Football London

Here's the Tottenham team that Thomas Frank has chosen to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening

Thomas Frank has made five changes to his Tottenham team to take on Copenhagen on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

Injuries have played a part in the Dane's line-up as the Spurs head coach is already without the injured Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke and now Lucas Bergvall will miss the next two matches as he goes through the concussion protocol after coming off early in the defeat to Chelsea.

Mohammed Kudus and Djed Spence both missed Monday's training session at Hotspur Way and while Spence makes the bench, Kudus misses out on the squad.

"Unfortunately Kudus couldn't make it. He's got a knock. Djed is ready but it's positive that Destiny[Udogie] can start," said Frank ahead of kick-off.

Frank has very few options in most departments of the team, particularly at full-back and in central midfield, but he has given Joao Palhinha a rest with Pape Matar Sarr playing alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons.

Up front, Randal Kolo Muani continues to keep Richarlison out of the team and the Frenchman plays between Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert in the attack.

Here's the Tottenham team Frank has selected to face the team from his homeland:

Tottenham Hotspur return to Champions League action on Tuesday night as FC Copenhagen come to town.

Spurs are unbeaten so far this season in Europe's top tier competition with one win at home against Villarreal and somewhat fortunate draws away at Bodo/Glimt and Monaco. Now they will welcome a Copenhagen outfit sitting fourth in the Danish Superliga and Thomas Frank's side need to get back on track after a difficult few days.

Both the head coach and his Tottenham team drew plenty of criticism for their dismal derby defeat to Chelsea at home on Saturday, with just a single shot on target as they struggled to create against their local rivals.

Now Spurs need to return to winning ways to strengthen their position in the big Champions League table and get themselves back into the swing of things before the arrival of Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Tottenham have announced a major change to the club's shirt sponsorship and it's left the fanbase hoping for one thing in particular

Tottenham will have a new front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2027/28 season with AIA switching to become their training wear sponsor at that point and that has left the supporters hoping for one thing in particular.

Spurs' long-term partnership with the big insurance company began back in 2013, in a deal that is currently reportedly worth £40million a season, and has now been extended until 2032 but with a major scaled down change. AIA will remain as the club’s Global Principal Partner and front-of-shirt sponsor until the end of the 2026/2027 season but then the company will switch to becoming the club’s Global Training Partner from July 2027 through to June 2032.

That means Tottenham will be looking to tie up a new lucrative front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2027/28 season and while the AIA deal has been a lucrative one for the north London club, one thing has always irked the supporters about the sponsorship. That is the bright red company logo that adorns the club's home shirt each season, for Spurs fans do not like the colour red.

The Premier League club once sold an entire range of clothing bearing the logo 'Never Red', due to the colour's association with Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal.

So when the news of the sponsorship change emerged, most Spurs supporters on social media made it clear that they hoped the splash of red would be gone from the kits from the summer of 2027 onwards.

From July 2027, the AIA brand will be featured on the training wear for all the club's teams and coaches' apparel and will continue to appear on LED signage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"During our long-term partnership to date, Tottenham Hotspur and AIA have made history together. Both brands have experienced significant growth as we have shared unforgettable moments on and off the pitch, including some of the most important events in our club’s history," said Spurs' c hief revenue officer Ryan Norys.

"Importantly, the partnership has been able to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people across Asia– bringing our unique brand of football coaching to a region that has such a huge passion for the game – with the clear message of empowering people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

"We are incredibly excited for the next chapter of a special partnership that will see our two globally recognised brands remain synonymous with each other for many years to come.”

Stuart A. Spencer, AIA's group chief marketing officer added: "AIA is delighted to extend our strong partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club through to 2032. The evolution of our partnership reflects our shared belief in the power of sport to inspire healthier living and personal development.

"Asia is the region with the Premier League’s largest fanbase and as we enter the next chapter of our collaboration, we’re excited to build on our achievements and introduce new initiatives that empower people across Asia to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

"AIA’s own commitment to best-in-class training initiatives reflects the same principles championed by the Club – teamwork, personal growth, and excellence. AIA has continued to set new records with 11 consecutive global Million Dollar Round Table number one rankings, demonstrating how training underpins the success of our professional agency and helps to cultivate the industry’s best talent."

Enzo Maresca has provided an update on Pedro Neto ahead of Chelsea's clash against Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League. The Blues will be without the 25-year-old winger when they take on the Azerbaijani outfit at the Tofik Bahramov Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Neto was absent from training on Tuesday morning. The Portugal international was replaced by Estevao Willian in the final minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the west London outfit's 5000-mile round trip to Baku, Maresca announced that the Portugal international had suffered a minor injury. He said: "Not a problem, just a small issue. We will try to protect him. He is not involved in tomorrow's game."

Maresca has one eye on Chelsea's clash against Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday night, and he plans to rotate the starting lineup. He said: "It's an important game because it can give us three wins in a row in the Champions League.

"For sure, we need to rotate some of the players because I think we come back in London at 6am on Friday and then we have a game on Saturday. We will try to adapt and do our best."

Maresca also provided an update on Cole Palmer, who's been nursing a groin injury this season. The Chelsea midfielder was raced back from the treatment room in September, only to aggravate the problem a week later.

On whether Palmer could return to face Barcelona in the Champions League later this month, Maresca said: "We hope so [he returns for Barcelona clash] but with Cole, we try to schedule the beginning and then we need to review that.

"We go day by day with Cole. He is not taking any sessions with the team. We have Benoit Badiashile that can probably be available after the international break and for us, that is huge news."

Maresca added: "I would love to have Cole here tomorrow and for every game. Unfortunately, he's injured, but for sure, we want him back very soon."

The Chelsea boss anticipates a 'tough game' against Qarabag on Wednesday night. He said: "They are a good team. They beat Benfica and Copenhagen. They were beating Bilbao and lost in the end.

"It will be a tough game for sure for different reasons," added Maresca. "As a team they are a very good team and a very intense team. The way they press, and they have worked with the same manager for many, many years. They are more intense at home. It will be a tough game."

On the long-haul trip, Maresca said: "Because of the schedule, we used yesterday to recover after Tottenham. It was important to be here [in Cobham].

"We try to balance both situations; be ready for the game and recover all the energy knowing about the flight. We will stay on English time."

Chelsea bulldozed past Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and Jamie Carragher has laid the blame at the feet of one of Thomas Frank's summer signings

Jamie Carragher has slammed Joao Palhinha for his performance during Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. The 30-year-old midfielder, who the Lilywhites signed from Bayern Munich on loan in the summer, failed to impress at the weekend, raising questions about his ability at the highest level.

Even with the help of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Xavi Simons, Spurs were overrun in the middle of the park. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo were often joined by one of Malo Gusto and Reece James, who inverted to assist build-up and provide defensive stability.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football show, Carragher singled out Palhinha for his reluctance to play forwards. Pulling no punches, the former Liverpool defender said: "We spoke about courage; now we can talk about quality.

"Palhinha hasn’t got the quality. For a player playing for Tottenham in central midfield, for me, that’s a pass you have to be able to make. He can’t make it.

"So even though I’m being critical of it, saying he hasn’t quite got the ability, he’s actually done okay for Tottenham in terms of his job, but they go back, listen to the boos. The only reason he does a clever turn on the ball is because of the boos.

"Again, Palhinha is on the ball, five touches because he hasn’t got the confidence or the ability. [Kevin] Danso now takes seven touches. They’re not good enough on the ball, you now get a situation where [Pedro] Porro is getting the ball, getting closed down, and Xavi Simons is in that position there.

"What you’ve got is you’ve got a lack of courage and confidence from certain players, but you’ve also got a lack of ability of certain players."

David Jones asked Carragher if Tottenham's biggest problem is not having a player capable of breaking the lines. The Sky Sports pundit replied: "That’s the problem. And for me, for Thomas Frank, that is something he’s got to grow.

"A worry would be, one of his first signings is Palhinha. Now, he is not capable, I don’t think, of doing this. There was a reason why players and teams in the Premier League didn’t buy him from Fulham, and there’s a reason why Bayern Munich bought him and didn’t play him, so that would be a worry.

"But for Thomas Frank, going forward, when you think of pragmatic managers in the past who’ve made that jump from a smaller club to a bigger club, that has always been the problem in terms of, can they coach the rotations, the build-up play, to break the lines?"

Speaking to reporters on Monday ahead of Tottenham's clash against Copenhagen in the Champions League, Frank commented on whether there's an expectation to play a certain way at home. The Spurs boss said: "That’s different types of games, sometimes also everything accumulating, the number you gave is not a fantastic number.

"We haven’t won at home in the last whatever games in the Premier League, not too many, but completely different games. Some teams are very different teams to play against, others a little bit easier.

"Everything is difficult, but for example Villa I think very good comparative performance. Unfortunately we lost, we just got it wrong, but we easily could have won that 1-0.

"And I think Saturday night is an accumulation of a lot of things. A big London derby. We always hope we can beat them. We haven’t beaten them for a long time and we didn’t so that’s just added a bit."

Tottenham host FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night in their third Champions League group phase fixture

Thomas Frank is looking for a response from his Tottenham side when they host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Spurs were booed off on Saturday following the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea and while they remain unbeaten in Europe, they still have work to do as they target a top-eight finish.

The Europa League winners travel to Champions League holders PSG next, so they will be looking to make home advantage count when they trade blows with the Danish outfit.

Two players, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison, will be suspended against PSG if they are booked tonight. The Dutchman, who scored against PSG in the Super Cup defeat in Udine, has already been booked against Villarreal and Bodo/Glimt.

Meanwhile, Richarlison has been shown yellow cards against Villarreal and Monaco. UEFA rules state that players who pick up three yellow cards during the league phase of the competition, as well as the play-offs, will receive an automatic one-game suspension.

Yellow cards will then reset after the quarter-final stage of the Champions League, with players only being able to miss the final if they receive a red card in the semi-final.

Van de Ven appears likely to start despite the post-match incident last weekend when he appeared to ignore boss Frank after the full-time whistle.

Speaking on Monday afternoon, Frank revealed it was case closed as both Van de Ven and Djed Spence had both apologised to the Dane.

The Tottenham boss said: "Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday, unprompted. And just said: 'Want to say sorry for the situation.'

"They didn’t want it to look bad or disrespectful or all of the kind of perceptions you can get in this beautiful media world. That was not the intention at all towards me or the team or the club. They were just frustrated with the performance, the loss and the booing during the game."

Cristian Romero is back after shaking off an adductor injury and he could start after featuring from the bench against Chelsea. Richarlison could also start as he was dropped to the bench against the Blues after firing blank against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Tottenham have five points to their name from three matches to date after beating Villarreal 1-0 on match day one and then drawing away to Bodo/Glimt and Monaco. Spurs travel to the Parc des Princes on November 26 before hosting Slavia Prague on December 9.

Borussia Dortmund then travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January before Spurs conclude their group campaign away to Eintracht Frankfurt, where they won 1-0 in the Europa League quarter-finals in April.

Tottenham Hotspur and AIA Group Limited have been partners since 2013, when they first sponsored the kit for cup games

Tottenham Hotspur have extended their partnership with AIA Group Limited. The Hong Kong-based life insurance and financial services company will remain the club's front-of-shirt sponsor until the end of the 2026/2027 season, before becoming the training wear sponsor until 2032.

In July 2027, AIA will transition from a Global Principal Partner to a Global Training Partner. The company's logo will continue to appear on LED signage at the stadium, and its campaigns will include both the men's and women's teams.

Tottenham boasts one of the longest club sponsorships in Premier League history, having been partnered with AIA since 2013, when they initially sponsored the kit for cup fixtures. Since the 2014/15 season, the company has been the primary kit sponsor.

In the last 12 years, Tottenham have established themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the English top-flight. Spurs won their first and only trophy during this period in the summer, defeating Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final.

Meanwhile, over 175,000 young people across Asia have participated in AIA football clinics led by Spurs coaches. An official statement from the AIA Group Chief Marketing Officer, Stuart A. Spencer, reads: "AIA is delighted to extend our strong partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club through to 2032.

"The evolution of our partnership reflects our shared belief in the power of sport to inspire healthier living and personal development. Asia is the region with the Premier League’s largest fanbase and as we enter the next chapter of our collaboration, we’re excited to build on our achievements and introduce new initiatives that empower people across Asia to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

"AIA’s own commitment to best-in-class training initiatives reflects the same principles championed by the Club – teamwork, personal growth, and excellence. AIA has continued to set new records with 11 consecutive global Million Dollar Round Table number one rankings, demonstrating how training underpins the success of our professional agency and helps to cultivate the industry’s best talent."

Meanwhile, Ryan Norys, the Chief Revenue Officer at Tottenham Hotspur, said: "During our long-term partnership to date, Tottenham Hotspur and AIA have made history together.

"Both brands have experienced significant growth as we have shared unforgettable moments on and off the pitch, including some of the most important events in our Club’s history.

"Importantly, the partnership has been able to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people across Asia – bringing our unique brand of football coaching to a region that has such a huge passion for the game – with the clear message of empowering people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

"We are incredibly excited for the next chapter of a special partnership that will see our two globally recognised brands remain synonymous with each other for many years to come."

Here's the Tottenham team that we predict Thomas Frank will select to face Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night

Injuries will once again dictate what Tottenham Hotspur starting line-up Thomas Frank can select to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

It wouldn't be a matchday for the north London team if it did not come with an injury list stretching all the way to Chick-King on the High Road. The Spurs head coach is already without the injured Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke.

Now Lucas Bergvall will miss the next two matches as he goes through the concussion protocol after coming off early in the defeat to Chelsea. Blues midfielder Enzo Fernandez accidentally smashed the ball into the back of the Swede's head just three minutes in, causing the youngster to fall to the floor before wobbling back to his feet. Despite his protestations, the Tottenham doctors decided Bergvall had to come off and tests later confirmed the teenager was concussed.

On Monday, Mohammed Kudus and Djed Spence were also missing from training at Hotspur Way to make it 10 absent stars and Frank confirmed that the duo picked up knocks against Chelsea but could still be involved against the Danish visitors. Mathys Tel and Radu Dragusin are not registered for the European competition, making it 12 Tottenham first team players who could potentially miss out.

Frank has very few options in most departments of the team, particularly at full-back and in central midfield, and here is the Spurs team we reckon he might have to go with if he does not want to risk Kudus or Spence from the start and tries to give a much-needed rest to someone like Joao Palhinha ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash against Manchester United.

James Maddison has announced that he and his partner Kennedy Alexa have welcomed their fourth and fifth child to the world, with Arsenal and Tottenham stars leading the messages

Declan Rice and Micky van de Ven have led the messages of support to James Maddison after the Tottenham star confirmed that his partner Kennedy Alexa has given birth to twins.

Maddison, 29, and Alexa, 31, started dating in 2020 and welcomed their first child, son Leo, into the world the following year. England international Maddison and his model other half then had twins - Delilah and Rome - just days after the ex-Leicester midfielder joined Spurs in the summer of 2023.

Now, the couple have confirmed had a second set of twins have arrived, the odds of which are a massive ONE in 50,000. Jensen and Frankie were born on Thursday, October 30, Maddison confirmed in an Instagram post.

"Jensen & Frankie Maddison [light blue love heart emoji, pink love heart emoji] 30.10.25," Maddison said on Monday, alongside a heartwarming image of the two newborn babies. "Five a side team complete [face holding back emoji]. You're a superwoman @kennedyalexa [white love heart emoji]."

In response to Maddison's life announcement, he received a plethora of supportive messages. Arsenal midfielder Rice, Maddison's close friend, was among the first that left a comment. He said: "Beautiful [red love heart emoji]."

Tottenham centre-back and Maddison's teammate Van de Ven posted a smiling face with three hearts emoji and a love heart eyes emoji. Real Madrid and England sensation Jude Bellingham posted three love heart eyes emojis, while Brentford's Jordan Henderson left a raising hands emoji and two red love hearts.

Ex-Leicester teammate Andy King, Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, West Ham's Kyle Walker-Peters, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers were among the other non-Tottenham players to leave a comment on Maddison's post.

Maddison hasn't featured for Tottenham this season after tearing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in pre-season. He went down clutching his knee following an off-the-ball challenge against Newcastle in South Korea.

Delivering an update on Maddison's condition last Friday, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank revealed he isn't sure if the midfielder is going to feature this season.

When asked if he is expecting Maddison to play for Spurs before the end of the campaign, Frank said: "This season? Er.. that I don't know. The short answer would be maybe. He got the injury on [August 3].

"I think we need to get past Christmas to see how quick he is going. Normally, you would say nine months, as I understand it, without me being a doctor. So, let's see."

The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper has been speaking about an incident that happened after the final whistle of the defeat to Chelsea

Guglielmo Vicario claims he had to protect Spurs teenager Lucas Bergvall from "a bad person" among the fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Nineteen-year-old Bergvall lasted just four minutes of Spurs' derby defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. Blues midfielder Enzo Fernandez accidentally smashed the ball into the back of the Swede's head, causing the youngster to fall to the floor before wobbling back to his feet.

Despite his protestations, the Tottenham doctors decided Bergvall had to come off and tests later confirmed the teenager was concussed.

After the game, the midfielder walked around the pitch applauding the fans but goalkeeper Vicario soon spotted he was being abused by someone in the south stand at the club's home.

The Italian pushed the teen away towards the tunnel and could be seen to repeatedly gesture back towards the supporter, pointing to him and then to his own eyes in an "I see you" motion as he left the arena.

"In every environment there are very good people and some bad people. Probably [Lucas] had contact with one bad person," Vicario told football.london. "That doesn’t necessarily say that everyone is a bad person.

"But there are some bad people in every environment and I had to protect Lucas because he was a little bit emotional in that moment. It’s part of my experience to do that, and we can discuss it inside the dressing-room and not outside."

Bergvall will now miss Spurs' next two games against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night and Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday while he goes through the concussion protocol.

Without the young Swede, Vicario and Tottenham will be looking to turn around their bizarre home form.

In the Premier League the north London side have won just three out of 19 matches in the past 12 months at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but in European competition the club are unbeaten in 21 home matches stretching back to 2020 with 17 victories amongst that.

The domestic home form has caused plenty of frustration among the fanbase and led to plenty of boos during matches as well as at the half-time and full-time whistles.

"It's normal. I was a fan when I was a kid and going to the stadium I saw many of these things," said Vicario. "Probably in Italy it's also a little bit worse when you go, so I have big shoulders about that, it's not a big problem.

"It's like when you go to the theatre and you see a show and you don't like it and you express your reactions, your feelings. The main thing is for us to concentrate on what we have to do on the pitch, because it's on us to turn around the situation."

Vicario explained that the players have spoken about their poor showing against Chelsea and admitted that everyone involved can be better amid the boos from the stands.

"We have spoken. I think probably in some moments during the game … probably when we are chasing, we need to have a little more cool heads and if we have a little bit more help from some situations coming from the stands it could be, of course, better, but we cannot control it," said the goalkeeper.

"At the end, of course, everyone was disappointed. We had lost a London derby so everyone was really frustrated, and we get the reaction of the fans at the end of the game. They can express their pain and we were of course in a big pain situation so that’s across every stadium in the world, in Europe, in the UK. So we get the point. We were just disappointed with the result."