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Spurs handed two more worries in weekend draw

Sidelined: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha

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Oli Gent

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

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Tottenham were dealt two further injury headaches in their 2-2 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Pressure piled back onto under-fire manager Thomas Frank after Spurs’ display, and their blushes were spared late on when Cristian Romero stepped up with a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a point.

However, the Argentine was forced off in the dying embers in Lancashire, following Pedro Porro into the visiting changing room for treatment.

It has handed Frank further cause for concern, having already lost Lucas Bergvall in the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.

Spurs already have a handful of longer-term absentees, including Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

Here is the latest Tottenham injury news and return dates…

Cristian Romero

The saviour for Spurs once more, centre-back Romero was seen crouched over in pain on the touchline after his equalising goal at Turf Moor.

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He was replaced by Radu Dragusin in the fifth minute of stoppage time in yet another injury worry for Spurs fans, but Frank quelled those fears in his press conference afterwards.

“Romero was cramping in the end,” Frank said post-match.

That will come as positive news for the Dane, who has seen his central defender score in Spurs’ last three games in all competitions.

Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)

Pedro Porro

Porro was the first concern for Frank in Lancashire, with the Spaniard taken off at half time.

He was replaced by Destiny Udogie, who had to settle for a place on the bench with Djed Spence selected ahead of him.

However, Frank again allayed Spurs fans’ fears, insisting that he was managing the Spain international’s load.

“Pedro was physical, [having] played a lot of minutes,” Frank said afterwards.

“We had more running power with Djed [Spence] to the right and then Destiny in [at left-back].”

Porro had started all of the last 14 games in all competitions, and Spurs have a three huge games coming up, against Frankfurt, Manchester City and Manchester United in the coming weeks.

Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)

Joao Palhinha

The Portuguese Palhinha did not feature in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat by West Ham the weekend before last after he suffered a knock in training the day prior.

He also missed the win over Dortmund in midweek, and was again not in the matchday squad for the trip to Turf Moor.

His recovery timeline is still unknown, with Frank saying that it would be “tight” for him to be fit to play against Burnley.

That was ultimately not the case, and the Portuguese will have to wait until next week to return to action.

Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)

Lucas Bergvall

The Swede was confirmed to be sidelined for months after he suffered an ankle sprain in Spurs’ Champions League victory.

Bergvall had tried to continue playing after he had picked up the injury, but he was forced off in the second half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank said post-match that the 19-year-old had suffered a “contact injury”, with the timeline on his recovery set to be two or three months.

That will see him miss 14 games for his club, and a potential Champions League quarter-final should Spurs get there.

Potential return date: April 2026

Stretchered off: Ben Davies

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Ben Davies

Left-back Davies will be out for a long spell after he broke his ankle in the defeat by West Ham two weeks ago.

The Welshman was starting just his second game in the Premier League, and was given oxygen and stretchered off the pitch inside 20 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

The club confirmed that he had had surgery on the problem, but there is still no indication when he might return.

Davies’ injury has seen Spurs register an interest in Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, while Brazilian Souza has signed from Santos.

Djed Spence has been fielded at left wing-back in his place, while Destiny Udogie came on as a substitute against Burnley.

There is a fear that Davies could be out for the rest of the season, which could mean that he has played his final game for Tottenham, with his contract expiring after the conclusion of the current campaign.

Potential return date: Unknown

Rodrigo Bentancur

Midfielder Bentancur underwent surgery on his hamstring injury, which will see him out for three months.

The former Juventus man sustained the problem in the defeat by Bournemouth earlier in January.

The surgery he had was successful, Spurs confirmed, but his absence is a huge blow for Frank, who played the Uruguay international in all but one of Tottenham’s Premier League games.

Potential return date: April 2026

Sidelined: Rodrigo Bentancur

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Richarlison

Brazilian Richarlison is out for seven weeks with a hamstring injury.

The former Everton striker suffered the problem in the FA Cup loss to Aston Villa.

He is unlikely to feature again until March at the earliest.

"Richy unfortunately got a hamstring injury that will keep him out for up to seven weeks,” Frank confirmed.

Potential return date: March 2026

Mohammed Kudus

Summer signing Mohammed Kudus is another sore loss for Frank.

The Ghanaian suffered a thigh injury during the draw with Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.

The winger is likely to be out until April, with Frank confirming the case in a previous press conference.

“Mohammed, unfortunately, is a bigger one to the tendon in the quad,” Frank said. “That is one where we expect him back after the March international break.”

It means that Frank is without a natural right winger, having sold Brennan Johnson in January to Crystal Palace.

Potential return date: April 2026

Long spell out: Mohammed Kudus

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Dejan Kulusevski

Sweden international Kulusevski has not featured at all this season as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury.

The winger is out with a patella problem which he has struggled with since April.

When asked about the former Juventus forward, Frank insisted that he would not be rushed back.

“If there is one person who can accelerate that [recovery], it is Dejan. The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. He had an injection to help that ten days ago.

Potential return date: Unknown

James Maddison

The England international went down with the problem in a friendly against Newcastle. He has not played since.

Potential return date: Summer 2026

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January window enters final stretch ahead of February 2 deadline

Targets: Mohamed Kader Meite, Julian Alvarez, Trent Alexander Arnold

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Alex Young @ alexwsyoung

Transfer news LIVE!

The January window has entered its finally stretch as the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool look to strengthen their squads ahead of the February 2 deadline. Arsenal has stepped up their interest in Julian Alvarez by holding talks over a possible £80million deal for Atletico Madrid forward, and are monitoring Real Madrid wonderkid Victor Valdepenas ahead of a possible double Spanish swoop.

Chelsea want to add a new midfielder and defender before next week, and are exploring hijacking Douglas Luiz’s loan deal with Nottingham Forest amid ongoing talks with Rennes for Jeremy Jacquet and interest in Mohamed Kader Meite. Manchester United also want Jacquet and Meite, and expect to miss out to the Blues for English wonderkid Yisa Alao. Aaron Anselmino’s loan spell at Borussia Dortmund has been cut short.

Tottenham’s move for Andy Robertson appears to have collapsed, with Liverpool struggling to find a replacement. There is much turmoil at Anfield following yet another defeat, amid reports Xabi Alonso has been contacted over taking Arne Slot’s job. Follow the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip live below!

Latest transfer news headlines

Michael Carrick has already revealed Kobbie Mainoo plan

Michael Carrick’s previous Kobbie Mainoo admission should serve as a massive boost to the Manchester United youngster.

The 20-year-old saw his minutes reduced under Ruben Amorim, failing to start a single Premier League game this season amid competing with captain Bruno Fernandes for a place in the side.

Amorim has since been sacked, though prior to his departure there was talk of Mainoo also leaving Man Utd, albeit on loan, during the January transfer window.

Despite links to Napoli it would appear Mainoo is staying put this month, though there are widespread reports that the midfielder has no intention of remaining at United in the long-term should his minutes continue to be restricted.

With that said, Man United’s appointment of Carrick as head coach until the end of the season could go a long way to securing Mainoo’s future.

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Double Aston Villa deal

Aston Villa are about to let Donyell Malen join Roma initially on loan and replace him with Tammy Abraham.

As per the Times, Villa are closing in on the signing of Abraham after beating rival clubs to his signature.

Abraham enjoyed a successful loan spell with Villa during the 2018-19 season and it set to sign a long-term contract on a permanent deal.

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Spurs appointment

Tottenham have confirmed the appointment of Carlos Raphael, ‘Rafi’, Moersen as director of football operations.

Moersen takes up a newly created role at Spurs after spending more than a decade with the City Football Group (CFG).

He will officially join the club in the next few months after he has served gardening leave.

Moersen’s appointment is part of a continued effort to remodel the football structure at Spurs, with Dan Lewindon set to be announced as performance director next month.

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West Ham star fighting for place amid January exit links

Mads Hermansen is fighting for his place at West Ham despite being linked with a move away from the club in January, writes Sam Tabuteau.

Standard Sport understands that the Danish goalkeeper, who only joined the Hammers from Leicester in an £18million deal in the summer, is the subject of loan interest from a number of clubs in England and Europe.

However, despite a lack of minutes this season, Hermansen could yet compete to regain the starting role from rival Alphonse Areola.

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APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED

Big news from Tottenham this afternoon, Carlos Raphael Moersen has been appointed as Director of Football Operations.

Standard Sport's Dom Smith

Facundo Buonanotte’s loan move to Leeds is gathering pace.

Buonanotte on the move

More Chelsea transfer news!

Facundo Buonanotte’s loan move is set to come to an end, according to Fabrizio Romano.

This is because Leeds have reached a verbal agreement to sign the attacking midfielder on loan for the remainder of the season.

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Chelsea recall goalkeeper

Chelsea have recalled goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, writes Dom Smith.

The Blues confirmed their decision on Wednesday, just hours before first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made two high-profile blunders that both led to Arsenal goals in Chelsea’s 3-2 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea activated a break clause in Sharman-Lowe’s contract at Bolton, where he had initially joined on a season-long loan in the summer.

It is understood that Chelsea will now consider the best next step for the 22-year-old shot-stopper, with one option for him to remain with the first team for the remainder of the season.

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Gallagher sends message to Tottenham fans

Conor Gallagher has revealed that he wanted to become a Tottenham player after he became the club’s first signing of the January transfer window.

The England midfielder completed a £34.6million move Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, bolstering Thomas Frank’s midfield at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It had been previously reported that Aston Villa were interested in signing Gallagher, but Spurs have beaten their rivals to his signature.

Click here for Gallagher’s first words as a Tottenham player!

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Juventus handed 'green light' for Mateta move

Juventus have asked about signing Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta this month.

That is according to Sky in Italy as they claim Luciano Spalletti has given the ‘green light’ to pursue a deal for the France international.

While Palace are unlikely to be welcoming offers for their star striker, reports suggest Juve want Mateta immediately but could wait until the summer as they work on a long-term replacement for Dusan Vlahovic.

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Spurs recorded huge victory to ease pressure on Thomas Frank

Electric: Xavi Simons

Action Images via Reuters

Sam Tabuteau

COMMENTS

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

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Tottenham cruised to a vital 2-0 win over 10-man Borussia Dortmund to alleviate the pressure on manager Thomas Frank and keep them in the hunt for a top-eight finish in the Champions League.

Spurs raced out of the blocks and took a deserved lead when Cristian Romero finished from Wilson Odobert’s cross.

Odobert was involved in everything, and was on the receiving end of the challenge that saw Daniel Svensson shown a red card.

The young winger then set up Dominic Solanke to double Spurs’ lead in the 37th-minute.

Sam Tabuteau was on hand to rate the Spurs players at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

Guglielmo Vicario 6: Some more nervy moments in possession, but made a strong save to deny Nico Schlotterback in stoppage time.

Pedro Porro 7: A gleeful smile after narrowly failing to connect with Simons’ cross said it all. Porro relished the attacking freedom he was afforded and offered a constant outlet in behind.

Kevin Danso 6: A composed performance from Danso, who did not have much to do once Dortmund were reduced to ten men.

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Cristian Romero 8: The man of the hour once again, Romero opened the scoring with a composed finish from inside the area. Has proven his captaincy credentials in recent weeks. Led a half-time huddle as Spurs rallied to a vital three points.

Man of the moment: Cristian Romero

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Destiny Udogie 7: A comfortable return to the starting lineup with Dortmund hardly troubling Spurs’ defence. A misplaced pass went unpunished late on, but these were valuable minutes for the Italian. Won the most tackles of any Spurs player.

Archie Gray 7: Almost certainly playing through pain after his half-time withdrawal against West Ham at the weekend, Gray did not back down. The Englishman won three tackles in a gutsy display.

Lucas Bergvall 6: Won as many duels as he lost. It was not a standout performance from the Swede, but it did not have to be, with Dortmund reduced to ten men.

Wilson Odobert 9: A coming-of-age performance from the young winger. Did well to recover after a miscued effort to drill the ball across for Romero to score. A constant threat down the right, and laid on the assist for Solanke’s goal. Was on the receiving end of Svensson’s red-card challenge.

Xavi Simons 8: A dominant performance from Simons, who comes alive on Champions League nights. Popped up all over the pitch, picking passes, attacking space, and drawing fouls. Forced a good save from Gregor Kobel in the second half.

Djed Spence 7: Did not look out of place on the left wing. He was keen to get hold of the ball and take players on. Did not forget his defensive duties either, making an important challenge on Karim Adeyemi.

Dominic Solanke 8: On his first start of the season, the striker looked a lot sharper than he has in his previous cameo appearances. Chased loose balls and, importantly, gave Spurs a focal point. He did not know much about his goal, but he will not care.

Goalscorer: Dominic Solanke

Action Images via Reuters

Subs:

Jun'ai Byfield 6: What an occasion in which to make your senior debut. Looked assured at right-back as Spurs comfortably saw out victory.

Randal Kolo Muani 6: An impactful cameo. Nearly rewarded for a daring solo run before being denied one-on-one by Kobel.

Unused: Kinsky, Austin, Scarlett, Olusesi, Thompson, Hardy, Williams-Barnett, Akhamrich, Rowswell

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There are expected to be thousands of empty seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight as Spurs take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Spurs supporters have become increasingly disillusioned with Thomas Frank’s tenure, with a large portion of fans taunting the Dane with jeers of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ during the north Londoners’ stoppage-time defeat to West Ham at the weekend.

The Spurs faithful are now set to vote with their feet as Frank looks to save his job and keep his side’s hopes of a top-eight finish in the Champions League alive.

Spurs reduced ticket prices for tonight’s game in November after fan backlash, but that does not appear to have stopped supporters from electing not to attend.

Frank is under serious pressure to turn things around, and a victory against Dortmund is not expected to offer the Dane any guarantees over his job.

The former Brentford boss maintains he has the trust of the board, and had lunch with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and Nick Beucher on Monday to discuss, among other things, the future of the club.

“I’ve just been, how can you say, feeling the trust along the way. I’ve said that at every press meeting that there is backing and support. I had lunch with Nick [Beucher] and Vinai [Venkatesham] and Johan [Lange] today, so all good,” Frank said in his pre-match press conference.

"I know it’s part of the media circus and the only focus I have is to do everything I can for us to win tomorrow against Dortmund."

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The 22-year-old was given permission by the German club to travel to London and explore a move, with the Dutchman understood to be keen on joining a Premier League side.

Chelsea had appeared to be the most likely destination in recent weeks, but Spurs are now viewed as favourites to sign Simons after submitting an official bid.

Standard Sport understands that the offer is a total package of close to €70million, which would match Leipzig's valuation of Simons.

No final agreement has yet been reached and talks are ongoing over the details of the fee and potential add-ons.

Negotiations are at an advanced stage and it is believed that Simons could potentially be left out of Leipzig's squad to face Heidenheim on Saturday so he can finalise a deal.

Spurs have been pushing to sign a No10 for much of the summer, having been unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

There has also been interest in Nico Paz and Morgan Rogers but neither were viewed as realistic targets for this window.

Spurs are still to keen to sign a winger as well before the window, while Thomas Frank would also like to add another centre-back after giving the green light for Luka Vuskovic to join Hamburg on loan.

Standard Sport understands a £55million fee has been agreed, and a medical has been booked for Thursday.

He will mark a statement signing for Thomas Frank as he looks ahead to his first season in the Tottenham dugout.

His contract features an £85m release clause for British clubs, though this is only valid until Thursday. Spurs were confident throughout negotiations that they would be able to secure a significant discount on that fee.

Spurs have pipped Chelsea to a deal for the Ghana international, amid reports the Blues could look to him as a replacement for Noni Madueke should he decide to join Arsenal.

Kudus was offered to Chelsea earlier this summer, but a deal did not materialise due to a significant gap in the sides’ valuation of the player.

Tottenham are also in the running for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, but his reunion with manager Frank is in doubt after the Bees named their asking price at £50m.

He was understood to be prioritising Champions League football when looking for a new club, and had set his heart on a move to North London soon after they expressed interest.

Spurs will return to UEFA’s top club competition next season. They qualified by beating Manchester United in May’s Europa League final.

Kudus scored five goals and assisted three in 32 Premier League appearances last season as West Ham endured a testing campaign, finishing 14th.

He will be Spurs’ fourth signing of the summer, following Kota Takai, Mathys Tel, and Kevin Danso. He also becomes the first player to move from the Hammers to Tottenham since Scott Parker in 2011.

His departure from the London Stadium is a major blow to Graham Potter’s prospects for next season.

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Six years to the day since their last European semi-final success, Spurs face a tricky test in the Arctic Circle

Spurs are in the chilly climes of the Arctic Circle

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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On the six-year anniversary of Tottenham's comeback at Ajax in their last European semi-final, the conditions for their Europa League decider against Bodo/Glimt here in the northernmost reaches of Norway on Thursday will be very different.

On a balmy evening in 2019, Spurs recovered from being 3-0 down on aggregate at half-time in Amsterdam but they have travelled to the Arctic Circle with a 3-1 lead from last week's game in London and facing a side with far less pedigree than Ajax.

And yet the match still feels fraught with potential danger for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Spurs should be able to cope with the chill, with the temperature set to be around 5C at kick-off, but a tight stadium and Glimt's artificial pitch will pose an enormous challenge.

Spurs have not trained on their artificial pitch at Hotspur Way in preparation for tonight

"The ball goes really fast when you play passes and it's more difficult for defenders reaching attackers and getting contact with us," Glimt centre-back Odin Bjortuft, who remains sidelined for the decider, said last week.

"Of course, it's a big difference between artificial and grass in many ways but the main key is that the ball goes so fast. It may be harder to turn and everything for players that are not used to it.

"It's a smaller stadium than they are used to. It's really compact. And it's a city that stays together...I think we have a good backing from the town and they are really positive, even if it goes south. It's a good feeling for us to have them on our back."

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Postecoglou has played down the significance of the pitch and revealed Spurs have not trained on their artificial surface at Hotspur Way in preparation.

The closest comparable experience for his players, however, was their visit to non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup third round in January, when they were held to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes in a disjointed display.

Unlike Tamworth, Glimt are not semi-professionals; they are a highly experienced European outfit, who saw off Postecoglou's Celtic at Aspmyra in 2022 and could have put more than two goals past Lazio in the first leg of their quarter-final.

The return of three Glimt players from suspension, including influential captain Patrick Berg, also means Spurs will be facing a better side, who will be buoyed by their late goal in London which threatens to change the feel of the second leg.

Ange Postecoglou has shown improved pragmatism

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There is also the delicate question of how to approach the match with a two-goal lead.

Few Spurs fans will forget their collapse in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb in March 2021, when Jose Mourinho's Spurs won the round-of-16 first leg 2-0 but froze in Croatia, eventually losing the decider 3-2 after extra time.

"I think it's just approaching it in the same way we have in the rest of our campaign, really," said Postecoglou. "You've got to be really disciplined and organised whenever you're playing away in Europe and irrespective of the scoreline."

Postecoglou and his squad can take confidence from their last two second-leg ties in Europe, the free-flowing win over AZ Alkmaar in the last-16 and, particularly, a gritty, backs-to-the-wall display at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs and their head coach demonstrated a newfound pragmatism in Germany, which was also evident in moments against Glimt last week, which suggests they are capable of putting their miserable league season to one side and raising their game in Europe again.

"Just the nature of the competition, knock-out competitions demand different things from you as a team," Postecoglou said. "Particularly in knock-out scenarios, just in my experience. It naturally means that you have to be a little bit more focused, because every moment is important, every aspect of the game is important.

"The boys have handled it really well so far in the knockout stages, particularly in the second legs of every game, of understanding what needs to be done."

James Maddison’s absence will be keenly felt

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The absence of James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, both of whom will sit out the rest of the campaign with ligament damage, as well as captain Heung-min Son, who is still nursing a foot injury, leaves Spurs without three of their most creative players.

Postecoglou now needs to restructure a team which has only just appeared to settle down following the mid-winter injury crisis, with huge onus on Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma, who are likely to fill in, to step up.

Again, Postecoglou can take heart from the first leg when Bissouma put in his best display in months, although Kulusevski has been off the boil since returning from injury.

In 2019, it was Lucas Moura, a perennial substitute under Mauricio Pochettino, who delivered in Amsterdam and Postecoglou may need his own fringe players to be heroes if Spurs are to go all the way.

Postecoglou has spent the last few weeks railing against perceived outside influences, whom he believes are determined to take a negative view of Spurs. He will be focused on the positives and a huge opportunity for the club to reach a first European final in six years, as well as a chance to end their 17-year wait for a trophy. But it is unlikely to be straightforward.

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