Football London

Dejan Kulusevski has sent a subtle injury return hint with Ange Postecoglou hoping to have him back available from for Tottenham's Premier League clash against Chelsea on Thursday.

The Swede has missed the last five games due to a foot issue and Spurs have certainly been impacted by his absence.

Even though he was unavailable for both legs against AZ Alkmaar, Tottenham were able to advance into the Europa League quarter-finals.

James Maddison has been required to play more minutes in his absence but the quick turnaround for games has taken its toll.

Thankfully, based on Postecoglou's update back in March, Kulusevski can return to the fold at Stamford Bridge later this week. "He's got a knock on the foot, [and] it's got a bit sore in the last couple of weeks, he said.

"He's been able to train and play, but it wasn’t getting better. He's unlikely to be back before the international break."

Given the club's priority is bound to be focused on Europe, Kulusevski may not be risked in what is likely to be a feisty London derby.

With Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just a few days later and the first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt following that, Postecoglou has some big decisions to make.

Two of Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence will start while it remains to be seen if both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven start at centre-back again.

Further forward, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel are two attackers who have put in strong showings recently and are thus pushing for starts.

As for Kulusevski, a place on the bench if he is deemed fit enough to return is the most likely scenario with the 24-year-old hinting he will be back very soon.

On Instagram, alongside a picture of him celebrating his goal at Ipswich, Kulusevski wrote: "Coming to a show near u Dk tha truth2.0."

Elsewhere, it is unclear whether Kevin Danso will be able to return against Chelsea after suffering a hamstring injury in March with Richarlison and Radu Dragusin expected to remain out, though the former is expected back very soon.

Lucas Bergvall missed out on playing for Sweden during the March international break due to illness but he is expected to be available this week.

Tottenham return to Premier League action after the international break having won just one of their last five games in all competitions.

Their only win in those five matches was undoubtedly the most crucial. Their 3-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, recovering a 1-0 deficit following the first-leg in the Netherlands, has pushed them into the Europa League quarter-finals.

Ange Postecolgou's Premier League form has been questionable this season. His side currently sits 14th with 34 points, 15 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. Although it is a significant gap to a Champions League spot, there's much more to uncover this season.

The first key point is the fact that the Premier League is on track to be awarded a fifth Champions League spot due to England leading the coefficient rankings. Although this only reduces the points gap to a Champions League spot to 14 points, this Premier League campaign is one of the tightest in many years, meaning a club like Spurs could slip into that key 'top-five' fight.

Tottenham arguably have one of the toughest final nine Premier League fixtures. They still have to go away to Anfield and Villa Park alongside home games against Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. In fact, six out of their final nine opponents are in the European fight meaning Spurs have a fantastic opportunity to catch their rivals.

Postecoglou's team will be hoping to kick start a positive return to football on Thursday when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. The Blues had started the season title contenders, but after a poor run of form in the new year, they have fallen from the top and joined the scrap for the Champions League. A win over Enzo Maresca's side would be a crucial boost to kick-start Spurs' run-in.

After their short trip to Chelsea, Spurs will take on Southampton (H), Wolves (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Liverpool (A), West Ham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Aston Villa (A) and Brighton (H) in that order.

Another big club who has had a disappointing season and will be hoping their run to summer can allow them to reach a European spot is Manchester United. They sit one position above Spurs with a three point gap between both sides.

The north London side boast a superior goal difference of +13 to Man United's -3. The two sides have already played each other twice in the Premier League with Tottenham winning both fixtures. Both teams will surely not want to finish as the 'last big-six' side, so for egos' sake, they'll both be pushing for a strong finish.

Man United's final games see them face Nottingham Forest (A), Manchester City (H), Newcastle (A), Wolves (H), Bournemouth (A), Brentford (A), West Ham (H), Chelsea (A) and Aston Villa (H).

With the title race and relegation battle still unfolding, predicting the final Premier League standings remains a near-impossible task. There are still plenty of twists and turns round the corner as Postecoglou pushes for glory.

Terry Venables, the former Tottenham Hotspur and England manager, has left behind a £3.3million fortune to his wife following his passing at the age of 80 in 2023 after a long illness.

The ex-Three Lions boss, who also managed Barcelona as well as Spurs and a hosts of other English clubs, is fondly remembered for leading England to the semi-finals of Euro 96, where they were heartbreakingly defeated by Germany on penalties.

Venables, affectionately known as 'El Tel', had an illustrious career both as a player and manager. He played professionally for Chelsea, Spurs, and QPR before going on to win a La Liga title with Barca and an FA Cup with Spurs.

Probate details released on Tuesday revealed that Venables' estate was worth £4,765,370 before debts and bills, leaving a net value of £3,289,952. His wife, Yvette, is the sole beneficiary of his will, which was penned six years prior to his death.

Gary Lineker, who played under Venables at Barcelona in 1986 and later at Tottenham, expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of his former manager. Lineker, who scored 66 goals in 143 appearances for Venables and was part of the 1991 FA Cup-winning Spurs team, paid a heartfelt tribute: "Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died," he said.

"The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for. He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend.", reports the Mirror.

Gareth Southgate, former England manager, also remembered Venables fondly, having played under him during his England days.

"Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager," said Southgate.

Southgate further praised Venables by saying, "He was open minded, forward thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history.

"A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I'm very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family."

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has offered a pointed defence of the club's spending in response to fan criticism of his time at the helm, as Spurs' latest accounts are published - but some fans in the football.london comments section aren't buying it, saying that the figures he's showing off aren't everything.

In reporting their financial results for the year 2023/24, Spurs announced a drop in revenue to £528.2 million - down £21.4 million on the year before. But the club only made a £26.2million loss for the year, compared to the £86.8 million loss in 2023.

Fewer home games and less prize money from European competition account for some of the dip in revenue, while the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich was a major boost to the figures. You can read a more detailed breakdown of what went up and down during the course of last season here.

Fans have regularly protested against what they say is Levy's tightening of the purse strings, and they have only grown louder as Spurs find themselves in a rough spot this season. In a specific response to those fans, Levy said: "I often read calls for us to spend more, given that we are ranked as the ninth richest club in the world. However, a closer examination of today’s financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues.

In an earlier part of the statement, he said: "Since opening our new stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £700million net in player acquisitions. Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means."

Some fans aren't buying Levy's defence. Reader b08mla says: "Levy is a tight wad. He barely spends enough to field one team. Injuries show we have no depth. Top teams are there as they have backup players who are just as good. They can cover if injuries occur, or just to rest and rotate players. I would like to see the team sold to owners who would properly support it. Not just scrape by. Or are we waiting for relegation?"

ABorg writes: "When you look at all those signings, how many of those signings would Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea or Arsenal sign? Not very many I would say. The wage structure at Spurs is a major problem. Where Levy hates paying players big money and especially big money to sit on the bench, we'll never have a squad good enough to win anything.

"The wage structure has to change and be competitive with the top six sides. We'll never sign the right quality of player otherwise. And that goes for players sitting on the bench too."

Steve2970 says: "Levy may well have spent £700m but most of the players brought in have been very disappointing. Given that he has to approve all transfers, the responsibility rest on him." Ar18 agrees: "Apparently we must sustain mediocrity too."

Others agree with the chairman's reasoning that Spurs should be sustainable, and think that others must also shoulder the blame for poor performances over the years. Mingusman says: "There is a ring of truth in what you write but there is also a serious question regarding the tenure of managers. It takes time to build a squad. Poch has been the only manager to have begun to be given the time but we were at Wembley while the new ground was built. He regularly got us into the Champions League including a final and had two seasons either side of a World Cup where we had nine players in the semi finals.

"Without more money going into players we ended up with a tired and un-updated squad, all of which makes Pochettino’s sacking seem rather precipitous. Further, somebody please explain to me why Mourinho, not my preferred playing style, was sacked just before a Carabao Cup final that he had got us to."

Madcaplaughsagain writes: "I think Levy gets too much abuse. I have supported this club for 60 years and am a season ticket holder. I travel from Plymouth to watch the home games. So my opinion is as important as anyone else's. Levy has transformed this club by putting us on a secure financial footing and building a magnificent stadium. I believe success on the field will come very soon."

Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on his future as Tottenham Hotspur head coach. The 59-year-old faces an uncertain future in the dugout despite leading Spurs to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League.

While the Lilywhites have impressed on the European stage, they're still yet to break into the top half of the Premier League table. With nine games of the season to go, Tottenham are 14th – and they're nearly as many points from the relegation zone (17) as they are from Chelsea (15) in fourth.

Unless Postecoglou gets his hands on the Europa League trophy, Spurs will be without European football next term. This would be a major blow for Tottenham, who earned £56.2m just for reaching the Champions League round of 16 in 2022/23 – excluding additional matchday revenue.

With the club set to miss out on millions, Postecoglou, who sees his contract expire in June 2027, faces an uncertain future. Speaking to Optus Sport ahead of Spurs' clash against Chelsea on Thursday night, he provided an update on his future.

Sending disgruntled supporters a message, he said: "I've always said I hate telling people how they should feel. There's no doubt that a large portion of Tottenham fans have lost belief in what we're doing.

"I think they were encouraged by what they saw last year for sure, and that hasn't manifested itself. I'm still optimistic and bullish about the squad we've got. There's enormous growth in them once we can navigate through this and being through a tough time... surviving tough times can be such a strong uniter of people.

"Because you think there's nothing down the track which will be anywhere near as bad as what we've gone through. We've survived and we've stuck together.

"Part of that is people will see aside from the obvious - the disappointing results - they still see a squad there which I think is exciting. I guess the biggest way we can influence that is by giving them hope.

"Still got things to play for in Europe and we've got to try and finish the season off in a positive way," added Postecoglou. "It's been a tough season. There's no hiding from it. It hasn't gone anywhere near the levels we wanted.

"We started off with goals and ambitions around what we wanted to achieve. There's frustration that we've seen glimpses of what we want, but then enormous setbacks and our inconsistency - particularly in the league.

"We've performed well in the cups, better than last year, but in the league we've been nowhere near it. There's obvious reasons for that, but even within that context, it's just a really disappointing season."

In an official statement announcing the club's financial results for the year ending June 2024, Daniel Levy outlined the importance of winning the Europa League. The Tottenham chairman said: "As we announce our financial results for the year to 30 June 2024, we currently find ourselves in 14th position in the Premier League, navigating what has been a highly challenging season on the pitch.

"We are, however, in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Winning this competition would see welcome silverware and mean qualification for the UEFA Champions League. We must do everything we can to support the team in these final key stages."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at the club said: "UEFA prize money was £1.3m (2023: £56.2m) reflecting the difference between not participating in European competition in the current year and reaching the Champions League Round of 16 in the prior year.

"The prize money in the period is a final account payment relating to the prior season’s competition."

The former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan believes Tottenham Hotspur will eventually receive the investment they want despite suspecting that their valuation of a minority stake is high.

A year ago, chairman Daniel Levy confirmed: "The board and its advisors, Rothschild & Co, are in discussions with prospective investors". However, there was no such acknowledgement in the latest chairman's statement accompanying this year's financial results.

The former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson highlighted the "interesting omission" during White & Jordan on talkSPORT.

"If you look at the statement from last year, [Levy] specifically said that he was seeking external investment," Borson said.

"And clearly, what they've done over the last year, 18 months, maybe even longer, is run a process to try and find somebody to put money into the club or take a piece of the club.

"I won't put [Jordan] on the spot, but I'm sure he knows whether they've succeeded in that.

"I suspect that the valuation they're looking for is too high, and that will, therefore, mean that it will be very difficult for them to find it."

Jim White then put Jordan on the spot, asking: "Have they succeeded in that?"

He replied: "That's for Daniel to discuss, not me," and when asked whether he knew, added: "Ummm, no, I don't."

Questioning whether they have maybe not succeeded, Jordan reiterated: "No, I don't [know]. I know that they are [seeking investment], as Stefan says; it's pretty much public knowledge.

"And I suspect that the valuation may well be high. Will they get their money? I suspect they probably will at some point; when they get it is a different matter."

Ange Postecoglou has admitted he 'underestimated the challenges of Europe'. The 59-year-old currently faces an uncertain future at Tottenham Hotspur despite leading the club to the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.

While the Lilywhites have managed to reach the latter stages of the competition, they've struggled to climb out of the bottom half of the Premier League table. With nine games to go, Spurs are 14th in the English top flight – and they're nearly as many points from the relegation zone (17) as they are from Chelsea (15) in fourth.

Unless Tottenham win the Europa League, they'll be without European football next season. In an interview with Optus Sport, Postecoglou was quizzed on the North Londoners' campaign.

The Spurs boss said: "It's been a tough season. There's no hiding from it. It hasn't gone anywhere near the levels we wanted. We started off with goals and ambitions around what we wanted to achieve.

"There's frustration that we've seen glimpses of what we want, but then enormous setbacks and our inconsistency – particularly in the league - we've performed well in the cups, better than last year.

"But in the league, we've been nowhere near it. There's obvious reasons for that, but even within that context, it's just a really disappointing season."

Then, Postecoglou reasoned why Tottenham have disappointed this season, noting the no traditional break, the challenges of Europe and injuries to key players. He said: "The domino effect of certain things happening.

"Again, you try and assess things as you go along but I think we got the start of the year wrong… it's becoming increasingly challenging for footballers, they don't get the traditional break.

"I think we went into the season really hard and underestimated the challenges of Europe with the two extra games, having a cup run...all those things. You add to the mix losing key players early on.

"It feels like we've been chasing our tail since then and we haven't been able to get ahead of the challenges we've had and then something else happens and it shifts. That goes back to the start of the year – we maybe would have taken a different approach knowing the kind of season we had ahead."

Postecoglou suggested that the Premier League should reconsider the 'draining' schedule. The Tottenham boss added: "There's no doubt that the schedule is too draining. There will come a breaking point – there's no doubt about that.

"What's happened to us this year, you saw with Newcastle and Brighton last year. Teams that looked like they were in ascendency fall off... mainly because of their injuries more than anything else.

"It happened to us this year. It's affected Villa to a certain extent, it's affected City to a certain extent. I think you'll see it affect teams in Europe next year.

"At some point the league will sit down and say: this is unsustainable, we need to make some changes. Whether that's a break or less games, that will definitely come to a head."

Tottenham need luck to be on their side when they visit Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening. Spurs do not fare well at the home of Chelsea and their last win there came back in April 2018 as Mauricio Pochettino masterminded a 3-1 win.

The Lilywhites have to try and put their wretched record to bed for good, with Thursday a new opportunity for them to do so ahead of a crucial period in their campaign. Chelsea have struggled a bit of late but they do sit fourth in the table at present and they are on course to secure Champions League football for next term.

Amid a host of injury issues earlier in the season, Ange Postecoglou does have the vast majority of his playing squad available and hopefully there will be some positive news regarding Kevin Danso, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison. So who should the head coach select in his Tottenham team to take on Chelsea? Our Spurs writers at football.london have had their say below.

Rob Guest - Football writer

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad should be nice and refreshed for Thursday's game at Stamford Bridge due to not having a game last weekend. The hope will be that they can go on to deliver a big performance at a ground where they have really struggled to give them a huge boost for a key run of fixtures coming up.

Micky van de Ven should be in a position now to play regularly and he will take his place alongside Cristian Romero at the heart of defence. Pedro Porro then comes back into the team and that means Djed Spence moves across to the left as Destiny Udogie drops out altogether, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal as ever.

In midfield, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison are a must as they were dearly missed in the first half at Fulham last time out. That will come as unfortunate news to Archie Gray despite delivering a decent showing in midfield at Craven Cottage.

Changes then need to be made in attack as Brennan Johnson didn't do enough prior to the international break. Wilson Odobert should start on the right-wing after some positive displays of late, with Son Heung-min replacing Mathys Tel on the left.

Guest's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall, Maddison; Odobert, Solanke, Son.

Lee Wilmot - Head of Football

After two-and-a-half weeks Tottenham Hotspur are back. But, given the opposition we may well wish they were not.

Trips to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea are never fun, but there's a certain amount of hope going into this one given Ange Postecoglou should be almost full strength.

Guglielmo Vicario plays in goal and there should only really be one question in the back-line. Micky van de Ven has to play alongside Cristian Romero, given he has had enough recovery and training time now.

The question is who plays at left-back if Pedro Porro comes in at right-back as he should? I'm going for Djed Spence, he's earnt the right and he takes his place ahead of Destiny Udogie for me.

In midfield, only Rodrigo Bentancur keeps his place from the trio who started against Fulham. Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison come in alongside him.

Then, up front, it's Dominic Solanke, flanked by Son Heung-min on one side and, if fit, Dejan Kulusevski on the other. Wilson Odobert deserves to play, but he can be an impact player from the bench.

Wilmot's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.

Spurs' selection choices vs Chelsea, key player fitness & the loan latest - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

The business end of the season is now upon us and Tottenham have nine games remaining to clinch a top-half finish in the Premier League. As important as a strong end to the league campaign is for Ange Postecoglou's side, the main focus has to be winning the Europa League trophy in Bilbao in May.

Tottenham return to European action against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, April 10, with the crucial second leg taking place in Germany one week later. It's not just those at Tottenham who face a big climax to the season as the same goes for the club's loanees.

Promotion is on the line for some and relegation is a real possibility for others. It is also imperative that Tottenham's loan army finish the campaign on a positive note ahead of coming back to Hotspur Way in the summer.

It remains to be seen what this summer will bring but there should be opportunities for returning players in the club's pre-season friendlies. Spurs have already confirmed a North London Derby fixture against Arsenal in Hong Kong in late July and now supporters are waiting for news regarding the rest of the club's summer tour.

This summer's friendlies should provide Yang Min-hyeok with an opportunity to play in a Tottenham shirt for the very first time. Yang did in fact come up against Spurs in their game against Team K League last July but he is still waiting to make his debut for the club after arriving in January from Gangwon FC.

Josh Keeley, Jamie Donley, Luka Vuskovic, Alfie Devine, Alfie Dorrington and George Abbott are just some of the other youngsters who could be given pitch time as Tottenham plan for the new season. In the case of Abbott, he has enjoyed an outstanding season on loan at Notts County but his progress may have gone under the radar at a time when others are really grabbing the headlines.

In the latest episode of football.london's Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, Spurs writers Rob Guest and Lee Wilmot sit down to discuss the club's loan players and their seasons so far. As well as that, the duo also talk about the friendly against Arsenal in Hong Kong and preview Thursday's game at Chelsea.

You can listen to the podcast right here or watch on YouTube by clicking here.

Spurs' selection choices vs Chelsea, key player fitness & the loan latest - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Jack Grealish's WhatsApp group with James Maddison could be brought out of the archives amid reports Tottenham are interested in signing the Manchester City star. The 29-year-old has found himself on the fringes at the Etihad Stadium this season.

He's managed just 605 minutes of game time in what has been a frustrating campaign all round for the Citizens. Pep Guardiola has consistently favoured Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva in wide areas, leaving Grealish struggling for opportunities.

Following City's 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Bournemouth at the weekend, the England international appeared to take a subtle swipe at his limited playing time. Despite being a regular in City's FA Cup squad, Grealish was benched for Sunday's game.

However, he came on in the 69th minute to replace Foden. This marked his first appearance since a brief substitute role against Spurs on February 27.

After the match, he posted on Instagram, seemingly referencing his lack of minutes: "Was nice to finally be back out there. Away support was incredible… Wembley next."

Although Grealish has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at City, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League, he'll need regular football to reclaim his place in the England squad, having been left out of Thomas Tuchel's first Three Lions squad this month.

His omission was both notable and justified, and with the World Cup looming next year, he may be looking for a fresh start. One potential destination is Spurs, who have been linked with the dynamic forward, with GiveMeSport claiming they've shown interest in recent weeks.

Back in 2018, a move to North London seemed imminent following Aston Villa’s play-off final loss to Fulham, with both Tottenham and Arsenal eyeing him up. However, he remained at his boyhood club and helped them achieve promotion before later securing a £100million switch to City.

A move to Spurs would reunite him with Maddison, a close friend and fellow member of a WhatsApp group named 'The Avengers.' The chat, which includes Dele Alli, Ben Chilwell, Ross Barkley, and John McGinn, was revealed by Maddison in an interview with former Hull City midfielder David Meyler.

"We have a little group chat called The Avengers," Maddison admitted. Grealish, in a 2021 interview with UMM's Assumptions, confirmed that he and Maddison were the most active members. "Me or Madders," he said.

"On that point, [Maddison] is on the group chat 24/7. Someone writes in it and then bam, he's ready straight away. Constantly in there. Then there's people like Chilly, he'd be online and he wouldn't read it."

Grealish, who is reportedly earning £300,000 per week at City, could be a challenging acquisition for Spurs, given their structured wage policy, which might make such a transfer difficult to execute.