, 'it’s Allan Dixon, I’m spending all my days together with him'.

“So I came out [at Anfield] and he’s standing in front of my bench. What other coach can be there in front of it? It’s my training zone. He was there, I came to him to make a joke. If you understand, I came from this side (Dixon's right), I touched him and went to the other side. When he turned I was not surprised, I was laughing.

"I can imagine in Croatia because maybe they don’t know who Allan Dixon is. But in England do they think I don’t recognise the guy I spend every day, ten hours, with?! I come out and don’t know he is? It was a little bit ridiculous."

He added: "Now [against Atletico] we did it on purpose to make a joke, because from now on I call him ‘Arne’! It’s not Allan, it’s Arne!

"But this is how it works, this is 2026, it’s about news, to have fun. It’s part of the work of today, but sometimes it's really ridiculous. I don't understand it, but you need to invent some news."

France defender Laurent Blanc used to kiss the bald head of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez before every match, so after struggling Spurs impressed in both games after Tudor's Dixon moments, will the two men's interaction become a superstition that must be maintained?

"We will see," Tudor would only say with a smile.

Spurs host Nottingham Forest on Sunday in a huge game in the Premier League relegation battle with the two teams slumped in 16th and 17th in the table respectively and a point apart. While Tottenham beat Atletico but exited the Champions League on Wednesday night, the following evening Forest needed extra-time and penalties to edge past Midtjylland in Denmark.

Tudor hopes that Vitor Pereira's side go as far as possible in Europe in order to keep them distracted and expending extra energy in the final weeks of the season, although he admits it may benefit them.

"Of course I would be happy. This is normal. [If] this takes energy, for sure it helps," admitted the former Juventus boss. "Sometimes even going on in a European competition gives something else, confidence and energy,

“So sometimes it not always takes away from you, especially when you have two squads like two teams. If you don’t have injuries, it can be an advantage even to pass to the next round because it can give some energy in the dressing room."

Tudor will have Richarlison back up front for the clash with Forest after serving a European suspension in midweek and he believes the Brazilian striker, who has previously fired Everton away from relegation, can be a Tottenham talisman for the final weeks of the season.

"He’s a good guy and he cares. I didn’t know him [before]. With his tattoo and everything…he is a really amazing guy. Very calm, very caring for the squad, very willing to help the team-mates," he said. "He is always very generous the way he plays. Happy to have him."

Tottenham Hotspur are continuing their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League as they face Nottingham Forest this weekend

Tottenham Hotspur have learned that one of their upcoming opponents will be without a key player when they meet in the Premier League. Spurs are currently preparing to face relegation rivals Nottingham Forest in north London on Sunday afternoon in an important fixture at the bottom of the table.

Igor Tudor’s side go into the clash against Forest on the back of an exit in the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid, where Spurs won 3-2 on the night but lost 7-5 on aggregate.

Tottenham are currently in 16th place in the Premier League table and just one point above the relegation zone, and one point above Sunday’s opponent, Forest.

The focus for Spurs will now be on the Premier League, where several important fixtures lie ahead as they look to steer clear of the relegation zone.

One such fixture is against Brighton on April 18, and the Seagulls have now been handed a major suspension blow for the match.

Brighton defender Lewis Dunk received a yellow card in their 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday, which was his 10th in the top flight this season.

As a result, Dunk will now serve a two-match suspension, which will see the defender miss games against Burnley and Tottenham after the March international break.

Tottenham will hope that they have picked up several more points by the time that kick-off against Brighton rolls around next month.

The win over Atletico in midweek was Tudor’s first victory since taking caretaker charge at Tottenham for the rest of the season.

Spurs are now unbeaten in their last two games and will look to continue that run when they face Forest on Sunday afternoon.

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Before the game, Tudor opened up on the support he has received from Tottenham fans following an improved performance and result in midweek.

“Nice, nice. I said, after the game [vs Atletico] there was a beautiful sensation, feeling of togetherness with the fans,” he said.

“Very rare. I felt this enjoyment, I enjoyed feeling like sensation that we are doing good on the pitch, but together with them, together with the fans. That was really nice, rare.

“We need to continue all together this, if we can say, small positive moment after two games where we can recognise small but important things for the squad.”

Tottenham need Cristian Romero now more than ever so it's vital the club captain is on his best behaviour for the clash against Nottingham Forest

There's a real possibility Cristian Romero could miss at least two Tottenham fixtures this season as the club bid to avoid an embarrassing relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs currently sit one point above the bottom three and face Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. Igor Tudor has described the fixture as a “four-point game” with Vitor Pereira's side just one place below the Lilywhites.

"There are a lot of points to play for. Of course, it’s an important game because we are together there, so let’s say not six, but four," Tudor said on Friday.

“It’s not a final. Maybe not three points, a four-point game but still a lot of points (to go). Especially when we are so close, it’s important, but it will not decide who will (stay up).”

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With big players such as Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur out due to injury, Spurs need as many of their fit players as possible to step up. One of those is captain Romero, who has had an up and down season.

The Argentina international has already missed six Premier League games this season due to suspension and it's vital for Spurs' chances of staying in England's top division that he plays in as many of the club's remaining eight fixtures as possible. He will need to be careful during the game against Forest, then.

As per Premier League rules, should a player pick up 10 yellow cards in their first 32 games, they will receive a two-game suspension. Tottenham have played 30 league games and Romero has picked up eight yellow cards.

That means, should the 27-year-old pick up yellow cards in Spurs' next two games against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, he would miss the games against Brighton and Wolves. In order for that not to happen, all Romero must do is avoid being cautioned on Sunday afternoon against Forest.

That is perhaps easier said than done but Romero must try to ensure he is available as much as possible between now and the end of the campaign. If he does manage to avoid being handed a yellow card on Sunday, it would be an almighty boost as the threat of a two-game suspension would be wiped.

Interim head coach Tudor believes the players are responding to his methods and hopes to build on the last two encouraging displays against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. “No one can be in a relegation fight and enjoy. We can change this word enjoyment into something different,” Tudor said.

“Mental sharpness rises and gets bigger, that was the key. We are sleeping less on the pitch. That’s the main thing. We react before, so for me this is crucial. Now we react earlier. On what happened on the pitch, we are not always, ‘what happened?’ And then we react after. Now we react before things happen.

“Not in the way how I would like but much better. This mental sharpness, awareness of dangerous situations, this is coming up and that’s why we are better. I saw good energy. I saw good numbers. They told me the last games in the top four or five of all season for high intensity runs and this stuff so I think we are progressing.”

Tottenham take on Nottingham Forest this weekend needing a win to allay their relegation fears but things could have been very different

As Tottenham Hotspur prepare for a crucial Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, plenty of eyes will be on Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White. There was a point over the summer when it looked as though the England international would be heading to Spurs but instead he has a chance to deepen their relegation woes.

Forest felt Spurs had made an illegal approach for the star amid allegations confidential details of the 26-year-old's release clause had been disclosed. Ultimately, the move never materialised as Gibbs-White agreed a new three-year deal with his club.

"I’ve felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived," he said after signing new terms. "The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable.

"I believe in what we're building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I’m excited for what’s to come."

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In August, he spoke about another unseen factor in his decision to stay put. Gibbs-White and fiancee Britney de Villiers welcomed their second child, Hayes, over the summer after a particularly stressful pregnancy.

"Obviously in the summer, everybody's seen what was going on and whatever," the footballer told talkSPORT. "But away from that, it was a really difficult period for me and my fiancee. Having my second child, but there were a few complications with all of that.

"I believed in being professional, showing up every day and letting everything else take care of what it needs to do. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I'm delighted with my decision, more than happy. I think my fiancee is even more happy because she didn't get to carry on with all the stress."

Spurs did still spend big over the summer with more than £150million going towards new signings. However, we've looked at how things might have gone had they landed some of their targets.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Gibbs-White still feels like the big one who got away. He could have offered the creative spark Spurs have lost while also contributing goals - essentially, the things they have missed the most while James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have missed the entire season through injury.

Without his goals, Forest might well be more than a point below their weekend opponents. He has scored eight times in the league, including a late winner against fellow strugglers West Ham in January, while also delivering two league assists.

The money that might have been spent on Gibbs-White ended up being spent on Xavi Simons. The Dutch star might have scored twice against Atletico Madrid in midweek but his league tally stands at just one goal.

Ebere Eze

Eze was another potential playmaker on Spurs' radar over the summer. In fact, they looked to have the deal locked up before Arsenal stole in at the eleventh hour.

The former QPR and Crystal Palace ace put Spurs to the sword in style in November, scoring a hat-trick as Arsenal won the North London Derby 4-1. He scored two more in the reverse fixture but only has one other goal in the league this term.

Eze does appear to be hitting his stride at last if the Gunners' midweek win over Bayer Leverkusen is anything to go by. It's hard to tell whether he would have proved better suited to Spurs' tactics but there's an argument that he hasn't been as big a miss as anticipated just yet.

Bryan Mbeumo

When Thomas Frank took over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there was talk of a reunion with Bryan Mbeumo. The Cameroon star was fresh off the best scoring season of his career under Frank at Brentford so it felt like a no-brainer.

Spurs could even offer Champions League football, something rivals Manchester United were unable to do. And yet Mbeumo decided Old Trafford was the place for him.

So far, he has been vindicated and is leading a charge for Champions League qualification. Richarlison is the only Spurs player who can match his return of nine league goals, with their wide forward options some way short of that.

Yoane Wissa

Another former Brentford star, Wissa was linked with Spurs, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest when it looked as though his time in West London was up. He had scored 19 league goals under Frank the season prior so there was little concern about a failure to gel with the Danish boss.

Ultimately, the asking price made this a non-starter. Brentford held out for more and more money, with Newcastle eventually paying £50m for the Congolese international.

Wissa's time in the north east has been nothing short of a nightmare, with a knee injury making for a stop-start campaign which has seen him score just three times in all competitions. Spurs can count this as a bullet dodged.

Antoine Semenyo

Yes, Spurs were keen on Semenyo over the summer, but who wasn't? The Ghanaian international signed a new Bournemouth contract in July to all but rule out a summer exit but eventually moved to Manchester City in January.

Semenyo has 15 league goals to his name this season, 10 of those coming for the Cherries before his move. The last of them was a stoppage-time winner against Spurs which contributed to the post-Christmas decline under Frank.

Spurs were more successful in their pursuit of Semenyo's international team-mate Mohammed Kudus. However, his injury has proved damaging, with no wins in 10 games since he was forced off in the January draw with Sunderland.

Between them, the five players would have likely added the creativity and spark in attack that Tottenham have often lacked this season, meaning they may not have become embroiled in the relegation battle had they all proved successful.

We asked our Tottenham Hotspur correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to select the team Igor Tudor should pick against Nottingham Forest

Tottenham face Nottingham Forest in a huge Premier League relegation six-pointer on Sunday afternoon and Igor Tudor will need to get his team selection spot on.

Spurs welcome Vitor Pereira's side in a massive encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the two teams lying 16th and 17th in the table respectively and just a point apart. While the Lilywhites prepared for the game by beating Atletico Madrid in N17 on Wednesday night, but exiting the Champions League, the following evening Forest needed extra-time and penalties to edge past Midtjylland in Denmark.

Now the two clubs must do battle domestically with Spurs looking to move four points clear of their visitors and Forest aiming to leapfrog the north London outfit.

We asked our Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to select the starting line-up Tudor should pick for the big match.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent

Tudor finally has some options in certain parts of the pitch, although we can perhaps assume that the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Conor Gallagher and perhaps also Dominic Solanke will only be fit for roles from the bench before using the international break to build up their fitness.

Guglielmo Vicario will play through the pain again one last time before heading off to get much-needed hernia surgery next week.

Souza comes back into contention while there is also the possibility to play Micky van de Ven as the left-back, while Pedro Porro played as a right winger on Wednesday night with Radu Dragusin as the right-back.

In midfield, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr deserve to start again despite Joao Palhinha being back from concussion. Xavi Simons needs to be on the pitch from the first whistle after finally impressing Tudor and creating chances aplenty for Spurs in their win over Atletico.

Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani also caught the eye while Richarlison is back from suspension and gets the chance to build on his impressive display at Anfield last weekend. I'd go for a 4-2-3-1 formation in order to get them all involved and some width with Solanke able to come off the bench hopefully as the game wears on.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Sarr; Kolo Muani, Xavi, Tel; Richarlison.

Ryan Taylor - Sports reporter

I would go for a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-4-2 with plenty of interchanging in the forward areas. Tottenham need to get at Nottingham Forest as I think they would be playing a dangerous game if they tried to tighten the game up and win by a single goal.

Pedro Porro starts at right-back and I'd actually go with Kevin Danso and Cuti Romero as the centre-backs with Micky van de Ven at left-back. I can't believe that's not been tried more often this season, particularly in recent weeks when Van de Ven has struggled at the heart of defence.

In midfield, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr can provide energy in the centre of the park and I'd go with Mathys Tel and Xavi Simons as the two attacking midfielders/wingers, though as mentioned above, I'd like to see them play with the freedom to interchange throughout the game.

In attack, Richarlison is a must-pick following his Anfield heroics and Randal Kolo Muani looks good for a goal at the moment.

Dominic Solanke would have started for me if he was conclusively fully fit but he's evidently not, having missed Atletico Madrid and training on Friday. He would definitely be an option from the bench for me, however.

Tottenham have become embroiled in a relegation dogfight with only eight league games left and face a crunch match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday

Tottenham are staring the prospect of relegation in the face as they sit just one point outside the drop zone with eight Premier League games remaining. But if the reverse fixtures of these final matches are anything to go by, they will survive.

Spurs have endured a dismal season which began under Thomas Frank, with Igor Tudor hired to fight the fire in February. But he has been unable to steady the ship completely, although a 1-1 draw against Liverpool last time out domestically snapped a six-game losing streak.

They face Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon in a must-win relegation six-pointer. But the last time these two sides met, it was Forest who came away the resounding 3-0 victors.

If history were to repeat itself, then Tottenham would plunge even closer to the drop, but how would the final league table look if each remaining game mirrored its reverse? football.london takes a look.

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If we take it that both bottom-placed Wolves and second-bottom Burnley are too far gone to survive this season, then it looks likely that four teams are currently battling to avoid filling the final relegation spot.

Leeds United, Tottenham, Forest and West Ham all look in contention to go down, but if we take the reverse fixtures and theorise their results are repeated, Spurs stay up. While they did lose 3-0 to Forest last time out, their subsequent opponents, Sunderland, held them to a 1-1 draw in January.

Then, they face Brighton and in this scenario would earn another point, having drawn 2-2 in September last year. Next up is Wolves, who again shared the points with Tottenham last time out in a 1-1 draw. Aston Villa will be next and things continue to look relatively bleak in our script as they lost 2-1 to Unai Emery's side in October.

However, things then pick up. Spurs beat Leeds 2-1 the last time these two teams met and so a vital three points could be earned here. Chelsea are next up and this was a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture, but they end the season against Everton, whom they beat 3-0 back in October.

This would mean Tottenham end the campaign on 39 points and if we take into account the other relegation-threatened teams' reverse fixtures, they'd survive the theoretical drop.

In this exercise of guesswork, Leeds would pick up wins against Wolves and West Ham and take points from draws versus Brentford, Manchester United and Bournemouth. This would leave them clear of the drop on 41 points.

Forest would not fare as well, picking up the win against Spurs but then only drawing with Burnley and Manchester United, meaning they'd finish on 34 points. Yet they would ultimately survive as hypothesised, with West Ham being relegated to the Championship.

The Hammers also pick up four more points, with a win against Newcastle and a draw against Everton. This would see them end up with 33 points and go down by the solitary point, though of course all of these teams can alter their destiny should they overturn the results of these reverse fixtures.

Tottenham Hotspur have a crunch match on Sunday against Nottingham Forest

Alan Shearer believes Tottenham Hotspur will be relegated if they lose to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The former Newcastle United striker has heaped importance on the showdown at the bottom as he touted whoever loses to fall out of the Premier League. Igor Tudor's side sit above Forest by a point but they both could drop a place if West Ham United beat Aston Villa, a point would be enough for the Hammers to leapfrog Spurs' opponents and send them into the bottom three.

The North London club go into the game with an injection of confidence after a good point at Liverpool before beating Atletico Madrid in their Champions League second-leg.

However, the glaring issue facing the Croatian caretaker manager is Spurs' slump and dragging them up the table, away from the bottom three.

Their run of 11 matches without a win, dating back to the triumph over London rivals Crystal Palace on December 28, is the longest in the club's history.

For the club, who were victorious in Bilbao less than 12 months ago, there is a genuine fear of slipping into the Champions League. Shearer pinpointed the confidence that Spurs can take from salvaging a point at Anfield then beating Diego Simeone's side but he feels the real test lies against a relegation rival.

He told Betfair: "Spurs got a really good result at Liverpool last week and deservedly got a point. Out of small crumbs you get a little bit of confidence.

"The result last week and the result on Wednesday, albeit they went out of the Champions League, and it wasn't enough to get them through, I think the bigger picture for Spurs is just surviving this season.

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"They'll take great confidence from that, and it should set them up nicely for their home game against Nottingham Forest.

"But in those games, I guess they had no real pressure because most people thought they were going to go out.

"But the pressure intensifies at the weekend against Nottingham Forest.

"Having said that, the confidence and the belief they should take from the last two games should set them up nicely and it’ll be really interesting to see what happens at the weekend.

"It’s highly likely whoever loses between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest on Sunday will be relegated this season. That's what's at stake for the loser. Whoever loses at the weekend, there's a massive chance that they're going to be relegated."

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Tottenham Hotspur have been given a much-needed boost ahead of this weekend's relegation showdown against Nottingham Forest

Igor Tudor provided a positive injury update ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Nottingham Forest. The Lilywhites could soon welcome some big names back to the matchday squad as they battle for survival in the Premier League.

This weekend, if West Ham beat Aston Villa and Vitor Pereira's side leaves north London with three points, Spurs will spend the March international break in the bottom three. Although Tottenham are in grave danger of going down, Tudor has welcomed some much-needed support from the fans.

"Yeah, there is a positivity, but also understanding the game, it is not easy," said the interim Spurs boss, speaking to reporters at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon.

"So, important game, but probably it will not decide anything after the game, independent of the results. We just need to keep going on what we did in the last two games."

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So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up all the latest Tottenham injury news.

Dominic Solanke

Solanke, who has been nursing a hip injury, was left out of the matchday squad when the Lilywhites faced Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old striker didn't train at Hotspur Way on Friday, but he could be available for selection on Sunday.

What Tudor has said: "Dom didn't train, but probably tomorrow he will train with the team, and I think he will be available. He had a hip problem, but I think he will be ok."

Predicted return date: This weekend.

James Maddison

Maddison ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the summer. The 29-year-old midfielder has recently returned to first-team training at Hotspur Way as he looks to rebuild his match fitness.

What Tudor has said: "Yes. Maddison is already doing interesting things as well with the ball. Sprinting as well. I saw him. He is positive. He's positive."

Predicted return date: End of May at a push.

Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski suffered a complicated knee injury during Tottenham's clash against Crystal Palace back in May 2025. The 25-year-old midfielder, who hasn't featured since, required surgery and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

What Tudor has said: "[In response to whether Kulusevski has made any progress] No, not yet."

Predicted return date: Unknown.

Mohammed Kudus

Kudus suffered a muscle injury during Tottenham's clash against Sunderland at the start of the year. The 25-year-old winger appears to have made good progress on the quadricep problem, despite having been left out of the latest Ghana squad for the upcoming international break.

What Tudor has said: "So we have this big three weeks after the game on Sunday. I don’t know. Probably some part of the things with the squad maybe 10 days. I don’t know, I’m not sure. We need to check, but he is progressing very well. Already a little bit with the ball."

Predicted return date: April, possibly early May.

Joao Palhinha

Palhinha returned to first-team action at Hotspur Way on Friday. Last week, the 30-year-old midfielder missed the draw to Liverpool in the Premier League and the win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last week after clashing heads with Cristian Romero.

Predicted return date: This weekend.

Guglielmo

Gennaro Gattuso raised eyebrows when he left Vicario out of the latest Italy squad for the upcoming international break. Tottenham later confirmed that the 29-year-old goalkeeper requires surgery on a hernia.

An official statement from the club reads: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario will undergo surgery next week on a hernia. The minor procedure for the Italy international goalkeeper has been timed to have as minimal impact on our season as possible.

"Guglielmo will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately, and it is hoped that he could return to action within the next month."

Predicted return date: Vicario could, in theory, be available to face Forest before he undergoes surgery. But once the Italian has the procedure, he could be out until the end of April.

Yves Bissouma

Bissouma has been nursing a muscle injury. After missing a large chunk of the campaign with a knee problem, the 29-year-old midfielder played eight Premier League games in a row before returning to the sidelines.

Predicted return date: Unknown.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Bentancur underwent surgery on a hamstring injury at the start of the year. Earlier this month, his personal fitness coach, Daniel Fernandez, provided an update on the 28-year-old midfielder's progress.

He claimed Bentancur recently began training alone on the grass after weeks in the gym. Fernandez tipped the Uruguayan to be available for selection again at the end of April, assuming there are no setbacks.

When asked about Kudus, Tudor said: "So we have this big three weeks after the game on Sunday. I don’t know. Probably some part of the things with the squad maybe 10 days. I don’t know I’m not sure. We need to check but he is progressing very well.

"Already a little bit with the ball. Rodrigo [Bentancur] as well, Maddison as well. We hope the medical staff will make us some nice surprise in the next weeks which would be very important to have that."

Predicted return date: End of April.

Ben Davies

Davies underwent a second operation in January on the broken ankle he suffered during the clash against West Ham. The 32-year-old defender was left out of the latest Wales squad for the upcoming international break

Predicted return date: Unknown.

Wilson Odobert

Odobert suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last month. The 21-year-old winger underwent surgery and is now in the early stages of a rehabilitation programme with the club's medical staff.

The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper is set to undergo surgery after playing for some time with a painful problem

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is set to play through the pain before undergoing hernia surgery after Sunday's relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest.

The Italian has been a mainstay between the sticks again this season for the club with 42 appearances across all competitions and had to come off the bench for back-up keeper Antonin Kinsky last week in Spain after the young Czech goalkeeper had a nightmare 16 minutes in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.

Now Spurs face a spell without Vicario but are hoping that his absence ties in as closely as possible to a natural break in their season.

The club announced on Friday: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario will undergo surgery next week on a hernia. The minor procedure for the Italy international goalkeeper has been timed to have as minimal impact on our season as possible. Guglielmo will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately, and it is hoped that he could return to action within the next month."

The 29-year-old has been playing through gritted teeth for a number of weeks but has made himself available for selection on Sunday for the huge relegation clash as 16th-placed Spurs host Forest, who sit a point below them in the Premier League table.

Vicario's surgery comes in a period without a Tottenham fixture for three weeks due to the international break and then FA Cup weekend. The goalkeeper, who has been linked with a summer move to Serie A side Inter Milan, had to pull out of Italy duty but is a popular member of the squad and remains a strong contender to be part of their World Cup squad for the upcoming tournament in north America.

After Sunday's six-pointer against Forest, Spurs will not return to action until they face Sunderland in the Premier League on April 12.

Vicario would have taken Tottenham's injury list up to 10 players but for some positive news from Spurs boss Igor Tudor.

The Croatian confirmed that Joao Palhinha is back from concussion and Dominic Solanke should be available to face Forest after a recent issue.

"Dom didn't train, but probably [Saturday] he will train with the team and he will be available. It is a problem with his hip, so he will be ok," said Tudor.

While the interim head coach said there had been no progress for Dejan Kulusevski and his knee injury, he had positive news on the recovery of other long-term absentees Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison from their respective quad, hamstring and anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

"So we have this big three weeks after the game on Sunday. [Kudus will] probably do some part of the things with the squad maybe 10 days [after the break].," he said. "We need to check but he is progressing very well. Already a little bit with the ball. Rodrigo as well, Maddison as well. We hope the medical staff will give us some nice surprise in the next few weeks which would be very important."

Maddison has been out since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in early August during Son Heung-min's farewell pre-season match against Newcastle in South Korea. Tudor is hopeful that although the England international is not yet back with the group, he will return to action before the season is done.

"Yes [he could be back]. Maddison is already doing interesting things as well with the ball. Sprinting as well," said the head coach. "I saw him. He is positive."