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Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has ruled Heung-Min Son out of his side’s Europa League semi-final first-leg against Bodo/Glimt.

The forward has been struggling with a foot injury and has been training away from the rest of the team, having missed the last four games.

“He won’t feature tomorrow night,” Postecoglou said.

“He’s out training but he’s still separate from the group. He’s improving and hopefully we can get him back in sooner rather than later.”

Spurs take on the Norwegian side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday but ahead of the game, Postecoglou also criticised those he says are trying to “diminish” his side’s chance of reaching the final because of their dreadful Premier League campaign.

“I’ve sensed, which is not surprising because I’ve said before that this is the way this club is perceived, that people are almost trying to diminish it in some respects,” he said.

“I’ve heard people say it’s the equivalent of Man Utd winning the FA Cup. No it isn’t. I’m sorry. Not on any planet is it the equivalent.

“Others suggest that maybe we’re not worthy of Champions League. Things that are designed to diminish what’s ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity.

“Irrespective of how this season has gone, we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else, to share with the people that they love a special moment supporting their football club.

“This season could have gone a lot differently and we could be flying in the league but it wouldn’t make this opportunity any different. The opportunity is the same and I’ve made that clear to the players.

“We’re disappointed obviously with Sunday and Liverpool, we were nowhere near the level we needed to be but again, that’s something we need to deal with separately.

“What we have before us is the semi-final of a European competition with an opportunity to get to a final, win a trophy and get Champions League football. I just think for the players and everyone involved at the football club it’s a brilliant opportunity.”

Tottenham host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Monday night.

Whilst Spurs’ chances of playing Champions League football next season lie solely on winning the Europa League, Forest can go back into the Premier League top three with a win.

Abdoulaye Doucouré’s last minute winner for Everton at the City Ground last week, dented Forest’s hopes of playing in Europe’s premier competition, but they will look to bounce back from that defeat in north London.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the clash…

Kick-Off time

How to watch in the UK

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League – coverage begins at 6:30pm GMT

Injuries and suspensions

Tottenham: James Maddison (doubt), Radu Dragusin (out), Son Heung-min (out)

Nottingham Forest: Ola Aina (doubt), Taiwo Awoniyi (doubt)

Predicted line-ups

Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulusevski, Odobert, Richarlison, Tel

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Dominguez, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood

Recent form

Tottenham come into the game off the back of a hugely important Europa League quarter-final second leg win against Frankfurt. The performance was very different from a typical Spurs display. They defended resolutely and even went long from goal kicks. Kevin Danso’s introduction from the bench to form a back five late on epitomised this. However, in the Premier League they sit in 16th position after their 4-2 to Wolves last time out.

Nottingham Forest have seen their chance of playing Champions League football hurt by losses to Aston Villa and Everton in consecutive weeks. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s late winner for Everton was a goal caused by a defensive mix up at the back – something Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo will hope does not repeat in north London.

What’s been said?

Tottenham’s season is all about Europe now and their boss Ange Postecoglou says that they will make changes from the side that beat Frankfurt on Thursday.

“It’s fair to say it’s been challenging. But I think part of that challenge is the rotations in the team. It’s going to be similar on Monday night; we’re going to have to make five or six changes to the team.

“We just want to make sure that everyone’s sort of in the right space. I think, at the same time, we’re obviously disappointed with certain aspects of the Wolves game.”

Nottingham Forest have had a special season and Nuno Espírito Santo, Tottenham’s former head coach, is delighted by the new standards his team are being held to.

“We are delighted by the expectations, we embrace the challenge. We are not stepping back we are stepping in,” he said.

“We want to embrace it we want to try and get it. It is going to be very hard, but believe me we are stepping in and putting everything that we have into the final moments of the season.”

The latest Tottenham Hotspur injury news ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second-leg with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

While Spurs suffered more Premier League pain on Sunday when they were beaten 4-2 by Wolves, their season, and perhaps the future of boss Ange Postecoglou, rest on their Europa League campaign.

Tied at 1-1, Spurs travel to Frankfurt on Thursday looking to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.

Here’s the latest on their players who have been suffering with injuries ahead of that huge game…

Dejan Kulusevski

While it was another day to forget for Tottenham against Wolves, they were at least dealt a boost with Kulusevski returning from his foot injury to come off the bench late on.

Postecoglou had previously ruled him out of starting against Frankfurt but now says it is a possibility following his earlier than expected return.

“We’ll see,” he said.

“I think it was good for Deki (Kulusevski), Richarlison and Mathys Tel to all get minutes and that will be important on Thursday night for sure. It was good to get some decent minutes into them and they all felt good.”

Kevin Danso

The Austrian defender has been absent with a hamstring injury since last month and missed out again against Wolves.

Postecoglou had stated after the 1-1 draw with Frankfurt that Danso was due to return to training shortly afterwards. “It’s touch and go,” he said. “The idea with Deki and Kevin Danso is they are due to start training with the team, if not the end of this week, tomorrow or early next week.”

It remains to be seen whether he is fit enough to be in the squad for the second leg.

Heung-Min Son

Son was a surprise absentee from the squad to face Wolves with Postecoglou revealing afterwards that he had suffered a knock in training.

He suggested it was more of a precautionary measure, however, ahead of the huge game against Frankfurt, in which the Spurs boss expects him to be involved.

“Sonny got a knock and there was no point in him traveling today,” he said.

Wilson Odobert

Like Son, Odobert is also expected to be involved in the squad for Thursday’s game having been left out completely against Wolves.

“With Wilson, as I said before, I was just managing him, but the whole idea was hopefully managing him so he can be right for Thursday night.”

Radu Dragusin

The Romanian defender is continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury and will not be back for a while yet.