Sports Mole

It will be an all-English affair in the Europa League final, as Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United.

Both teams have struggled badly in the Premier League this season, but a victory in the Europa League final would secure major silverware, in addition to booking a spot in the league stage of the 2025-26 Champions League.

There is so much on the line for both teams, and it is set to be a fascinating conclusion to the tournament.

Man United were excellent in the semi-finals of the competition, recording a 7-1 aggregate success over Athletic Bilbao, who have missed out on the chance to win the trophy in front of their own supporters.

Tottenham, meanwhile, were 5-1 winners over Bodo/Glimt on aggregate, and the North London club are looking to win a trophy which could potentially save manager Ange Postecoglou's job.

Man United have previously won this competition, triumphing in 2017, while Spurs have lifted the UEFA Cup twice - in 1972 and 1984, and the latter are bidding to secure silverware for the first time since 2008.

Tottenham have actually beaten Man United on three occasions during the 2024-25 campaign, triumphing in both of their Premier League games, in addition to a League Cup fixture towards the end of last year.

Here, Sports Mole provides the lowdown on when and where the 2025 Europa League final will take place, as well as how to watch it and who the favourites are to lift the prestigious trophy.

When and where will the 2025 Europa League final take place?

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The final of the Europa League will take place on Wednesday, May 21 in Bilbao, Spain.

Athletic's glorious San Mames stadium will host the showpiece event, and it will be the eleventh tournament final to feature two teams from the same association, while it will be the third all-English final.

The new San Mames stadium opened in 2013, and it has a capacity in excess of 50,000.

Man United recorded a 3-0 victory over Athletic on their visit to the stadium in the semi-finals of the competition, which could give the 20-time English champions an edge ahead of the contest.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm BST.

How can UK viewers watch Tottenham vs. Man United in the Europa League final?

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Man United and Tottenham fans based in England will be able to watch the final live on TNT Sports.

TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the European fixture live online via the Discovery+ app and website.

Details of where else in the world to watch the Europa League final are available on UEFA's official website.

Tottenham's route to the final:

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League phase position: 4th (W5 D2 L1)

Last 16: Tottenham beat AZ 3-2 on aggregate

Quarter-finals: Tottenham beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on aggregate

Semi-finals: Tottenham beat Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate

Man United's route to the final:

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League phase position: 3rd (W5 D3)

Last 16: Man United beat Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate

Quarter-finals: Man United beat Lyon 7-6 on aggregate

Semi-finals: Man United beat Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate

Who are the favourites?

Opta's supercomputer has given the Red Devils a 50.7% chance of lifting the Europa League trophy, with Tottenham at 49.3%.

Man United have also been placed as the slight favourites by the majority of bookmakers, but the indications are that it will be an incredibly close final between the Premier League rivals.

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Two London clubs still striving for end-of-season silverware do battle in a Premier League derby on Sunday afternoon, as Tottenham Hotspur welcome Crystal Palace to their headquarters.

With the Lilywhites prioritising Europa League glory and Palace having one eye on the imminent FA Cup final, this all-capital clash may not be the most feisty affair of the season.

Match preview

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A brave man once said he always wins things in his second year - a claim that was no doubt met with scepticism and ridicule at the time - but Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is just 90 minutes away from fulfilling that prophecy in Europe's secondary competition.

Weathering a literal storm in the Arctic Circle against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night, Spurs went about their business professionally and punched their ticket to the showpiece match with a 5-1 aggregate semi-final win, setting up an intriguing finale with fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United.

As all roads lead to Bilbao for the Lilywhites, the hosts should simply be going through the motions in the Premier League between now and the end of the season, where the overriding goal for 16th-placed Spurs should simply be avoiding a 17th-placed finish.

Last weekend's forgettable 1-1 stalemate with West Ham United stretched Tottenham's winless sequence in the top flight to four matches, while only one of their last nine in the division has ended in success, and even that came at home to a doomed Southampton last month.

Postecoglou's men have failed to get the better of West Ham, Fulham and Chelsea in that time, contributing to the hosts only picking up a measly 11 points from 11 Premier League London derbies this season; no capital outfit has collected fewer in such matches.

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While Tottenham can only secure European football for 2025-26 via a Europa League triumph, Crystal Palace remain in with the slimmest possibility of sneaking into the Premier League's top eight, which may provide a pathway into the Conference League for next season.

However, given that Oliver Glasner's men are seven points below Bournemouth with just three games remaining, the Eagles' best chance of cracking the continent will arguably come at Wembley, as anticipation grows for a fascinating FA Cup final against Manchester City in two weekends' time.

Sunday's trip to Spurs therefore represents Palace's final chance to regain some momentum, which Glasner's men have lost rather alarmingly in recent weeks; after winning five in a row in all competitions between February 22 and March 29, they have now triumphed in just two of their last eight.

A 1-1 stalemate with Nottingham Forest in Monday night's affair left Crystal Palace winless in five successive top-flight matches, although the Eagles only require one win to match their club record of 49 Premier League points; never before have they hit a half-century in the competition.

History suggests that Palace will not be equalling their Premier League best at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, as the Eagles have been beaten in each of their last nine top-flight games away to Spurs, although a Jean-Philippe Mateta-inspired 1-0 home win in October means that the visitors are on course for a first-ever league double over their London rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Crystal Palace Premier League form:

Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

Team News

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The one slightly sour note of Spurs' victory over Bodo/Glimt in midweek was Brennan Johnson coming off with a knock midway through the second half, but there is no serious concern over the Welshman, who will surely be one of several rested either way.

However, James Maddison has joined Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and Radu Dragusin (knee) in the season-ending injuries club with the knee problem he suffered in the semi-final first leg, while it remains to be seen if foot victim Son Heung-min will be back in the squad; Postecoglou is "half hopeful" over his availability.

The Spurs captain's nine Premier League goals against Palace is his second-most against a single opponent in the competition after Southampton (11), but Mathys Tel and the now seldom-seen Mikey Moore are capable deputies.

Glasner and Postecoglou can empathise when it comes to key midfielders picking up ankle problems, as Adam Wharton sustained a twist in the draw with Nottingham Forest, which forced him off on the 61-minute mark.

The Palace boss expressed hope at the time that Wharton's issue was only minor, but the ex-Blackburn Rovers man will not be available on Sunday as the Eagles desperately try to recover him in time for the FA Cup final.

Wharton joins knee victims Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure on the sidelines, and either Will Hughes or Jefferson Lerma will deputise for the Englishman alongside Daichi Kamada, who has unexpectedly forced his way into the visitors' XI in recent weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Sarr; Odobert, Tel, Moore

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Eze, Sarr; Mateta

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Crystal Palace

Ferocity and flair can normally be expected in London derbies, but surely not this one, as Postecoglou and Glasner's chief priorities will no doubt be avoiding any more fitness concerns ahead of their respective cup finals.

As a result, another underwhelming affair should be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where both bottom-half clubs will be content with a point.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly been recommended by former Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs advanced into the final of the Europa League on Thursday after beating Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway in the second leg of their semi-final clash, emerging as 5-1 victors on aggregate.

Winning the competition would see the club compete in the Champions League next term, and it would also represent the first major trophy for the Londoners since 2008.

However, even if Postecoglou were to guide Tottenham to Europa League glory, it is difficult to look past the team's troubling top-flight campaign given they are currently in 16th place with just 38 points after 35 matchweeks.

Reports have emerged from talkSPORT that claim Paratici has pushed fellow Italian De Zerbi forward to Spurs as a potential successor to Postecoglou.

Would De Zerbi be a good fit?

De Zerbi already has considerable experience in the Premier League having coached Brighton & Hove Albion from September 2022 until May 2024.

During his time on with the Seagulls, the 45-year-old guided the club to European qualification for the first time in their history at the end of his first season, finishing sixth in 2022-23.

The Italian would likely help get the best out of many of the players in the current Spurs squad given he prefers his side to dominate possession, and the likes of James Maddison, Archie Gray and Pedro Porro would suit his tactical style.

Should Ange be sacked?

Though Spurs could qualify for the Champions League, the fact that Postecoglou's team have lost 19 matches in the Premier League this term is alarming.

While the Australian could point to the fact that his side did suffer numerous injuries in the first half of the season, results and performances have also been poor in the second half of the campaign.

Postecoglou's relationship with supporters has also somewhat deteriorated, and perhaps it would be better to part on good terms at the end of the season rather than to prolong the inevitable. body check tags ::

Everton Women will be looking to claim back-to-back victories when they face Tottenham Hotspur Women in Saturday's final game of the season.

The Toffees head into matchday 22 in eighth place in the WSL table, while Spurs are four points worse off in 10th position.

Match preview

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Everton may enter the final day in eighth spot, but they could still achieve a top-half finish after they closed the gap to sixth-placed Liverpool to two points with a successful outing in last Sunday's derby at Anfield.

Katja Snoeijs and Karen Holmgaard grabbed a goal apiece to establish a two-goal lead, and while Sara Holmgaard was sent off in the latter stages, her dismissal did little to dampen Everton's mood as they celebrated a league double over their rivals this season.

After ending a three-game winless run, the Toffees will now be looking to claim consecutive WSL victories for the first time since November/December 2023.

Brian Sorensen's have experienced mixed results in recent home games, having won two, drawn one and lost two of their previous five league outings in front of their own supporters.

Everton can draw inspiration from the fact that they have already recorded a home win over Tottenham this year, claiming a 2-0 victory when the two sides met in the Women's FA Cup fourth round in January.

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Having mustered 19 points from 21 matches, Tottenham will fall considerably short of the 33-point tally that secured them a sixth-placed finish last term.

Spurs have taken just two points from their last nine league matches since they recorded their most recent WSL victory over Crystal Palace in January.

They fell to a fifth consecutive WSL home defeat in their most recent outing against Chelsea, with Spurs unable to offer a response to Catarina Macario's penalty in a narrow 1-0 loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Robert Vilahamn's side have at least avoided defeat in their last two away matches, playing out a 1-1 scoreline against Leicester City before drawing 2-2 with Liverpool at St Helens Stadium.

Spurs have the chance to complete a league double over Sunday's opponents after claiming a 2-1 victory in December's reverse fixture, although if they are to achieve that feat, they will have to pull off their first-ever WSL away win over the Toffees, having drawn two and lost four of their previous six away meetings in the competition's history.

Everton Women Women's Super League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Team News

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Everton will enter the final game of the season without Megan Finnigan, Inma Gabbaro, Louna Ribadeira, Melissa Lawley, Heather Payne, Maren Mjelde, Lucy Hope and Hayley Ladd.

Sara Holmgaard is suspended for the home fixture after being sent off in the 81st minute of the recent Merseyside derby.

Aurora Galli will be hoping to get some minutes in the match after she returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury to be an unused substitute last weekend.

As for the visitors, Vilahman has confirmed he has no fresh injury concerns, although he is still unable to call upon Luana Buhler, Hayley Raso and Kit Graham.

Matilda Vinberg is pushing for a recall after coming off the bench to play around half-an-hour in the defeat to Chelsea.

Captain Bethany England should lead the line for the visitors with the striker looking to add to her eight-goal tally for the WSL season.

Everton Women possible starting lineup:

Brosnan; K. Holmgaard, Fernandez, Stenevik, Olesen; Wheeler, Vanhaevermaet, Hayashi; T. Payne, Snoeijs, Gago

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Kop; Morris, Hunt, Bartrip, Neville; Spence, Summanen, Vinberg; Naz, Holdt, England

We say: Everton Women 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur Women

Everton will be in a buoyant mood after getting the better of their local rivals in the Merseyside derby, and we think that they will build upon that result by seeing off a Tottenham side that will be low in confidence following a nine-game winless league run.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Bodo/Glimt vs. Spurs (Thursday, 8.00pm)

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With one tentative foot in the Europa League final, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion for the second leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday night.

Spurs secured a 3-1 first-leg victory in North London last week and the victors of this contest on aggregate will face either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the showpiece event.

We say: Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs to win 5-3 on aggregate)

Bodo/Glimt will welcome a return to home soil where they have put together a strong run of form and they will back themselves to make the net ripple against a porous Spurs backline that has kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 games across all competitions.

Overturning a two-goal deficit cannot be ruled out, but it may be a step too far on this occasion. Spurs supporters could be in for a few nail-biting moments in Norway, but Postecoglou's men should ultimately do enough to seal their spot in the Europa League final.

> Europa League preview: Bodo/Glimt vs Spurs

> Maddison blow, Solanke, Son hope: Predicted Spurs lineup vs. Bodo/Glimt

> Maddison, Son update: Spurs injury list for Bodo/Glimt clash

Man Utd vs. Athletic Bilbao (Thursday, 8.00pm)

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Seeking to finish the job and secure their place in the Europa League final, Manchester United welcome Athletic Bilbao to Old Trafford for the second leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday night.

The Red Devils have put themselves in a strong position to return to San Mames Stadium, where this season's showpiece event will be held, after claiming a 3-0 first-leg win in the Basque Country.

We say: Manchester United 3-2 Athletic Bilbao (Man Utd to win 6-2 on aggregate)

In the five previous meetings between Man United and Athletic Bilbao, there have been a total of 22 goals at an average of 4.4 goals per game, with the Red Devils scoring 12 and conceding 10. All five of those matches have seen at least three goals scored and another goal-fest could be on the cards on Thursday.

Athletic simply have to improve in the final third and must throw everything they can at a Man United backline that has kept just two clean sheets in their last nine games in all competitions. However, a three-goal deficit is likely to be too much for the Spanish outfit to overturn and we believe that the Red Devils will ultimately find a way to outscore their opponents in front of a fired-up Old Trafford crowd to seal their spot in the Europa League final.

> Europa League preview: Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao

> Diallo, Lindelof decisions: Predicted Man United lineup vs. Athletic Bilbao

With one tentative foot in the Europa League final, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt at Aspmyra Stadion for the second leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday night.

Spurs secured a 3-1 first-leg victory in North London last week and the victors of this contest on aggregate will face either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the showpiece event.

Match preview

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It took just 38 seconds for Brennan Johnson to fire Tottenham ahead in the first leg, and strikes from James Maddison and Dominic Solanke then opened up a three-goal cushion inside 61 minutes, but a late consolation from Bodo/Glimt's Ulrik Saltnes has given the Norwegian champions a glimmer of hopes.

Although Spurs have edged themselves closer to winning their first major trophy in 17 years, head coach Ange Postecoglou has bemoaned the "negative narrative" around the club, who are relying on Europa League glory to qualify for next season's Champions League as a result of their miserable domestic campaign.

Tottenham have lost a staggering 19 of their 35 Premier League games this season, with three defeats in a row followed by last weekend's 1-1 draw at London rivals West Ham United, leaving them languishing in 16th place and 14 points behind the top half of the table.

Postecoglou, who stated at the start of this season that he "always win things in my second year", is keen to address his team's poor away form, with just two wins recorded in their last 10 games on the road in all competitions (D1 L7), although Spurs did beat Eintracht Frankfurt and kept a rare clean sheet in their most recent Europa League trip, winning 1-0 to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

Tottenham have not won back-to-back away games in major European competition since November 2013, but they boast a 100% record against Norwegian opposition following last week's success over Bodo/Glimt - Spurs have never faced teams from a specific country more often whilst keeping a 100% win-rate in the process.

The North Londoners will back themselves to get the job done on Thursday, as only nine teams out of 92 in Europa League history have failed to progress from a knockout tie when leading by two or more goals from a first leg on home soil since the competition's rebrand ahead of the 2009-10 season.

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Regardless of the outcome of Thursday's second leg, Bodo/Glimt have already made history as they are the first and only Norwegian team to have reached the semi-final of a major European competition.

Superlaget have had a full week to rest and prepare for their latest clash with Tottenham and are bidding to prevail against English opposition for the very first time having lost all four of their previous such meetings, including their only encounter on home soil against Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal in the 2022-23 Europa League (1-0).

Including last week's loss at Spurs, Bodo/Glimt have suffered defeat in seven of their 11 Europa League away games since the start of the 2022-23 campaign - the second-most after Roma (eight) - while they also have the lowest win percentage (9%) of the 19 teams who have played eight or more away matches in that time frame. However, they have had far more success on home soil.

Indeed, Bodo/Glimt have won each of their last five Europa League home matches, scoring 15 goals in the process, and most recently stunned Lazio - who finished top of the 36-team table - by a 2-0 scoreline in their quarter-final second leg, before winning the tie on penalties.

Bodo/Glimt have in fact won each of their last eight games at home in all competitions, including their opening two matches of the 2025 Norwegian Eliteserien season by a 3-0 scoreline, and head coach Kjetil Knutsen has urged his players to "go for it" on Thursday if they wish to etch their names into the history books.

Bodo/Glimt Europa League form:

Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

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Tottenham's James Maddison was forced off in the first leg with a knee injury and is now expected to miss the rest of the season, while Radu Dragusin (ACL) and Lucas Bergvall (ankle) are also sidelined.

However, Postecoglou is hopeful that Dominic Solanke (thigh) and Son Heung-min (foot) can be involved on Thursday. If not, then both Richarlison and Brennan Johnson could be joined in the front three by either Mathys Tel or Wilson Odobert, who scored in Spurs' draw at West Ham.

Dejan Kulusevski will likely fill the creative void left by Maddison and the Swede could link up with Rodrigo Bentancur and either Yves Bissouma or Pape Matar Sarr in centre-midfield, while Postecoglou is expected to revert to a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie which began the first leg.

As for Bodo/Glimt, Daniel Bassi is set to remain sidelined with a leg injury, but Knutsen will be boosted by the return of captain Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen who all missed the first leg through suspension.

Both Berg and Evjen are set to recalled and join Ulrik Saltnes in midfield, with Jens Petter Hauge and Sondre Brunstad Fet set to make way, while Helmersen will likely provide cover as a substitute for Kasper Hogh, who sit level with Bruno Fernandes and Ayoub El Kaabi at the top of the Europa League scoring charts (seven).

Knutsen will weigh up whether to stick with Isak Dybvik Maatta on the right flank or move Hauge from midfield into the front three with Hogh and Ole Didrik Blomberg, while a four-man defence of Fredrik Sjovold, Villads Nielsen, Jostein Gundersen and Fredrik Bjorkan is set to remain intact.

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjork; Evjen, Berg, Saltnes; Maatta, Hogh, Blomberg

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Tel

We say: Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs to win 5-3 on aggregate)

Bodo/Glimt will welcome a return to home soil where they have put together a strong run of form and they will back themselves to make the net ripple against a porous Spurs backline that has kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 games across all competitions.

Overturning a two-goal deficit cannot be ruled out, but it may be a step too far on this occasion. Spurs supporters could be in for a few nail-biting moments in Norway, but Postecoglou's men should ultimately do enough to seal their spot in the Europa League final.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Manchester City have reportedly suggested that they are prepared to pay €65m (£55.37m) to sign a Tottenham Hotspur star.

Last month, it was revealed that Kevin De Bruyne would be departing the Etihad Stadium at the end of his contract, City having made the decision not to offer him renewed terms.

Given the hole that the Belgium international will leave in Pep Guardiola's squad, much consideration will be given before making a final decision over his replacements.

The likes of Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz - playmakers of varying qualities - have already been linked with a summer transfer.

However, according to Fichajes, Man City are prepared to put together a big-money proposal for James Maddison.

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The England international is currently facing a period on the sidelines with a knee injury that he sustained against Bodo/Glimt last week.

Nevertheless, the 28-year-old has produced solid numbers during his first two seasons at Spurs, chipping in with 16 goals and 21 assists from 75 games.

As someone with 56 goals and 49 assists in 222 Premier League appearances, Maddison is a proven player at that level, and Guardiola is seemingly willing to add him to his senior ranks.

Whether Spurs would be willing to entertain offers remains to be seen, but a rare opportunity may arise to make a profit on a player approaching his thirties.

Spurs shelled out £40m when they acquired Maddison from Leicester City in 2023, and selling the creator would either free up funds to sign a replacement or fill the financial void that comes with no European football if they fail to win the Europa League.

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Is a deal realistic?

While Maddison's stance is not made clear, the expectation is that he would give serious consideration to any offer made by City.

Despite the suggestion of an extravagant transfer fee, it remains to be seen whether City would commit to such a deal for Maddison.

Guardiola's squad is going through a transitional period with several incomings and outgoings expected during the summer transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Thursday evening when they square off against Bodo/Glimt in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Spurs hold a 3-1 advantage from the first leg but came out of that contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with three injured players.

Each of the trip were absent for Sunday's Premier League fixture versus West Ham United at the London Stadium, Ange Postecoglou's side still able to earn a 1-1 draw at their city rivals.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Spurs' latest injury and suspension news ahead of the long trip to Scandinavia.

Radu Dragusin

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Radu Dragusin will remain in the care of the Tottenham medical team over the summer, as the Romanian centre-back will be out for several more months with the serious ACL injury that he sustained in early 2025.

Son Heung-min

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Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: May 8 (vs. Bodo/Glimt)

Son Heung-min had been playing through the pain of a chronic foot problem for a while before having to start a spell on the sidelines last month. In his latest update, Postecoglou has acknowledged the South Korean star remains a major doubt for this contest, despite insisting that progress is being made.

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

James Maddison suffered a knee injury in last week's first leg and has been ruled out indefinitely. When commenting on the issue on Sunday, Postecoglou gave the impression that he did not expect the playmaker to feature again this season.

Lucas Bergvall

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: Rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall has already been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign having suffered ankle ligament damage in the same game as Maddison sustained his knee injury.

Dominic Solanke

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: May 8 (vs. Bodo/Glimt)

Although Dominic Solanke suffered a thigh issue in the first leg and subsequently missed out on Sunday, Postecoglou has suggested that the forward will have recovered in time to take his place in the squad on Thursday.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this game.

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Tottenham Hotspur playmaker James Maddison is reportedly set to miss the remainder of the season with the serious knee injury he suffered against Bodo/Glimt last week.

The 28-year-old scored Spurs' second goal in their 3-1 win over the Norwegian side in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, but he was then forced off in the 65th minute with the issue.

There was not any serious concern about Maddison's condition at the time, but Ange Postecoglou took a pessimistic view on his injury following Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the Premier League.

The Australian admitted that the initial assessments of Maddison's injury did not look promising, plunging his availability for Thursday's second leg with Bodo/Glimt into serious doubt.

An official diagnosis on the midfielder's issue is yet to arrive, but according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Maddison is set to sit out the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.

Tottenham games Maddison will miss with knee injury

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Crook adds that results from Maddison's scans are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours, but there are fears that the 28-year-old picked up a 'significant' problem in the Europa League.

As a result, Maddison will not be available for Thursday's second-leg clash with Bodo/Glimt, or the prospective final with either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao - likely the former - in Bilbao on May 21.

Spurs also have three games left in their Premier League season; at home to Crystal Palace (May 11), away to Aston Villa (May 18) and at home to Brighton & Hove Albion (May 25), and the midfielder will watch on from the sidelines in all of those matches too.

There is also the possibility that Maddison's injury could be serious enough to rule him out of pre-season and the start of the 2025-26 campaign; the Premier League fixture list for the new season will be released on June 18.

Maddison is now the third Tottenham player out for the season alongside Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and Radu Dragusin (ACL), while Son Heung-min (foot) is also a serious doubt for the second leg.

However, Postecoglou was at least able to deliver a positive update on Dominic Solanke on Sunday, claiming that the Englishman should be fit for Thursday's game after taking a knock last week.

How big a blow is Maddison's absence?

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The case of Maddison has certainly been a curious one throughout the 2024-25 season, as the ex-Leicester City man has often been benched by Postecoglou, but the statistics tell the story of his importance.

The playmaker has produced 23 direct goal contributions from 45 appearances - 12 of his own and 11 assists - and he has been making his mark consistently in the Europa League, especially in the knockout rounds.

Maddison's goal in the first leg with Bodo/Glimt saw him either score or assist for the fourth continental game in a row, having also set up both of Tottenham's strikes over the two-legged quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt, and Spurs will miss him to no end.

Tottenham Hotspur will be at risk of suffering an unwanted club first in the Premier League when they battle West Ham United in Sunday's top-flight London derby.

After the highs of beating Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, the trip to the London Stadium is arguably an unnecessary distraction for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Conceding late on Thursday evening gave Bodo/Glimt a flicker of hope for the imminent return fixture, and Spurs will no doubt be prioritising success in the second leg in Scandinavia.

As far as the Premier League is concerned, Lilywhites are now simply trying to salvage a little pride at the end of an embarrassing campaign, which could still end up being their worst-ever in the competition since 1992.

Tottenham's 5-1 beatdown at the hands of champions Liverpool last weekend was their 19th top-flight defeat of the season, and they could now lose 20 games in one Premier League campaign for the very first time.

Tottenham at risk of unprecedented number of Premier League defeats

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The last time Spurs suffered as many as 20 losses in a top-flight season came in the year before the Premier League's formation in 1991-92, where they finished 15th in the table at the end of a 42-game season.

However, Tottenham come into the weekend one place lower than that in a humbling 16th place in the Premier League standings, and they will be leapfrogged by 17th-placed West Ham if they lose to their London rivals.

Spurs' recent travails at the London Stadium do not make for positive reading either, as they have failed to win any of their last four away games against the Irons, being held to a 1-1 draw last April.

Postecoglou's side did rip West Ham to shreds in a 4-1 home win in October, though, and the Hammers have already dropped 14 points from winning positions since Graham Potter took charge.

Both Potter and Postecoglou's futures have unsurprisingly been hot-button topics amid their side's domestic plight, but the latter has had players come out in passionate support of him.

James Maddison reaffirmed his commitment to the Australian before the win over Bodo/Glimt, and ahead of the trip to West Ham, it was Brennan Johnson's turn to leap to the defence of his boss.

Johnson insists Postecoglou still has the Tottenham dressing room

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Asked if Postecoglou still had the dressing room on his side, the Wales international responded: "For sure, that's never been in question," as quoted by The Mirror.

"Games like Thursday hopefully show that all the lads listen to everything that he says and at the end of the day, especially in the Europa League, the game plans have come off perfectly as you also saw in Frankfurt.

"Hopefully we can do that again next week and get to the final. Momentum is such a big thing in football, we're looking to get as much momentum going as we can before next week."

Tottenham will be missing Son Heung-min, Radu Dragusin and new absentee Lucas Bergvall for the journey to the London Stadium, as the latter was recently ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

In addition, neither Maddison nor Dominic Solanke are expected to be fit for the all-capital clash, as the English duo both sustained knocks in Thursday's first-leg win.

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