Sports Mole

Reeling from their first negative result in Europe this season, Tottenham Hotspur seek an immediate return to triumphant ways at home to Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

Ange Postecoglou oversaw a 3-2 Europa League loss to Galatasaray during the week, while the Tractor Boys were cruelly denied their first win of the season in a 1-1 draw with Leicester City.

Match preview

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Nine points from nine available did not become 12 from 12 for Tottenham on Thursday evening, as Postecoglou's rotated side were subjected to a barrage of attacks from a relentless Galatasaray unit and deservedly travelled back from Turkey with nothing to show for their efforts.

However, the Lilywhites came out on the correct end of a five-goal scoreline in their most recent Premier League affair, fighting back from a goal down to decimate Aston Villa 4-1 in North London, where Dominic Solanke stole the show with two strikes as James Maddison and Brennan Johnson also got in on the act.

While that emphatic success boosted Spurs' continental prospects for 2025-26, the Lilywhites are still far from where they aspire to be in the top-flight standings, currently residing in seventh place with a two-point gap to make up to all of Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Spurs are safe in the knowledge that at least one of Chelsea or Arsenal will drop points in Sunday's headline act, and the thrashing of Villa extended a marvellous home sequence for Postecoglou's team, who have won each of their last six at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In that time, Tottenham have demonstrated their renewed commitment to free-flowing attacking football by scoring at least three times against Brentford, West Ham United and Aston Villa, despite conceding the first goal in every single one of those matches.

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Tottenham could now become the first-ever Premier League team to win four consecutive home games after going behind in each of them, and upcoming foes Ipswich have recent when it comes to failing to hang onto slender leads in the top flight.

Kieran McKenna's men were mere seconds away from making it 10th time lucky in the top flight last weekend, where Leif Davis's exquisite volley preceded Cameron Burgess's heroic goal-line block from Jordan Ayew, but the Foxes forward was not to be denied again as he broke Tractor Boys' hearts deep into injury time.

Now just one of two teams in the Premier League still winless after 10 matches in 2024-25 - sharing that fate with basement boys Wolverhampton Wanderers - the newly-promoted visitors sit 18th but are within one victory of safety thanks to their quintet of draws.

Sunday's clash will also be the third London trip on the spin for Ipswich, who conceded four goals to West Ham and Brentford in their last two unsuccessful visits to the English capital, but not since 1964 have they let in four or more goals in three straight top-flight away matches.

The head-to-head record also favours the side from Suffolk, who have beaten Spurs in each of their last three Premier League matches, but their last competitive battle came all the way back in the 2001-02 campaign; Tottenham eased to a 3-0 friendly win in the summer of 2020.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Ipswich Town Premier League form:

Team News

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Tottenham's thumping of Villa last weekend came at a significant cost, as Richarlison pulled his hamstring while setting up Solanke's goal and is expected to be out until December, while Cristian Romero hurt his toe and had to come off as well.

Postecoglou has not ruled Romero out of Sunday's game just yet, though, while Timo Werner (groin), Djed Spence (groin) and Mikey Moore (illness) are also on the touch-and-go list, but Wilson Odobert (hamstring) and Micky van de Ven (hamstring) are definitely out.

Will Lankshear's red card in Europe also means nothing for the Premier League, but £65m man Solanke is sure to return to the attacking trident; no Premier League player has applied more pressures than his 212 in the final third this season.

However, Kalvin Phillips's sending-off against Leicester for two bookable offences means that the Manchester City loanee will have to sit out Sunday's game through suspension; Jens Cajuste and Massimo Luongo are scrapping it out to deputise for him.

Defender Harry Clarke is leaving the naughty step after serving his own suspension, though, while Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), Axel Tuanzebe (hand), Jacob Greaves (thigh), Jack Taylor (unspecified) and Janoi Donacien (ankle) will miss out through injury.

A product of the Tottenham Hotspur academy ranks for three seasons, attacker Jack Clarke is at the head of the queue for promotion from the Ipswich bench this weekend, where he could very well replace Sammie Szmodics or Conor Chaplin to face his former employers.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Sarr; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Muric; Johnson, O'Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Clarke; Delap

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Ipswich Town

McKenna's men almost always carry a threat in the final third and can ask questions of a Spurs backline that is far from watertight, but the hosts' quality at the other end of the pitch should tell eventually.

A repeat of last weekend's 4-1 crushing of Villa is not beyond the realm of possibility, and Ipswich's excruciating wait for their first success of the season will surely go on.

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Having finally been conquered in the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur endeavour to right the wrongs of Thursday evening on Sunday afternoon against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Ange Postecoglou's troops lost their 100% continental record with a 3-2 loss away to Galatasaray in midweek, succumbing to a Victor Osimhen brace and a sensational Yunus Akgun volley.

However, the Lilywhites were on the correct end of a five-goal thriller in their last Premier League affair, crushing Aston Villa 4-1 last weekend to move up to seventh place in the top-flight table.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with the Tractor Boys, who were held to an agonising 1-1 draw with Leicester City in gameweek 10.

Timo Werner

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Groin

Possible return date: November 10 (vs. Ipswich)

Postecoglou revealed before Thursday's defeat that Timo Werner did not make the journey due to a groin concern, although his issue is not overly severe, and there is a chance that he will be back in the ranks here.

Cristian Romero

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Toe

Possible return date: November 10 (vs. Ipswich)

Cristian Romero suffered a toe injury during the win over Villa last weekend and was not available to face Galatasaray in the week, but Postecoglou has insisted that he remains in with a chance of being fit for the weekend.

Richarlison

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: December 5 (vs. Bournemouth)

In contrast, Richarlison is believed to be facing at least four weeks out with the hamstring injury he picked up in the process of setting up Dominic Solanke's second goal of the night last weekend.

Micky van de Ven

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: November 23 (vs. Manchester City)

Succumbing to another hamstring injury almost exactly 12 months after his severe problem last season, Micky van de Ven was a casualty of the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Manchester City but could return in time to take on the champions after the international break.

Djed Spence

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Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Groin

Possible return date: November 10 (vs. Ipswich)

Once again, Djed Spence did not make the cut in midweek due to a groin problem, and it remains to be seen if the right-back will shake off the issue in time to play a part on Sunday.

Wilson Odobert

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Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Wilson Odobert had just battled back from one hamstring problem before succumbing to another one, and Postecoglou does not know when he will be able to call upon the winger again.

Mikey Moore

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Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Illness

Possible return date: November 10 (vs. Ipswich)

Fellow attacking protege Mikey Moore did not board the flight to Turkey in midweek owing to an illness, but the 17-year-old will likely have recovered in time to be a part of the squad on Sunday.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match, as Will Lankshear's ban for the red card he picked up against Galatasaray only applies to Europa League games.

No Data Analysis info

Tottenham Hotspur have dropped points for the first time in the Europa League this season, falling to a 3-2 defeat away to Galatasaray in Istanbul.

It took the hosts just five minutes to open the scoring, as former Leicester City winger Yunus Akgun's emphatic effort nestled in the top corner, just out of Fraser Forster's reach in the Spurs goal.

Will Lankshear's first Tottenham goal brought Ange Postecoglou's side level shortly after, but the visitor's backline fell to pieces late in the first half.

Victor Osimhen netted twice in eight first-half minutes as Gala raced into a 3-1 lead, and had endless opportunities to extend that advantage after the interval.

An absolutely astonishing opening to the second half saw Spurs swamped constantly, conceding possession time and time again on the edge of the box, as Gala had seven or eight gilt-edged chances in a 15-minute period, but somehow failed to convert any of them.

Lankshear's night ended on a sour note as two quick bookings for the young striker saw the away side reduced to 10 men, but complacency set in for Okan Buruk's side as Dominic Solanke came off the bench to pull one back for the visitors, and made it a nervy final 20 minutes.

More chances came Galatasaray's way, but they looked a level below compared to how they played in the opening hour, and limped over the line in the end to win 3-2.

The win takes Gala top of the Europa League standings on goal difference with the 8pm matches still to be played, while Spurs have dropped to fifth following their first defeat on the continent this season.

GALATASARAY VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Akgun goal vs. Tottenham (6th min, Galatasaray 1-0 Tottenham)

The Ali Sami Yen erupts! Akgun recovers possession for Galatasaray on the edge of the area, and his audacious effort flashes past Forster, who got fingers to it, but was incapable of keeping the strike out.

Lankshear goal vs. Galatasaray (18th min, Galatasaray 1-1 Tottenham)

A moment Lankshear will never forget! Fine build-up play involving Son Heung-min and Archie Gray sees the latter float a pass in behind for Brennan Johnson, and the winger squares to give the young striker the simplest of finishes to equalise for Tottenham.

Osimhen goal vs. Tottenham (31st min, Galatasaray 2-1 Tottenham)

It is another Europa League nightmare for Radu Dragusin, who is caught in possession by Akgun, before Dries Mertens threads a ball through for Osimhen, and his poked finish finds the bottom corner beyond Forster.

Osimhen goal vs. Tottenham (39th min, Galatasaray 3-1 Tottenham)

Osimhen at the double! Spurs ignore the earlier warning signs that saw the Gala striker ghost into acres of space before being denied by Forster, as he latches onto the end of Mertens's superb delivery to extend the home side's advantage.

Lankshear red card vs. Galatasaray (60th min, Galatasaray 3-1 Tottenham)

On what looked to be a memorable night for young Lankshear, it has turned to disaster as the 19-year-old is dismissed for a second yellow card after a rash challenge on Gabriel Sara.

Solanke goal vs. Galatasaray (69th min, Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham)

A remarkable turn of events sees substitute Solanke make an instant impact, only three minutes after coming on, as the Spurs striker shows good feet to deftly flick home beyond Fernando Muslera from Pedro Porro's cross

MAN OF THE MATCH - DRIES MERTENS

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Osimhen will make the headlines for his brilliance brace, but Mertens was the man who assisted both of those goals, with the cross for Galatasaray's third goal being the pass of the night by some distance, and he continued to be a creative threat throughout as Gala bombarded the Spurs goal.

GALATASARAY VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Galatasaray 54% - 46% Tottenham

Shots: Galatasaray 28 - 5 Tottenham

Shots on target: Galatasaray 10 - 3 Tottenham

Corners: Galatasaray 8 - 0 Tottenham

Fouls: Galatasaray 14 - 10 Tottenham

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Spurs will look to maintain their fine recent domestic form when they welcome Ipswich Town to North London on Sunday, while Galatasaray face Super Lig overachievers Samsunspor here, in a meeting of Turkey's top two so far.

No Data Analysis info

Manchester City Women will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they play host to Tottenham Hotspur Women on Friday.

The home side are sitting top of the Women's Super League table, while the visitors are currently in seventh position.

Match preview

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Man City have been in fine form during the first two months of the season, having won nine and drawn one of their nine matches in all competitions.

Six of those matches have taken place in the WSL, with Man City drawing their opener against Arsenal before recording five consecutive league victories.

Last weekend, the Citizens cruised to a 3-0 away victory over Crystal Palace thanks to goals from Jess Park, Jill Roord and Khadija Shaw.

Having taken 16 points from six matches, Man City are sitting top of the standings with a narrow one-point lead over second-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand over Gareth Taylor's side.

After winning 10 of their last 11 home league games, the Citizens will have high hopes of taking maximum points from Friday's contest.

They will also have fond memories of their most recent home game against Tottenham in November 2023 when they produced a dominant display to run out 7-0 winners.

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Tottenham have experienced mixed success in the WSL this season, with their six matches producing two wins, one draw and three defeats.

Spurs took four points from their opening two matches, before they fell to three consecutive league defeats against Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

After experiencing a poor run of form, Tottenham would have been pleased to halt their slide with a narrow 2-1 victory in last Sunday's home meeting with West Ham United.

Bethany England cancelled out Riko Ueki's first-half opener, before a late Camila Saez own goal handed Tottenham their first league win since September 22.

Having netted 12 goals across their 16 games, Spurs are the league's second-highest scorers along with Friday's opponents, Man City.

However, they will be concerned by the fact they have the division's second-worst defensive record after shipping 14 league goals this season.

Manchester City Women Women's Super League form:

Manchester City Women form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Women form (all competitions):

Team News

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Man City defender Laia Aleixandri is likely to miss a second straight game with an injury she sustained while on international duty.

The visitors are also without the services of Risa Shimizu, Sandy MacIver, Naomi Layzell and Vivianne Miedema.

Ayaka Yamashita and Mary Fowler could return to the matchday squad after missing the win over Palace through illness.

As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon Kit Graham and Maite Oroz due to knee and quad injuries respectively.

Amanda Nilden, Amy James-Turner and Hayley Raso are all doubts and will have to be assessed ahead of Friday's contest.

Finland international Olga Ahtinen could be given a starting place after coming off the bench to play over half an hour against West Ham.

Manchester City Women possible starting lineup:

Yamashita; Casparij, Kennedy, Greenwood, Ouahabi; Park, Hasegawa, Roord; Fujino, Hemp, Shaw

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Spencer; Morris, Bartrip, Hunt, Neville; Summanen, Ahtinen; Naz, Spence, Vinberg; England

We say: Manchester City Women 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur Women

Man City have won each of their previous eight matches in all competitions, and with confidence flowing through the squad, we think the WSL leaders will sweep past Tottenham to maintain their place at the top of the league table.

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

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Tottenham Hotspur travel to Istanbul to face Galatasaray at Rams Park in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Spurs secured a slender 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar on matchday three a fortnight ago, while Galatasaray won 4-3 at home to Elfsborg last time out, and here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest team news for the two clubs.

GALATASARAY vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

GALATASARAY

Out: Ismail Jakobs (knee)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Kohn; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akgun; Osimhen

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Richarlison (hamstring)

Doubtful: Christian Romero (foot), Djed Spence (groin)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

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

Tottenham Hotspur could be without up to five players for Thursday's Europa League clash with Galatasaray in Istanbul.

Richarlison was forced off with a hamstring injury in Spurs' 4-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League last weekend and he is set to join Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert - who are also nursing hamstring injuries - in the treatment room.

Christian Romero was also taken off against Villa with a foot injury and the Argentine has emerged as a major doubt for the trip to Turkey, while Djed Spence will be assessed ahead of kickoff as he closes in on a return from a groin problem.

Should Romero miss out on Thursday, Ben Davies will likely deputise in central defence alongside Radu Dragusin, meaning Destiny Udogie should retain his spot at left-back. Pedro Porro, meanwhile, could be replaced at right-back by Archie Gray.

Ange Postecoglou will consider freshening up his midfield and could recall both James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Lucas Bergvall at the expense of Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr.

Dominic Solanke scored twice in the second half against Villa and he is poised to retain his place up front with Richarlison sidelined, while Postecoglou will weigh up whether to hand both Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson starts on the flanks or recall Timo Werner and Mikey Moore.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup: Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

No Data Analysis info

Seeking to make it four wins from four in the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Istanbul to face Galatasaray at Rams Park on Thursday evening.

While Spurs currently sit second in the 36-team table, Galatasaray are only three places and two points further back in fifth spot.

Match preview

Completing in the Europa League for the first time in four years, Tottenham are one of only three teams, along with Lazio and Anderlecht, who have picked up a maximum nine points from their opening three fixtures in this season's competition.

A 3-0 win with 10 men against Qarabag on matchday one was followed by a 2-1 victory away against Ferencvaros on matchday two, before a second-half penalty from Richarlison sealed a slender 1-0 home success over AZ Alkmaar a fortnight ago.

Ange Postecoglou's side currently sit level on points with Lazio at the top of the 36-team Europa League table, while they have climbed up to seventh in the Premier League standings after coming from behind at half time to beat Aston Villa 4-1 on home soil last weekend.

Spurs have now won each of their last six home fixtures across all competitions, scoring 17 goals and conceding just four in the process, while they have also come out on top in each of their last eight Europa League games in North London by an impressive aggregate score of 26-2, keeping a clean sheet in their last six matches during this run.

However, Tottenham will travel to Turkey on Thursday seeking to avoid losing a third straight away match in all tournaments, while their last trip to Istanbul also ended in defeat - a 1-0 loss to Besiktas in December 2014.

Galatasaray may not have made a perfect start to their Europa League campaign like Spurs, but they have still collected seven points from their opening three matches and have provided plenty of entertainment for supporters, with at least four goals scored in all three games.

A 3-1 home win over PAOK on matchday one, secured thanks to two goals in the final 15 minutes, was followed by a 2-2 draw with Rigas Futbola Skola on matchday two in which they threw away a two-goal lead in Latvia. The Lion then came out on top in a seven-goal thriller with Elfsborg a fortnight ago, winning 4-3 on home soil.

Okan Buruk's side have since extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 11 matches (W9 D2) after beating Istanbul rivals Besiktas 2-1 at Rams Park in the Turkish Super Lig a week last Monday, moving eight points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on second-placed Samsunspor.

Galatasaray will play host to Samsunspor on Sunday, but they must first shift their focus to the Europa League and will endeavour to boost their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds for the third time in four years with a victory against Spurs on Thursday.

Success against English opposition had been hard to come by for Galatasaray, though, as they have won just one of their last six such meetings (D2 L3) - a 3-2 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in last season's Champions League.

Galatasaray Europa League form:

Galatasaray form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

Galatasaray's only absentee is left-back Ismail Jakobs, who remains sidelined with a knee injury, while goalkeeper Fernando Muslera is available to return from a European ban and is expected to start between the sticks.

Former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez, who scored against Besiktas last weekend, is set to partner Abdulkerim Bardakci in the heart of defence, while ex-Arsenal man Lucas Torreira will likely start in centre-midfield next to Gabriel Sara - a signing from Norwich City in the summer.

Star striker Victor Osimhen - on loan from Napoli - has scored four goals in his last three games for Galatasaray and is set to start up front either alongside or instead of top scorer Mauro Icardi, who has six goals to his name this term.

As for Tottenham, Richarlison was forced off with a hamstring injury in the win over Aston Villa last weekend and he is set to join Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert - who are also nursing hamstring injuries - in the treatment room.

Christian Romero was also taken off early against Villa with a foot injury and the Argentine has emerged as a major doubt for the trip to Turkey, while Djed Spence will be assessed ahead of kickoff as he closes in on a return from a groin problem.

Ben Davies will likely deputise in central defence alongside Radu Dragusin if Romero does miss out, while Postecoglou will also consider handing recalls to the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall, Timo Werner and Mikey Moore.

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:

Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Kohn; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akgun; Osimhen

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

We say: Galatasaray 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Both teams enter Thursday's contest in buoyant mood and will fancy their chances of success, especially Galatasaray in front of a raucous home crowd that will create a hostile atmosphere for Spurs.

Considering Postecoglou could be missing his first-choice centre-back paring and may look to rotate in a few other positions, we can see Galatasaray taking advantage of that and securing at least a point in Istanbul, ending Spurs' perfect Europa League start.

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

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Seeking a fourth win from four in the 2024-25 Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur make the long trek to Turkey to meet Galatasaray on Thursday evening.

The Lilywhites have already overcome Qarabag FK, Ferencvaros and AZ Alkmaar in the 2024-25 edition, eking out a 1-0 victory over the latter in October thanks to a Richarlison winner.

Ange Postecoglou's nine-point side are only trailing Lazio in second place in the 36-team table, and their fightback powers came to the fore in a 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa in Sunday's Premier League affair.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with Galatasaray, who lie fifth in the Europa League rankings on seven points.

Cristian Romero

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: November 7 (vs. Galatasaray)

Cristian Romero was one of two casualties of the win over Villa, coming off with a foot problem just past the hour mark, and it would be a surprise to see the Argentine involved in Thursday's game.

Richarlison

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

In the process of setting up Dominic Solanke's second against the Lions, Richarlison pulled his hamstring and had to be substituted after coming off the bench himself; even if his problem is a minor one, he will certainly not be available for Thursday.

Micky van de Ven

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: November 23 (vs. Man City)

Spurs could be without both of their first-choice centre-backs this week, as Micky van de Ven also hurt his hamstring in the recent EFL Cup win over Manchester City and will not play again before the international break.

Djed Spence

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Groin

Possible return date: November 7 (vs. Galatasaray)

Djed Spence's groin problem prevented him from making the squad to face Villa, but the defender is thought to be in the final stages of his recovery and might be in contention to make his return on Thursday.

Wilson Odobert

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

After making a full recovery from one hamstring issue, Wilson Odobert was then immediately sidelined again with a "serious" setback, and the ex-Burnley winger will be out for some time.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly earmarked 20-year-old FC Midtjylland winger Dario Osorio as an ideal transfer target for the summer of 2025.

Ange Postecoglou reinforced his wide ranks over the summer with the surprise capture of Wilson Odobert from Burnley, while also re-signing Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig.

However, Odobert has experienced an injury-hit start to life in North London and recently suffered a severe setback with a thigh problem, while Werner has only netted once this season, in Wednesday's 2-1 EFL Cup win over Manchester City.

Werner has otherwise cut an extremely wasteful figure in front of goal this season, but the emergence of Mikey Moore has slightly eased Spurs' attacking concerns, as the 17-year-old made his full Premier League debut in their 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace two weekends ago.

Captain Son Heung-min also made his return from a thigh problem in Sunday's 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa, providing an assist for Brennan Johnson before being substituted just before the hour mark, reacting angrily to his premature change.

Tottenham to move for Osorio in summer of 2025?

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Son's current contract runs out at the end of the season, although Tottenham possess an option to extend his terms by another year and are expected to trigger that clause in the near future.

Whether the 32-year-old signs a fresh deal beyond 2026 is unclear, though, and in a move that may suggest Spurs are planning for life without their skipper, journalist Ekrem Konur claims that they are running the rule over Osorio.

The 20-year-old predominantly plays on the right flank, but he is equally comfortable on the left wing, and Tottenham are believed to have 'regularly' sent scouts to keep an eye on his performances.

Konur adds that Tottenham are unlikely to make a move for Osorio in the January transfer window, though, instead targeting the youngster for a summer switch in 2025.

Osorio is contracted to Midtjylland until the summer of 2028, meaning that the Danes have no need to let him go on the cheap, but they may find it difficult to reject a lucrative bid from a high-profile Premier League club.

Who is rumoured Tottenham target Dario Osorio?

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Coming through the Club Universidad de Chile youth system, Osorio joined Midtjylland in a £4.4m deal in the summer of 2023 and has already come up with 11 goals and three assists in 44 games for the Scandinavian giants.

From 20 matches in all competitions in the 2024 campaign, the 20-year-old has found the back of the net three times, including in a 1-1 draw with Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in the Europa League.

During his debut campaign in a Midtjylland jersey, Osorio particularly excelled during the Championship round of the Danish Superliga season, registering three goals and two assists in nine matches en route to winning the title.

A 6ft tall winger, Osorio made his debut for the Chile national team in 2022 and scored his first goal for his nation in a 3-2 friendly loss to France in March, before featuring in all three of their Copa America matches later in the year.

Tottenham Hotspur secured the option to purchase Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a fixed fee of €25m (£21m) as part of Giovani Lo Celso's permanent transfer to the Spanish club last summer, according to a report.

However, the North London outfit have a deadline to do so, with the clause expiring at the end of June next year.

Postecoglou has often opted to use a midfield three featuring James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski this season, and the results have been mixed so far.

However, during Sunday's 4-1 win against Champions League rivals Aston Villa, the Spurs boss selected a more defensively oriented trio consisting of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr alongside Kulusevski, and the Australian manager could look to replicate that set-up going forward.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Tottenham have the option to buy Real Betis' defensive midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a fee of just £21m, and they will also have matching rights and a percentage on any future sale should they decide not to sign the player.

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Cardoso to revamp midfield?

One of the consistent criticisms of Postecoglou's Spurs side since his arrival last season has been the fact that they struggle to keep clean sheets.

Indeed, Tottenham prevented the opposition from scoring on just nine occasions in their last 48 Premier League games, and have kept only three clean sheets in their 21 most recent top-flight matches.

Some have suggested that Tottenham play recklessly, focusing so much on offensive phases of play that it leaves them vulnerable at the back, but Postecoglou has regularly dismissed such notions.

However, providing more cover in the midfield area could enable the likes of Kulusevski and Maddison to maximise their creative potential.

Losing out on Cardoso to a rival could be costly given teams like Liverpool are reportedly still in the market for a defensive midfielder, but at least Spurs have the option to match any offer after the June deadline.

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Cardoso compared to Spurs' midfield options

Cardoso ranks quite favourably in defensive metrics compared to midfielders such as Bissouma, Sarr and Bentancur, with the Real Betis player having attempted 13 tackles in La Liga this season, the joint most alongside Sarr.

The American has also made the most blocks of the quartet and has made 10 interceptions this term, with only Bentancur having made more.

Importantly, Cardoso is also comfortable in possession, and he would likely fit into Postecoglou's preferred style of play.

Perhaps pairing the Real Betis midfielder with an energetic ball carrier such as Sarr would get the most out of him, but the American would certainly help give Spurs even more tactical flexibility.