Sports Mole

Manchester United will be aiming to make it four wins in a row in the Premier League when they host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Devils have beaten Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham in their last three matches to move into fourth spot in the Premier League table.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Man United's injury and suspension issues ahead of the game with Spurs, who are down in 14th spot in England's top flight.

Matthijs de Ligt

Status: Out

Type of injury: Back

Possible return date: Unknown

De Ligt has missed Man United's last 12 matches due to a back problem, and the Netherlands international will again miss out here, but a return for the centre-back could come at some stage in February.

Patrick Dorgu

Status: Out

Reason: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Dorgu had been in excellent form for Man United before picking up a hamstring injury against Arsenal, and the Denmark international is facing another nine weeks or so on the sidelines.

Mason Mount

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Knock

Possible return date: February 7 (vs. Tottenham)

Mount missed out against Fulham last time out due to a knock that he suffered in training, and the Englishman is a major doubt for the clash with Spurs.

MAN UNITED'S SUSPENSION LIST

Man United have no players suspended for this match.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid fits assessed

Barcelona deploy a high line under boss Hansi Flick, and Romero could be suited to such a system given he is at his best when on the front foot.

His injury issues could be problematic considering Barca's style of play is intense, but his experience as a World Cup winner could prove vital in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid have lacked elite centre-backs for a number of years, which perhaps explains why they have failed to seriously challenge for the title in the last four seasons.

Real Madrid will need leadership in their backline to aid the development of 20 year old Dean Huijsen, but with uncertainty regarding the club's managerial situation following Xabi Alonso's dismissal, Romero may be reluctant to agree to move to the Bernabeu.

Troubling future for Tottenham Hotspur?

Micky van de Ven has been consistently linked with a move away, and losing both starting centre-backs would put the club in a difficult position in the summer.

Even if Van de Ven was to remain at Spurs, he has frequently suffered injuries, and he has not proven reliable from a fitness perspective.

If Tottenham can convince Romero to stay for at least another season, perhaps they would be better able to plan for a future with new starters in central defence without risking a crisis in the backline.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back criticised the lack of depth at the club in a social media post thanking fans.

The Londoners earned a point when they drew 2-2 with Manchester City on Sunday, though the Premier League result was made harder by the absences plaguing the squad.

Thomas Frank's side were without nine senior players against City, and the head coach was forced to bring centre-back Romero off at half time due to illness.

The defender has himself been frequently injured during his time at Spurs, and speaking on Instagram, he hit out at the lack of depth at the club, saying: "Great effort from all my teammates yesterday, they were incredible.

"I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn't feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available - unbelievable but true and disgraceful.

"We'll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together."

Frank only named four senior outfield players on the bench against City, with three of those players coming on, and one of those substitutes was January signing Souza.

Have Tottenham failed in the January transfer window?

Injuries are nothing new to Tottenham given they were regularly depleted under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, who argued that his team were unable to distance themselves from the bottom half because of frequent injuries.

The only winter signing made by the club other than Souza was midfielder Conor Gallagher, who was bought from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35m.

There is an argument that Spurs neglected the areas of need in the team given key attackers Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are injured, while defenders Romero and Micky van de Ven have often been on the sidelines.

Spurs also facilitated the exits of winger Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace and defender Kota Takai to Borussia Monchengladbach this month, so it is understandable that Romero would be frustrated by Tottenham's squad building.

Has Thomas Frank been judged too harshly?

There have been calls from fans and pundits for Frank to be replaced due to the fact the club are currently 14th in the Premier League with just 29 points from 24 games.

The Dane cannot escape criticism about his pragmatic approach, and it is alarming that their xG tally of 25 is only better than three other teams in the top flight this term.

Frank deserves a degree of leniency due to the injuries in his squad, but there have been few signs of progress compared to last season.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly managed to hijack Arsenal's proposed move for Hearts striker James Wilson on transfer deadline day.

The 18-year-old was originally said to have been in talks with the Gunners, who were negotiating an initial loan deal for the one-cap Scotland international.

Wilson would have been signed for the Arsenal academy system rather than the first team, though, as Mikel Arteta currently has Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz competing for starts up front.

The 18-year-old is rated incredibly highly by the Gunners hierarchy, though, and there was hope that he would have been ready for first-team action within a couple of years.

However, Wilson will supposedly head to the other side of North London, as Fabrizio Romano reports that a deal is in place for the teenager to join Thomas Frank's Tottenham.

Why did James Wilson choose Spurs over Arsenal?

While Arsenal were thought to have been discussing a loan potentially becoming a permanent switch, Romano states that the Premier League leaders were in fact only offering him a trial.

On the other hand, Tottenham suggested a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season, and the Lilywhites have now struck an agreement with both the player and club.

Wilson is now undergoing his medical with the Europa League champions, and the 'formal steps' of his move will follow, but there is confidence that the deal will be completed before the 7pm deadline.

The 18-year-old has already played 45 times for the senior Hearts side in all competitions, coming up with eight goals and three assists in the process, including five strikes in the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership.

The Jambos are currently six points clear of Celtic and Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, but Wilson has played just 77 minutes of first-division football this season.

Will Tottenham make any other deadline-day signings?

Assuming all goes to plan, Wilson will become Tottenham's third signing of the winter transfer window, following Conor Gallagher's switch from Atletico Madrid and Souza's signing from Santos.

It remains to be seen whether the Scotland international is promoted straight to the first team or joins the academy ranks, but the latter may be more likely given that Randal Kolo Muani is staying.

Tottenham have been linked with a couple of more senior players on transfer deadline day too, but there is no chance of the club pulling off deals for Liverpool's Andrew Robertson or Curtis Jones before the 7pm cut-off point.

The Lilywhites were also rumoured to have taken an interest in Monaco playmaker Maghnes Akliouche, but the 23-year-old is also expected to stay put in France.

As a result, once Wilson is through the doors at Hotspur Way, Tottenham's business will surely be complete until the summer.

A game that some Tottenham Hotspur fans are happy to lose - if social media is any indication - Thomas Frank's side host Manchester City in Sunday's Premier League blockbuster.

The Sky Blues started the weekend just four points below Arsenal in the Premier League table, while Spurs sit 18 points worse off in the bottom half, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for both clubs.

TOTTENHAM vs. MAN CITY

TOTTENHAM

Out: James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Pedro Porro (hamstring), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring)

Doubtful: Micky van de Ven (unspecified)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

MAN CITY

Out: Jeremy Doku (calf), Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Savinho (thigh)

Doubtful: None

Manchester City travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, looking to keep pace with Arsenal in the Premier League and end a long wait for consecutive wins at Spurs.

Pep Guardiola’s side are second in the table, four points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s men, on 50 points after 23 games.

The Cityzens head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seeking their first away league win of 2026, having played out a goalless draw against Sunderland on New Year’s Day before falling to a 2-0 defeat in the Manchester derby on January 17.

City’s current run follows a three-match winning streak away from home in the league — 5-4 at Fulham, 3-0 at Crystal Palace and 2-1 at Nottingham Forest — and they will look to return to winning ways on the road while ending a 52-year wait against Spurs.

Spurs vs Man City: Guardiola’s men chase third consecutive victory at Spurs

Despite losing to Thomas Frank's team at the Etihad in the reverse fixture, the Manchester giants head to the capital aiming to secure another positive result in North London.

The eight-time Premier League champions defeated the Lilywhites 2-0 and 1-0 in 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively, and now seek a third straight win at Spurs’ ground.

As reported by BBC Sport, not since the period between February 1973 and August 1974 have Man City claimed three away league wins in a row in this fixture, a statistic they aim to emulate after a 52-year wait.

However, their hosts are also looking to complete the double over City for the ninth time in the Premier League era; only Chelsea (10) have more home-and-away league victories against the Cityzens in the competition.

Will Man City’s inconsistent away form undermine their title prospects?

Although Man City are chasing a third consecutive away win in the league at Spurs this weekend, the Manchester club’s rather average results on their travels leave much to be desired.

While they have the fifth-best away record in the league, Guardiola’s side have won just five of their 11 fixtures outside the Etihad Stadium, drawing two and losing four.

Their tally of 17 points is four fewer than league-leading Arsenal on 21, Aston Villa (21), and Chelsea and Spurs (both on 19).

A closer look shows that Guardiola’s team have averaged 1.53 away points per game across the last two seasons — 46 from 30 matches — significantly fewer than in the previous two campaigns, 2022-23 and 2023-24, when they accrued 81 points from 38 away games at an average of 2.13.

That underlines the team’s broader decline on their travels, something they must address if they are to end the season positively at Arsenal’s expense.

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has revealed that Spurs attempted to sign Antoine Semenyo this month.

The 26-year-old was wanted by a host of top Premier League outfits following a 10-goal start to the league campaign with Bournemouth.

In the end, it was Manchester City who won the hotly-contested race for Semenyo, who will face Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens forked out a supposed £64m for the services of the Ghana international, who is heading to the World Cup in June.

Across matches at Bournemouth and Man City this term, Semenyo has provided 14 goal contributions in 22 league appearances.

'We did everything' - Frank reveals Semenyo chase

Speaking ahead of Tottenham's home clash with Man City on the weekend, Spurs boss Frank revealed that his side were looking to bring Semenyo to North London during the current window.

"I will go against my rule, hopefully only once, that there is no doubt it was clear that the club wanted to sign (Antoine) Semenyo," claimed Spurs coach Frank.

"They did everything - I think that is a clear signal that the Lewis family (Spurs majority owners) is very committed. That is a big signing with finances and all that.

"So that is the quality of players we are looking for to improve the squad, and if we cannot find that, then it is definitely better to take the right decisions.

"Not just saying we are just getting quality players going forward because we all know it is not that easy, and I am sure, for whatever reason, we are not able to get another player or players in this window, then for the summer it is a big summer ahead, and I am not in doubt we will see big improvements there."

Spurs struggling to pull top talent

At the age of 26, Semenyo is entering the prime years of his career, meaning that deciding his next club after Bournemouth was significant moment for the attacker.

With the opportunity to fight for major trophies instantly and improve under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, it is no surprise that the Ghanaian ended up at Man City.

Tottenham have the advantage of a London base and world-leading facilities, however they are currently miles behind the likes of the Citizens and Arsenal on the pitch.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a couple of critical attacking selection dilemmas to solve for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

The Sky Blues are searching for their third consecutive win in all tournaments after back-to-back 2-0 successes over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Galatasaray, which saw Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland score one apiece.

The former started and struck the opener against Wolves, before Haaland was promoted back to the XI against Galatasaray - with Marmoush operating just behind him - and made his mark early on with his first goal in five games.

Marmoush benefitted from Antoine Semenyo's absence to keep his place in midweek, but the Egypt international may now be sacrificed for the returning Ghanaian, as Haaland holds his spot in the final third.

However, Jeremy Doku will be unavailable on account of the calf injury he sustained in midweek, so Rayan Cherki, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders should complete the attack, with Phil Foden kept waiting again.

Ballon d'Or winner Rodri was suspended in midweek, but the well-rested Spaniard should now be restored to the holding midfield role, allowing Nico O'Reilly to revert to left-back duties.

Marc Guehi is also back after being ineligible for the UCL and is a straight swap for Nathan Ake in defence, which will also comprise Abdukodir Khusanov once again amid Guardiola's fitness crisis.

Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Savinho (thigh) join Doku in the treatment room for this one.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, Reijnders, Semenyo; Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is keeping his fingers crossed over Micky van de Ven's availability for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester City in North London.

The Netherlands international sat out Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt with a minor issue, but he has been training outside for the past couple of days and will likely be given the green light to feature.

As a result, Van de Ven could be one of six returning players for the Lilywhites this weekend, as Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel, Radu Dragusin and Souza are all back after sitting out the Frankfurt success through ineligibility.

However, only two of the returning sextet may force their way into the XI following Wednesday's stellar showing, and Van de Ven is of course one of them; the Dutchman's prospective comeback would put Kevin Danso's place at risk.

Gallagher will also have his eye on Archie Gray's spot in midfield, despite the youngster's fine showing in the Champions League, as Frank may side with experience and energy against the title-chasers.

The former Chelsea man could join Joao Palhinha in the double pivot - unless the latter starts in a back three again - and Frank also has some critical calls to make in the final third.

Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke both found the net in midweek, and there is no reason why the pair cannot start together on Sunday, either as a front two or with the Frenchman on the left.

James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Pedro Porro (hamstring), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring) and Rodrigo Bentancur (hamstring) make up an octet of absentees for the North London club.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke