Football London

Hugo Lloris could be set to come out of international retirement with France's third-choice goalkeeper picking up an injury just weeks before the World Cup in North America

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is considering coming out of international retirement to feature for France at this summer's World Cup, it has been claimed.

Lloris, 39, hasn't represented his country since the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. In the process, the experienced shot-stopped became his nation's most-capped player of all-time with 145.

But, less than a month after the Qatar tournament, Lloris announced his retirement from representing France on the international stage. In an emotional statement, the ex-Nice and Lyon man said it was time to "hand over the reins", expressing his desire to focus on club football and spend more time with his family.

However, three-and-a-half years later and Lloris could make a sensational return to international football. Le Parisien has reported that an injury to Paris Saint-German's Lucas Chevalier has opened the door for Lloris to scrap his retirement and return to Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

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It's added that Lloris is 'open to the idea' of coming out of retirement and acting as France's third-choice goalkeeper, which is Chevalier's current role. He would be behind AC Milan's Mike Maignan and Lens' ex-Nottingham Forest shot-stopper Brice Samba in the France pecking order at the World Cup.

Chevalier, who joined PSG from Lille last summer, replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma as the club's No.1 'keeper but he lost his place in the XI earlier this year with Matvey Safonov now the undisputed starter.

The 24-year-old was still expected to be called up to Deschamps' squad for the World Cup, but his hopes of featuring in the United States, Mexico and Canada have been dashed after picking up an injury.

He sustained a right thigh problem in training on Wednesday and PSG expect him to be out for several weeks, potentially ruling him out for the rest of the season and the World Cup.

France manager Deschamps is expected to announce his squad for this summer's World Cup on Thursday, May 14 and Lloris could be a shock inclusion in the 26-man contingent.

Lloris spent 12 years at Tottenham before departing at the end of his contract in 2024 after being frozen out during Ange Postecoglou's first season in north London. In that time, Lloris became a club legend, making more than 400 appearances and cementing himself as one of their best-ever goalkeepers.

He decided to sign for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in the MLS and has since been an ever-present there, playing more than 100 matches and helping them win the US Open Cup in his first season.

Tottenham Hotspur lost Xavi Simons to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee midway through their 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers

Xavi Simons believes he will be back stronger than ever after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur 's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Simons, 23, came off midway through the second half of Saturday's match at Molineux and will not play again until next year due to the severity of this setback. He will have surgery in the coming weeks, once the knee joint swelling has reduced sufficiently.

Several months of rehabilitation will then follow, and barring any setbacks, Simons could return before the end of February. That would follow ten months of recovery.

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Simons has posted a video of himself receiving treatment on his official Snapchat account. He captioned the clip: "Rest, patience, guidance, peace! Everything happens for a reason! We will be back stronger than ever, don't doubt it!"

The player has also posted footage that appears to show him receiving vibration therapy on his right leg. Simons is also in the gym, working on his left leg, while elevating the other, and his upper body.

Simons has already shared plenty of insight on his social media accounts since the injury. He added a lengthy caption to an Instagram post on Sunday.

It reads: "They say life can be cruel, and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end, and I'm just trying to process it. Honestly, I'm heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

"All I've wanted to do is fight for my team, and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer… just gone.

"It'll take time to find peace with this, but I'll continue to be the best teammate I can be. I have no doubt that together we'll win this fight."

Roberto De Zerbi spoke about how Spurs can replace Simons for the remainder of this season after their win over Wolves. He said: "We can play with Mathys Tel on the left, (Randal) Kolo Muani on the right, Souza on the right, (Lucas) Bergvall on the left; we have to create.

"I don't want to change too much (like) three defenders or four defenders, I don't want to put more confusion on the players, especially this season, because they changed a lot of tactical disposition."

"I want to be clear and simple. We need to stay strong in the head and positive in ourselves."

Tottenham Hotspur are staring down the brink of a historically bad season, yet marketing chiefs at the club decided it was a good time to launch a new campaign with Peppa Pig

Tottenham Hotspur have launched a marketing collaboration with children's cartoon character Peppa Pig - and the surprise announcement has gone down like Daddy Pig's broken down car when it was stuck on the hill.

With four matches left to spare, Tottenham are still stuck on 34 points, two behind seventeenth placed West Ham United. Roberto De Zerbi's side travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in a must win match for the north Londoners.

But a matter of days before that paramount clash, Spurs launched some new merchandise, inspired by a collaboration with Peppa Pig. Amongst the offerings were a pink Tottenham hat which was adorned by characters from the cartoon.

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Had Spurs been occupying a place at the other end of the table, the merchandise would perhaps be received in the manner it was intended. However, with Spurs fans as apoplectic and nervous as they have ever been, it has not been accepted too well.

One angry Tottenham fan commented: "Lads we are on the brink of relegation,” before another sarcastically said: "On the brink of relegation. At least we have Peppa Pig merch to show for it.

A rival supporter also said: "Don't worry about relegation Spurs fans. At least you'll be able to meet Peppa Pig at the stadium in May,” before a second rival also said: “The concept of 'Spurs x Peppa Pig' I can’t even read it without laughing.”

Ipswich Town have also done a similar collaboration with the iconic children's cartoon. Referencing that, while also referring to Ipswich Town's current position in the play-off places and Tottenham's current downward trajectory, another fan laughed Spurs will be the only side in the EFL to have a collaboration with Peppa Pig.

It's the kind of outside noise De Zerbi and his players really do not need. They were boosted by their gritty 1-0 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

However, they also lost Xavi Simons for the rest of the campaign, after he went down with an injury. Nevertheless, De Zerbi believes the result could be the catalyst to a vital run of results they are crying out for.

The Italian said: "I want to be positive but we still played the first 45 minutes very well. I think in the first half we played well.

"We didn't create big chances to score but anyway we had control of the game. And then, [in the second half] maybe the pressure, we lost distances on the pitch and every one of us wanted to go one-to-one. I'm happy for the result. I hope this result can change something in our head and mentality."

After Villa this weekend, Spurs play host to Leeds United (May 11), Chelsea away (May 19) and Everton at home on the final day of the Premier League campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino has given his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur's current situation as they battle to avoid Premier League relegation

Mauricio Pochettino has explained why he feels “really sad” about the current situation at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are currently battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League and have four games left to secure their top-flight status.

Pochettino spent five years as Tottenham manager, guiding the club to the Champions League final in 2019 before his departure a few months later.

The 54-year-old has since had spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and is now the head coach of the United States men’s national team heading into this summer’s World Cup across the pond.

Tottenham won their first Premier League fixture of 2026 last weekend with the narrow 1-0 victory at bottom side Wolves, and they return to top-flight action on Sunday when they take on high-flying Aston Villa.

Spurs are currently in 18th place in the table and two points from safety with just four matches left to play this term.

Pochettino has opened up about his time at Tottenham, as well as his exit, as the club currently battles to avoid dropping into the Championship.

“It's really sad, I really love Tottenham, it's going to be a part of my life, an important part of my life as a coach, a personal life too,” Pochettino said on The Overlap's latest episode of Stick to Football.

“It's really sad because I know how the people are suffering there, inside the club and also the fans.

“It's difficult to accept, but the moment when we left, what I told to the media and what I told internally was my feeling and my vision. You need to talk during the day that you are there.

“When you left or when you are sad or when you decide to move again, I think it's not time to talk. If you talk, things for me are not right.

“But I think when I was there, I tried to explain what was my vision. We were in a situation that was amazing because I think the training ground, we finished the training ground, we finished the stadium, we moved to Wembley to play, to Milton Keynes to play many games. At the same time, we were very competitive.

“But this idea of how it can affect the environment and the people outside and the people that make the decision inside... It's one title, it's one to win a FA Cup, it's to win a Carabao Cup.

“It's a shame. We were winning every season because with all the circumstances that we were fighting, we spent 18 months with no one signing. That was a record in the Premier League.

“We had money to spend but not the type of money to improve, to be close to win or to challenge. We challenged, we challenged to win. But we missed this last step.”

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Pochettino went on to explain what he looks for when presented with an offer to become a club’s manager, including how his time at Tottenham began.

He said: “It was difficult. Now it's difficult to talk about that because it was a really, really difficult situation. Because one of the things that I always like is if someone offers me a project, the possibility to coach, I want to know the reality.

“I want to know what they expect from me. I want to know what I need to do, which is the reality of the club. And I think what happened in Tottenham is that I understood what they expected from me, from the beginning.

“Of course it was tough, but I think I cannot complain. Only what I wanted to tell them is to say, ‘OK, that is the idea, that is the strategy, the philosophy of the culture that we were creating there’. But if we wanted to be competitive, we need some time to make different decisions.

“The problem is when the assessment is not coming from inside to the club, and the assessment comes from outside. And when people start to intoxicate things and say, no, you should win with this team.”

Roberto De Zerbi has been left scrambling for ways to replace Xavi Simons, who's set for a lengthy spell in the sidelines.

Four Tottenham Hotspur players could be given the chance to fill Xavi Simons' shoes. The 23-year-old midfielder ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his right knee during Saturday afternoon's clash against Wolves, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Roberto De Zerbi had been looking forward to getting to know Simons, claiming they had a 'special connection'. Speaking to SpursPlay earlier this month, the Italian said: "He’s lucky to work with me - not because I'm good, because I was number 10.

"What he thinks now, I thought 20 years ago. So, we have a special connection. I have a special connection with all number 10s I work with. I love a number 10.

"A number 10 has to understand that he has to score and he has to make assists, not just play to be nice to the people – goals and assists," added De Zerbi. "A player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager, and I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs.

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"I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player. I think I'm lucky to have this player on my team, but also he's lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches."

Simons played only a handful of times under the new Spurs boss but seemed to have turned a corner. The Netherlands international quickly repaid De Zerbi's faith. He scored a goal and provided an assist on his first start.

Simons looked set to play a key role for Tottenham in the race for Premier League survival. Now he's set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. With the Dutchman out of action and top-flight status on the line, the Spurs boss is in a race against time to find a 'special connection' with another playmaker in the squad.

So, with that being said, football.london has looked at four players who De Zerbi could rely on to replace Simons in the middle of the park.

Conor Gallagher

Upon signing a five-year contract with Tottenham, De Zerbi claimed that he wanted to unlock the Conor Gallagher that he 'loved' to watch at Chelsea. The Italian said: "I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved in Chelsea at the time.

"Two parts. One part, the focus on the ball, on the pitch, to put them in the best position, the favourite position they feel, for sure, and the mental part. I think for Gallagher it's not so easy because he left Chelsea after I don't know how many seasons.

"He went to Atletico Madrid, and now in Tottenham, in this moment for Tottenham. He was a leader in Chelsea, and now he has to adapt to a new club, to new team-mates, to a new stadium, to a new everything. I have to help him to put as a target the Gallagher in Chelsea."

Although the 26-year-old has played slightly deeper in the past, and often in a pivot, he enjoyed spells as an attacking midfielder during his time at Chelsea and on loan at Crystal Palace. Gallagher may not have the flair or creativity to solely compensate for Simons' absence, but he'll certainly put in the hard yards.

James Maddison

James Maddison would be the natural replacement for Simons, but he's only recently returned to first-team action. The 29-year-old midfielder, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the summer, has been named in the matchday squad in each of Spurs' last two Premier League games, but he's yet to take to the field.

Lucas Bergvall

And last but by no means least, Lucas Bergvall. Although the 20-year-old midfielder has predominantly played in a pivot since joining Tottenham, he has previously enjoyed receiving the ball on the half-turn and roaming forward.

During Thomas Frank's spell in charge, which, albeit ended in tears, Bergvall relished a more advanced role. Speaking to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter in October 2025, the youngster discussed his spell in the position: "I’m comfortable with most of the roles in midfield. I’ve been playing more offensively lately, and that’s where I feel best right now."

Luca Williams-Barnett

Although De Zerbi will probably replace Simons with a senior player, regardless of whether it's like-for-like, Luca Williams-Barnett would be quite the wildcard during the end-of-season run-in. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder only made his first-team debut back in September 2025, but he's been electric for the academy this term.

Across the Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League, Williams-Barnett has featured 16 times, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists. Until Maddison rebuilds his match fitness, the teenager could be an exciting option for De Zerbi if he doesn't want to reshuffle the pack.

Tottenham are in danger of dropping down to the Championship and a former captain has questioned the moment he believes things turned

Teddy Sheringham says he is "still mystified" by Tottenham's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou as they attempt to save their Premier League status in the weeks ahead.

Spurs dispensed with the services of Postecoglou just weeks after he ended their 17-year trophy drought with the Europa League triumph in Bilbao. The club appointed Thomas Frank and then sacked him after eight months in charge. Igor Tudor was brought in as an interim head coach and duly left winless after 44 days at the helm.

Now Roberto De Zerbi has taken on the job and with just four matches remaining, Spurs lie in the drop zone, two points behind West Ham.

"Ange Postecoglou must still be sitting at home thinking 'how did I lose my Tottenham job?' Why is he still not in charge? I understand the league position last season wasn't great, but he put all his eggs in one basket to win something, because he wanted to win something. I'm still mystified on that decision to replace him to this day," Sheringham told Oddschecker.

"Some of the games I saw they could have been six up in the first 10 minutes, by the way they peppered teams and got behind them. It was just unbelievable, unbelievable edge of the seat football. I'm not saying that Spurs should go back to him, not now anyway, but we'll never know."

The 60-year-old added: "I've been concerned for a good two months how it's escalated into a debacle at the football club. For a start, Igor Tudor coming in, not knowing a thing about the Premier League, was one of the most absurd appointments I've ever seen, especially in a crunch time!

"For me, I think there's going to be a lot of points won by the teams down there, by Tottenham and West Ham. And I think it's going to bring Forest and Leeds back into it. My gut feeling, as of today, is that we still stay up. I suppose that's the optimistic view. You know Terry Venables, my old manager, always used to say when you're losing games, you can't see yourself winning, but when you're winning games you can't see yourself losing."

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Sheringham believes the fault lies at board level when it comes to the mess the north London club find themselves in.

"Well, everyone thought Thomas Frank was such a good appointment in the first place, but that turned very sour very quickly. He did well at Brentford but there's a big difference between managing Brentford and Tottenham. Then, for Igor Tudor to come in, who doesn’t know anything about the Premier League, was just so such an absurd appointment that it just couldn't work," he said.

"It’s the people above the management, and after that you need to take account of what's happened. It’s absurd what's been going on at the football club over the last 18 months."

Sheringham believes Tottenham's two centre-backs for the run-in will have to lead the team from the back.

"I think Van de Ven is your leader as a player, but I don't know what he's like as a talker. I've not really heard much about the way he speaks, but he definitely leads on the football pitch," said the former England striker.

"He's Dutch as well, which, which gives him an air of being above other people and that he understands what football's all about. That's the way the Dutch are in general.

"I really like Kevin Danso as well. I think he leads by example in his play. Other than that, there's not a lot of leaders out there."

Here are the latest goings-on with Tottenham's large group of loan players as they near the end of their season away from the north London club

The end of the season is approaching for some of Tottenham's large loan army as they prepare to decide what comes next in their careers.

Spurs have got 18 players spread across the globe on loan with some sprinkled across all levels of the Football League as well as others currently plying their trade in Scotland, Germany, Italy and South America. Some of them have gained promotion this season while others have suffered relegation despite their best efforts.

Many of them will be looking to impress new Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi this summer and finishing their loan spells away from the club well will only increase the favourable reports handed to the Italian ahead of pre-season.

Here's how every one of Tottenham's big group of loan players got on across the world in the past seven days.

Will Lankshear & Jamie Donley (Oxford United)

Will Lankshear had a week of mixed emotions. The 21-year-old striker scored two superb goals and grabbed an assist in Oxford's 4-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday with a back-flicked finish and a curling effort from distance. However, the big victory was not enough as United still suffered relegation despite his best efforts.

Jamie Donley played 63 minutes of the contest in midfield behind Lankshear but the defeats at Derby and at home against Wrexham were always going to make it difficult for struggling Oxford to stay up.

Lankshear then took home a double at the Oxford United end of season awards. With his 12 goals for the relegated side he earned the Men's Golden Boot and the club's Young Player of the Year award.

On the final day of the season Lankshear and Donley will travel with Oxford for their trip to promotion hopefuls Millwall.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Mikey Moore also had a week of awards as he was nominated for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award after an eye-catching season at Rangers. The 18-year-old attacker also won Rangers' Young Player of the Year award in the week.

Moore, who has been recovering from a hip issue came off the bench at half-time with Rangers 2-0 down at home against Motherwell on Sunday. He played his part as the Glaswegian side got it back to 2-2 only to concede a late Emmanuel Longelo goal to throw away any chance of a point or three.

Moore has played 43 games at Rangers, getting 2,443 minutes of football, with eight goal involvements in 29 Scottish Premiership appearances.

Next up is the huge top of the table clash at Hearts on Monday with their hosts sitting four points ahead of them at the summit.

Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Luka Vuskovic and his knee have been constantly making the headlines in both Hamburg and Croatia after missing three weeks of action. The 19-year-old is reportedly suffering from 'knee contusion,' which is effectively bruising that causes plenty of discomfort.

Now Hamburger SV boss Merlin Polzin has offered hope that the teenager is finally on the comeback trail after he completed a light recovery session with rehabilitation coach Sebastian Capel on Tuesday.

Polzin told the local media: “First of all, this is really good: sunshine, Luka is here. Wonderful. It gives me a good feeling that the pain has subsided."

German reports claim Vuskovic's first MRI scan results were positive but HSV medical staff, in consultation with Tottenham, need to carry out another MRI later this week before he is cleared to return to action. The final decision will rest with his parent club Spurs over what happens next for a player who is hoping to make a splash at the World Cup this summer.

The Croatian has made 27 appearances and played 2,460 minutes for the Bundesliga outfit and with Hamburg just six points above the drop zone and dropping off in form since Vuskovic's injury they will be desperate for his return.

Alfie Devine (Preston North End)

Alfie Devine enjoyed a creative week for Preston, even if it brought mixed results. The 21-year-old midfielder grabbed an assist in the 2-1 defeat at Birmingham on Wednesday night and then recorded two of them in the 3-2 victory at Sheffield United on Saturday.

Devine got an 8.5 in the Lancashire Post player ratings for the latter game with the review: " A mature, disciplined display alongside Thompson. Kept it simple on the ball and did the ugly stuff off it. Two assists."

Devine has posted eight goals and eight assists from midfield in 47 appearances across a major season of development in the Championship. Preston have an option to buy Devine this summer, thought to be around £4.5million, which is believed to be steep for the Championship side. Devine told BBC Lancashire last weekend that he would decide his next steps and take time to think about it.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Kota Takai made it back-to-back brief Bundesliga appearances as he came on in the 89th minute of Borussia Monchengladbach's 0-0 draw at Wolfsburg on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Japan international returned action the previous weekend in the 87th minute of the 1-1 draw at home against Mainz for his first minutes on the pitch in two months since picking up a muscle strain.

Takai has made just eight appearances during this loan spell in the Bundesliga and has endured an injury-hit time since arriving in Europe last summer.

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon played the full 90 minutes as Fiorentina drew 0-0 at home with Sassuolo on Sunday.

The Israel international is back following six weeks out with a grade 1-2 hip flexor strain in his right thigh and is playing his part in continuing his loan side's seven-game unbeaten run to move away from the drop zone in Serie A.

The 26-year-old winger has scored two goals in 13 matches for the Italian side as a fixture on either wing.

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz scored for Rosario on Monday night as they beat Sarmiento Junin 2-1 at home in the league and then came off the bench to play half an hour of the 2-1 victory at Estudiantes on Friday. The 22-year-old then played 80 minutes on Wednesday in the 3-0 win at UCV in the Copa Libertadores.

Veliz has scored five goals in 18 appearances so far this campaign and is expected to head to Bahia at the end of the season after Tottenham agreed a deal with the Brazilian side to sell Veliz once his current loan at Rosario ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

Dane Scarlett (Hibernian)

Dane Scarlett was an unused substitute as Hibernian lost 2-1 at home to Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday.

The 21-year-old striker has made 10 appearances north of the border with one assist and 463 minutes to his name. He has just a year left on his contract at Tottenham and a decision will likely be made this summer about what comes next for him after 27 senior appearances for the north London club.

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Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips played in back-to-back 3-1 defeats at home for Stoke in the Championship with losses to Millwall last Tuesday night and then to Portsmouth in a poor defeat on Saturday.

The 20-year-old centre-back, who is on the shortlist for the EFL Championship's Young Player of the Season award, was given a five in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings with the review: "Last home game in a Stoke shirt. Tried to be on the front foot and looked embarrassed to be part of the mess."

Phillips has played 43 games for Stoke this season, recording one assist and earning plenty of plaudits despite recent results.

Yang Min-hyeok (Coventry)

Yang Min-hyeok has a promotion to the Premier League on his CV but was not involved again in the matchday squad in either Coventry game in the past week.

The 20-year-old has been left out of the past 14 consecutive games by Frank Lampard and while he was not starting regularly in the first half of the season, the winger still made 16 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring three goals with one assist, before switching to the table-toppers. The South Korean has just 29 minutes of football in the Championship for them across three matches.

Oliver Irow & George Abbott (Mansfield Town)

Oliver Irow came off the bench and scored for Mansfield in their 4-1 win at Huddersfield on Saturday and was an unused substitute as they drew 0-0 at Peterborough on Tuesday night in League One.

football.london reported last week that George Abbott has suffered a serious quad injury which will keep him out until pre-season, bringing a premature end to his campaign.

Yusuf Akhamrich (Bristol Rovers)

Yusuf Akhamrich got a much-deserved start as Bristol Rovers swept Cheltenham aside 4-0 on Saturday even if he had a rare tough day.

The Bristol Post's Will Murray handed Akhamrich a 6.5 in his player ratings with the write-up: "Yusuf Akhamrich struggled to get into the game today, with only 22 touches. He had some bright moments and completed five dribbles, but his three shots were either blocked or missed the target."

Akhamrich has racked up six goals and two assists in his 18 League Two matches with Rovers.

Damola Ajayi (Bromley)

Damola Ajayi was an unused substitute for promoted Bromley as they lost 2-0 at Salford City on Thursday.

The 20-year-old winger has registered 30 appearances across his spells at Bromley and Doncaster Rovers in a big season of development across League One and Two.

Alfie Dorrington (Salford City)

In the other dugout was Ajayi's Tottenham team-mate Alfie Dorrington who was also an unused substitute in the match.

The 20-year-old centre-back has 10 appearances so far for City since switching from Aberdeen during the winter window.

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

To complete the hat-trick of unused subs, Tyrese Hall did not get the nod from the bench either as Notts County won 1-0 at Colchester United on Saturday in League Two.

The 20-year-old Jamaica international has scored eight goals and provided two assists across 1,818 minutes in 38 appearances since heading out of Tottenham on his first loan.

Aaron Maguire (Hampton & Richmond Borough)

Aaron Maguire played every minute of his first three matches for National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough and the 21-year-old goalkeeper started for them at Ebbsfleet earlier this month but was not involved again for the 1-0 win at home against Enfield Town.

Tottenham could head into their clash with Leeds with a major boost as Daniel Farke confirms some big injury blows

Tottenham could face Leeds United without three of their key players in a crucial relegation battle in May.

Daniel Farke confirmed that Gabriel Gudmundsson is expected to be out for at least two games, with two more players facing a nervous wait. Noah Okafor and Jaka Bijol are currently doubtful for their upcoming clash with Burnley, meaning they may risk time on the sidelines against Spurs.

Gudmundsson picked up a hamstring injury in Leeds' FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at the weekend. Farke confirmed that the Swedish defender will miss their next two games, which include the trip to north London.

The Leeds manager said: "It is a hamstring injury and it is also a bit of a serious injury. He will miss the game on Friday and as it stands the Tottenham game.

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"After that we will have to see. Obviously we will try to bring him back as soon as we can. As it stands the next two games we'll have to play without him."

The 27-year-old has made 35 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one and assisting another. He has been an impressive performer at full-back, and Farke will be disappointed to lose the experienced star.

Meanwhile, Okafor and Bijol are "question marks" for Leeds as they bid to stay above the relegation zone. Farke added: "We have one or two question marks.

"Noah Okafor got a hit against his calf and there is a question mark about his availability. Also Jaki Bijol has a problem with his hip flexor. I hope to have both available but I can't say right now if it is possible."

These three missing players could hand Spurs a huge boost in their battle for safety. Leeds sit just six points above the north London outfit in the Premier League table, and their May 11 clash marks an extremely crucial match for both sides.

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is full of confidence in his side that they can survive the drop. Speaking after an all-important win over Wolves, the 46-year-old said: "I believe to stay up. If I stay here, it's because I'm positive, now, because I'm a coach of Tottenham, Tottenham is not important on the pitch, if you are Tottenham or another team, the most important are the qualities of the players, and the human level of the players.

"It was a surprise for me, because I didn't know them, and when I knew better my players, I understood that we have the possibility, the chance to stay up. We have two points, not 10 points, we have two points from West Ham.

"West Ham are a good team, but also Tottenham are very good players and a very good team."

Tottenham first travel to Aston Villa on Sunday evening before hosting Leeds on Monday, May 11th.

Tottenham are facing relegation from the Premier League with the financial impact of dropping down to the Championship clear

Tottenham have been sent a brutal financial verdict with relegation from the Premier League looming. With just four games remaining, Spurs sit third from bottom and two points behind West Ham United after both teams won this past weekend.

Despite the likelihood of losing some star players and revenue from a number of places, including commercial deals, Spurs could feasibly keep hold of a few important members of the squad.

Football finance expert Dan Plumley, speaking via Grosvenor Casino, said: "Their revenue line in 2025 was £565.3m. £161.7m of that was from broadcasting, including UEFA distribution linked to European competition.

"It is highly likely that some commercial deals will have break or release clauses in them based on sporting performance and you would anticipate a drop in matchday revenue also so the true cost of relegation for Spurs might be north of £200m.

"That said, their wage bill has always been run on a tight budget considering their revenue and while relegation would put some acute pressure on that figure, they are better placed than others to withstand the hit. In 2025, their wage bill totalled £255.8m (45% of revenue).

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“This would have to come down in the Championship, of course, and there would likely be a fire sale of some key players, but there is scope to tackle the wage bill if the worst-case scenario occurs."

Former Spurs chairman Daniel Levy inserted relegation clauses into a several Tottenham players' contracts which will undoubtedly help their financial situation.

While it does not solve all of their problems, the impact of such a smart decision is highlighted by how hard being relegated would hit other Premier League clubs.

On that topic, Plumley revealed: "The average wage bill in the Championship for 2025 (with three clubs yet to file accounts) is £36.6m which is almost seven times less than the total of Spurs alone. Put simply, Spurs should not be getting relegated. It would arguably be more of a sporting shock than Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2016.

“The other clubs in the bottom six are not immune to the financial shock of relegation but again some would feel it more than others. Both Leeds and Burnley have yo-yoed between the two leagues in recent years and would arguably be more ready for another fall.

"But, Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest would be hit hard. In 2025, Wolves revenue was £172.3m of which broadcast revenue totalled £125.6m (73%).

“Their wage to revenue ratio was almost 95%, placing the importance of that broadcast revenue further into context. One would hope that they have mandatory wage reduction clauses in contracts to enable them some room to move.

"The wages to revenue ratios are slightly more manageable for West Ham (76%) and Nottingham Forest (75.5%) but even then, the £60m that they will lose off the revenue line will place further strain on costs.

"As we can from these numbers, relegated Premier League clubs are desperate to return within the three-year parachute payment window so that they can regain access to the Premier League broadcast pot.”

Xavi Simons is already working hard on his rehabilitation after suffering a serious knee injury that has ruled the Tottenham and Netherlands star out for months

Xavi Simons has shared an update on his rehabilitation after confirming he will miss months of football due to a serious knee injury.

The Dutch winger suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear during Tottenham's 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon. Simons was stretchered off following the incident and the club released a statement to confirm fans' worst fears.

On Monday, Spurs wrote: "We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee. The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

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"Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team. Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur sends Xavi our love and support - we will be with him every step of the way."

Now, just days later, Simons has already surprisingly shared pictures of himself working out in the gym as he begins his recovery. The creative talent shared the photo on Snapchat with the caption: "No matter what!"

The 23-year-old has received the worst news for his immediate future, as he could be out for up to eight months with the injury. This meant he will definitely miss out on being included in the Netherlands' squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Taking to Instagram to share his emotions, Simons said: "They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it.

"Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense. All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup.

"Representing my country this summer…just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best teammate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.

"I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there. Be patient with me. TTP. COYS."

Simons joins an ever-growing list of injured stars at Tottenham, a club that has endured a devastating campaign. Cristian Romero will miss eight weeks with a knee tear, while Wilson Odobert is also facing a long time out due to an ACL injury.

Spurs fans will hope the remaining squad can pull clear of the relegation zone as they face the threat of dropping to the Championship.