Sports Mole

Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro has said that he is "proud" to be linked with Real Madrid and refused to rule out a move to Bernabeu in the future.

Los Blancos could move for a new right-back in January due to the severe injury recently suffered by Dani Carvajal, with the experienced defender set to be missing for rest of the season.

Carvajal has had his contract extended until June 2026, but Real Madrid are in the market for a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old, with Trent Alexander-Arnold viewed as their top target.

Alexander-Arnold's contract with Liverpool is due to expire next summer, but Arne Slot's side are believed to be confident that they will be able to sign him to fresh terms in the near future.

Porro is also thought to be on the Madrid club's radar, and the Spain international has now responded to suggestions of interest from the reigning Spanish and European champions.

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Porro opens the door to future Real Madrid move

"Of course I'm proud with these links, it means I'm doing things well. If that happens one day, it happens. Now I'm fully focused on my club, Tottenham," he told Relevo.

Porro represented Rayo Vallecano and Girona during his youth career before famously moving to Manchester City in 2019, but he failed to make the first-team breakthrough at the Etihad Stadium and ultimately left for Sporting Lisbon, initially representing the Portuguese side on loan before completing a permanent move.

The right-back had a strong spell with Sporting, scoring 12 goals and registering 20 assists in 98 appearances, and he has managed eight goals and 10 assists in 62 games for Tottenham since moving to the club in 2023.

Porro has another four years left to run on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it would be very difficult for him to turn down the chance to move to Bernabeu.

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Will Real Madrid sign a new right-back in January?

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotit suggested after Carvajal's injury that a new right-back would not be a priority in January, insisting that Lucas Vazquez can fill the void.

"Will we sign a right-back? Lucas gives us a lot of confidence," Ancelotti told reporters.

The January transfer window is also a very difficult market, so it would not be a surprise to see Vazquez be the starting right-back for the rest of the campaign, with Eder Militao also filling in when necessary.

It is clear that Real Madrid need another option in that area of the field, though, and if a deal for Alexander-Arnold cannot be completed, then Porro could be a smart signing for the Spanish giants.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci during the January transfer window.

Despite an indifferent start to the season, Ange Postecoglou's side have began to impress in recent weeks and have recorded five successive wins in all competitions.

There is the hope that using younger players in different cup competitions - such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall - will eventually lead to them becoming mainstays in the first-team squad.

Should that prove to be the case, Spurs will not be short in the central-midfield department anytime soon, there already being four combative options as well as several attack-minded alternatives.

Nevertheless, it appears that the North Londoners' hierarchy have ambitions to further add to their ranks in a bid to close the gap to the teams above them in the Premier League.

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Ricci on Spurs radar

According to Football Insider, there is a desire to get a deal for Ricci over the line at the beginning of 2025.

However, it is noted that they may need to wait until the summer transfer window given the level that Ricci is currently producing in Serie A.

Six starts have been made in that competition, the 23-year-old helping Torino to sit in fifth place in the standings at this stage of the campaign.

Ricci also started each of Italy's recent two matches in the UEFA Nations League, helping the Azzurri to victories over France and Israel.

While Torino would ideally like to keep Ricci in the long term, he only possesses a contract until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

With Ricci having only represented Empoli and Torino, he has never played for a club in a European competition, making a renewal unrealistic at this stage.

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Paratici to influence chase?

The report suggests that former sporting director Fabio Paratici could have some influence on the race for Ricci if Spurs choose to proceed with that approach.

Although Paratici is no longer involved with Spurs, it is alleged that contact has remained with some of Spurs' scouting staff.

Tottenham Hotspur Women will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign when they play host to Liverpool Women in Sunday's Women's Super League fixture.

Meanwhile, the Reds will be hoping to claim their first victory after failing to win any of their three competitive matches this term.

Match preview

Tottenham have made a promising start to the new season, having won two and drawn one of their three matches in all competitions.

Robert Vilahamn's side kicked off the season with a dominant 4-0 win over newly-promoted Crystal Palace, before they rescued a point in last Sunday's away meeting with Aston Villa.

After giving up a slender lead, Spurs looked set to fall to a 2-1 defeat until substitute Bethany England netted a 96th-minute equaliser to ensure her side left Villa Park with a point to show for their efforts.

The North London club went on to score a couple of more goals in their midweek Women's League Cup game against Charlton Athletic, with Maite Oroz and Jessica Naz grabbing a goal apiece in a 2-1 away victory.

Having scored eight goals in three matches, Spurs will hope that firepower can now help them claim their first win over Liverpool since recording a narrow 1-0 win in October 2022.

Liverpool have experienced an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 season, having seen their three competitive matches produce two draws and one defeat.

After drawing 1-1 with Leicester City in their WSL opener, Liverpool looked set to claim maximum points in last Sunday's away meeting with West Ham United.

However, Olivia Smith saw her seventh-minute opener cancelled out by Riko Ueki's late equaliser, ensuring the Reds had to settle for a point for the second game in a row.

Matt Beard's side then experienced a disappointing result in their midweek Women's League Cup clash against rivals Manchester United, falling to a 2-0 defeat following goals from Melvine Malard and Rachel Williams.

Liverpool will now turn their attention back to league action, and while they have had to settle for draws in their first two matches, they can take confidence from the fact they are unbeaten in six WSL matches since losing to Man City in March.

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Women form (all competitions):

Liverpool Women Women's Super League form:

Liverpool Women form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham duo Shuang Wang and Amy James-Turner are making progress in their respective recoveries, but they remain unavailable for selection for Sunday's fixture.

Kit Graham is sidelined with a knee injury, while it remains to be seen whether Ella Morris will be fit for the weekend.

England could be given her first league start of the season after she came off the bench to score a dramatic equaliser against Villa.

As for the visitors, they are expected to be without the services of goalkeeper Faye Kirby and defender Grace Fisk.

Australian shot-stopper Teagan Micah remains sidelined with an ankle issue, while Eva Spencer and Zara Shaw are unavailable after being called up to the England squad for the Under-17 Women's World Cup.

Smith will continue to provide one of Liverpool's main attacking threats after scoring her first WSL goal last weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Spencer; Neville, Bartrip, Hunt, Nilden; Oroz, Summanen; Raso, Spence, Naz; England

Liverpool Women possible starting lineup:

Laws; Clark, Bonner, Matthews; Parry, Hobinger, Nagano, Holland, Hinds; Smith, Haug

We say: Tottenham Hotspur Women 2-2 Liverpool Women

Liverpool may have failed to win their opening two league games, but they are unbeaten in six league matches, and we think they will extend that run by playing a draw with Tottenham, especially as last season's head-to-head meetings finished all square.

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

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Brighton & Hove Albion are capable of rising above Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table when they cross paths with the North London giants at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The ninth-placed Seagulls are aiming to respond to last weekend's 4-2 beatdown at the hands of Chelsea, where Cole Palmer scored an unprecedented four first-half goals to condemn Fabian Hurzeler to his first defeat in the Brighton chair.

In contrast, the in-form Lilywhites were convincing 3-0 victors over a pitiful Manchester United, before making it five wins on the spin in all tournaments with a gritty 2-1 triumph over Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

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Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 39

Brighton wins: 10

Draws: 8

Spurs wins: 21

Given Brighton's relatively modest top-flight history, the Seagulls and Tottenham have not been regular foes down the years, and Sunday's clash at the Amex will be just their 40th competitive meeting since their maiden battle in 1903.

Spurs have come up trumps in 21 of those matches to lead the way in the head-to-head column, but Brighton have earned a respectable 10 victories of their own, while another eight contests have ended all square.

However, not since April 2018 - a 1-1 draw at the Amex during Brighton's debut season in the Premier League - have the points been evenly split, as there has been a winner and a loser in each of the last 13 matches between the two clubs.

Spurs have emerged victorious from nine of those showdowns, including their last home fixture against a Roberto De Zerbi-less Brighton in February 2024, although they needed a last-gasp Brennan Johnson goal in that hard-fought 2-1 victory.

A matter of weeks beforehand, Brighton conquered Postecoglou's team at the Amex in a 4-2 thriller, where the Seagulls stormed into a 4-0 lead against the lacklustre Lilywhites before Alejo Veliz and Ben Davies made the scoreline slightly more respectable.

Since that aforementioned draw in 2018, Brighton and Tottenham have followed a very peculiar pattern of results; over the last 13 matches, two Spurs victories have preceded a Seagulls win, with the North London club last winning three in a row against the Brighton between 2005 and 2017.

Goals are usually a guarantee in this fixture too, as from their 39 previous battles, only one has ended in a goalless draw - a 1977 Division Two clash at White Hart Lane.

Speaking of goals, Harry Kane found the back of the net 10 times in this fixture for Tottenham - by far and away the most of any player in this fixture - while another ex-Spurs forward in Garth Crooks is second on the list with three.

Last 20 meetings

Feb 10, 2024: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Dec 28, 2023: Brighton 4-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 08, 2023: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Oct 08, 2022: Brighton 0-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 16, 2022: Spurs 0-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Mar 16, 2022: Brighton 0-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Feb 05, 2022: Spurs 3-1 Brighton (FA Cup Fourth Round)

Jan 31, 2021: Brighton 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Nov 01, 2020: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Dec 26, 2019: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Oct 05, 2019: Brighton 3-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 23, 2019: Spurs 1-0 Brighton (Premier League)

Sep 22, 2018: Brighton 1-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 17, 2018: Brighton 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Dec 13, 2017: Spurs 2-0 Brighton (Premier League)

Oct 29, 2014: Spurs 2-0 Brighton (League Cup Round Four)

Jan 08, 2005: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (FA Cup Third Round)

Apr 02, 1983: Brighton 2-1 Spurs (First Division)

Dec 28, 1982: Spurs 2-0 Brighton (First Division)

Oct 26, 1982: Brighton 0-1 Spurs (EFL Cup Second Round Second Leg)

Last 10 Premier League meetings

Feb 10, 2024: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Dec 28, 2023: Brighton 4-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 08, 2023: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Oct 08, 2022: Brighton 0-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 16, 2022: Spurs 0-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Mar 16, 2022: Brighton 0-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Jan 31, 2021: Brighton 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Nov 01, 2020: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Dec 26, 2019: Spurs 2-1 Brighton (Premier League)

Oct 05, 2019: Brighton 3-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Read more on Brighton vs Spurs

Will Son, Udogie return? Tottenham injury, suspension list for Brighton clash

Click here to read our full preview for Brighton vs Spurs

A triple attacking dilemma: How Tottenham could line up against Brighton

Boosts and blows: How Brighton could line up against Tottenham

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou is expecting to be without his captain for Sunday's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

The Lilywhites bested Ferencvaros 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday night without the services of Son Heung-min (thigh), Destiny Udogie (thigh), Wilson Odobert (hamstring) or Richarlison (unspecified).

Odobert and Richarlison are both out until after the international break, and Postecoglou has confirmed that this match should come too soon for Son, but Udogie is likely to be passed fit.

With Son still not being risked, Postecoglou will have a huge decision to make on the left-hand side of the attack, where 17-year-old sensation Mikey Moore is pushing to replace the profligate Timo Werner.

However, the more experienced German will likely be given the thumbs-up to start alongside the in-form Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke, who has been called up to his first England squad in seven years.

After creating a staggering nine chances in the 3-0 win over Manchester United, Dejan Kulusevski should return to attack-minded midfield, where James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur will also pull the strings.

Even though Ben Davies is fully fit, Udogie is almost fully healed from his knock at Old Trafford and should join Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Guglielmo Vicario at the back.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

Five for five since their North London derby defeat to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur endeavour to extend their hot streak when they head to the Amex to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou's side return to top-flight action after a hard-fought 2-1 Europa League win over Ferencvaros, while Fabian Hurzeler's men have had a week to mull over their 4-2 loss to Chelsea.

Match preview

Albeit with a second-string XI, Tottenham were given a much rougher ride against Ferencvaros than they were in last weekend's Premier League clash with Manchester United, but Postecoglou's hotchpotch team survived a late scare to make it two for two in this season's Europa League.

Pape Sarr and the red-hot Brennan Johnson were on target before Barnabas Varga cut the arrears in half right at the death, but there would be no late reprieve for the Hungarian champions on an evening where the kids were more than alright for Tottenham, who started four teenagers at the Groupama Arena.

A more experienced contingent should now be tasked with earning Spurs' sixth successive victory across all tournaments, and their third straight success in the Premier League after beatings of Brentford (3-1) and Man United (3-0), although they were aided by Bruno Fernandes's wrongful dismissal in the latter fixture.

Even before the Portuguese was dismissed, Tottenham were teaching Erik ten Hag's men a footballing lesson en route to eighth spot in the table, as the Lilywhites slowly creep up on the European places following a stuttering start to the 2024-25 campaign.

Tottenham have hardly ever consistently produced the goods away from home under Postecoglou's wing, though, as if they manage to prevail at the Amex Stadium, it will mark the first time in 12 months that they have won back-to-back Premier League games on their travels.

Spurs' upcoming hosts were briefly in dreamland on the road in gameweek six, as Georginio Rutter made the net ripple with just seven minutes gone against Stamford Bridge, but little did the Frenchman know that he had just set the Cole Palmer wheels in motion.

Indeed, Brighton were bamboozled by a record-breaking performance from the former Manchester City product, who became the first Premier League player in history to score four goals in one half, and a Carlos Baleba response in between his third and fourth strikes meant little.

Despite witnessing individual excellence in West London, Seagulls boss Hurzeler still lamented the 'gifts' that his side presented to Chelsea as they suffered their first defeat of the 31-year-old's reign, one which leaves the ninth in the standings, just one point and one spot adrift of their upcoming visitors.

Showcasing a commitment to entertainment, Brighton have both scored and conceded multiple goals in each of their last three games in all competitions but only have two wins to show from their last eight Premier League matches at the Amex, drawing their last two to Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest.

However, Brighton were on the correct end of a 4-2 scoreline in this exact fixture against Tottenham last season, only for Spurs to exact revenge with a 2-1 home triumph in February, and none of the last 13 meetings between the visitors and the Seagulls has ended level.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min and first-choice left-back Destiny Udogie were both left at home for the win over Ferencvaros due to their recent knocks, and the former is not expected to make the cut here, but Postecoglou has confirmed that Udogie ought to be fine.

Should Son miss out once more, Spurs fans will no doubt implore Postecoglou to start 17-year-old Mikey Moore over the wasteful Timo Werner after the teenager's bright performance in midweek, but their pleas will likely fall on deaf ears.

Two other attacking options - Wilson Odobert and Richarlison - are still out injured, and Dominic Solanke leads the Tottenham line after his first call-up to the senior England squad in seven years.

Radu Dragusin is also back from his Europa League ban, but Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven - who produced an exceptional solo run for an assist at Old Trafford - are immovable at the back.

As for Brighton, Hurzeler delivered a mixed fitness update on Friday morning, confirming that James Milner (thigh), Brajan Gruda (unspecified), Joel Veltman (illness) and long-term absentee Solly March (knee) could all be in contention for Sunday's match.

However, there will still be no Joao Pedro (ankle), Matt O'Riley (ankle) or Jan Paul van Hecke (unspecified), while Simon Adingra is also touch-and-go but should only be on the bench at best.

Palmer was not the only player to make history at Stamford Bridge last weekend; 20-year-old Brighton midfielder Baleba became the youngest Cameroonian to score and assist in a Premier League match, and he will man the engine room with fellow protege Jack Hinshelwood once more.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Igor, Estupinan; Enciso, Baleba, Hinshelwood; Rutter, Welbeck, Mitoma

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Both sides have scored in each of the last three fixtures between Brighton and Tottenham, and Sunday's affair should be no different, especially given the Seagulls' recent propensity for high-scoring contests.

No side in the top flight has had more shots on target than Spurs' 45 so far this season, though, and with a bunch of well-rested regulars back in the fold, Postecoglou's men have our vote to continue their wonderful winning sequence.

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

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Pape Sarr and Brennan Johnson were on the scoresheet as Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros in Thursday night's Europa League contest in Budapest.

Lacklustre defending allowed Sarr to send Tottenham ahead in the 23rd minute of the contest, with the midfielder sweeping into the bottom corner after Ferencvaros failed to deal with a loose ball inside the box.

Tottenham dominated the possession in the opening half of action, having 62% of the ball, while they had seven attempts, with three of those on target, but Ferencvaros were carrying a threat of their own.

Ferencvaros were pushing forward, as expected, in the second half in a bid to secure a share of the spoils, but the hosts lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the field throughout the contest.

Johnson scored for the fifth game in a row in the 86th minute, but Tottenham had to survive a late scare in the European clash, as Barnabas Varga netted in the 90th minute to give the home fans something to cheer.

The victory is another huge step in the right direction for Tottenham, with the North London outfit now triumphing in their last five matches in all competitions, including a 3-0 success over Manchester United in the Premier League last time out.

The success has also moved Spurs into second position in the Europa League table, boasting six points from their opening two games, while Ferencvaros are down in 32nd, having lost their opening two games of the competition.

FERENCVAROS VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Pape Sarr goal vs. Ferencvaros (23rd min, Ferencvaros 0-1 Tottenham)

Tottenham make the breakthrough in the 23rd minute of the European affair, and it is Sarr on the scoresheet.

Following some poor defending from the home side, the ball falls kindly for Sarr inside the penalty box, and the midfielder makes no mistake from close range to break the deadlock.

Brennan Johnson goal vs. Ferencvaros (86th min, Ferencvaros 0-2 Tottenham)

Tottenham double their lead in the 86th minute of the match as Johnson fires into the bottom corner to surely secure all three points for the visitors, who have that winning feeling at the moment.

Barnabas Varga goal vs. Tottenham (90th min, Ferencvaros 1-2 Tottenham)

Late drama! Ferencvaros get their name on the scoresheet in the final minute of normal time, with Varga turning a dangerous cross from Cristian Ramirez into the back of the net from close range.

MAN OF THE MATCH - PEDRO PORRO

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Sarr deserves a mention in this category, but the man-of-the-match award does to Pedro Porro due to his overall performance for Tottenham on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old came close to scoring, hitting the woodwork, while he had five successful dribbles and managed 60 accurate passes, with Porro a key contributor to his side's success in Hungary.

FERENCVAROS VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Ferencvaros 43%-57% Tottenham

Shots: Ferencvaros 12-17 Tottenham

Shots on target: Ferencvaros 5-7 Tottenham

Corners: Ferencvaros 4-11 Tottenham

Fouls: Ferencvaros 10-13 Tottenham

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Tottenham will now switch their attention back to the Premier League, with Ange Postecoglou's side preparing to head to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon.

Ferencvaros, meanwhile, will be aiming to return to winning ways when they take on Paks in Hungary's top flight on Sunday evening.

No Data Analysis info

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Groupama Arena in Budapest to face Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Both teams secured 3-0 victories on the domestic front last weekend, with Spurs crushing Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League and Ferencvaros beating Puskas Akademia in the Hungarian top flight, and here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest team news for the two clubs.

FERENCVAROS vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

FERENCVAROS

Out: None

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Dibusz; Botka, Cisse, Szalai, Ramirez; Abu Fani, Rommens; Kady, Zachariassen, Traore; Varga

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Radu Dragusin (suspended), Richarlison (calf), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Son Heung-min (hamstring), Destiny Udogie (thigh)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Gray, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

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

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed whether Son Heung-min and Destiny Udogie will be fit for Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League clash with Ferencvaros on Thursday.

The Lilywhites boarded the flight to Hungary seeking to make it two for two in this year's revamped competition, having overcome Radu Dragusin's early red card to defeat Qarabag 3-1 on matchday one.

The triumph over the Azerbaijani giants preceded an emphatic 3-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United, who were torn to shreds by Postecoglou's side even without the services of captain Son.

The South Korean attacker had picked up a knock in the Qarabag success and was not deemed fit enough to turn out at Old Trafford, where left-back Udogie was taken off at half time due to a quadriceps problem.

Postecoglou insisted that the defender's problem was not severe, although having had surgery on his quad towards the end of last season, the Tottenham boss has unsurprisingly erred on the side of caution this time around.

Son, Udogie ruled out of Tottenham's clash with Qarabag

Speaking to SPURSplay before his pre-game press conference, Postecoglou announced that Son and Udogie had both been left at home to continue their rehabilitation, but there are no fresh concerns from the win over Man United.

"Sonny and Destiny are back in London. They're working away, but they're not available for this one. Everyone else from the weekend got through the game and is good to go," Postecoglou said.

Son and Udogie are two of five Tottenham absentees for the showdown with Ferencvaros, as Wilson Odobert (thigh) and Richarlison (calf) are also missing, while Dragusin serves his one-game suspension following his early dismissal on matchday one.

The clash with the Hungarian giants is a prime opportunity for Postecoglou to hand minutes to fringe players and academy prospects, and one player who falls into the former category is exiled left-back Sergio Reguilon, but he will not be involved in Budapest despite travelling with the team.

The former Sevilla man has not played a single minute for Tottenham this season and has only made one matchday squad, being an unused substitute in the EFL Cup third-round win over Coventry City.

Postecoglou reveals reason for Reguilon inclusion

Reguilon was not included in Spurs' Europa League squad and is therefore not eligible to play on Thursday evening, so his selection naturally raised a few eyebrows.

However, Postecoglou said that the Spaniard's call-up was merely for practice purposes, saying: "We've got training sessions (here), so we've brought young players and Reggy, just to make sure the quality of our training is what it needs to be today."

With Udogie absent and Reguilon ineligible, Ben Davies is likely to get the nod on the left-hand side of the backline, having played the full 90 minutes in the triumph over Qarabag.

Fraser Forster, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall - who was taken off after just 12 minutes against Qarabag due to Dragusin's red card - are also likely to be promoted to the starting lineup, while young stars Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear will be in contention for minutes too.

While Tottenham have never faced Ferencvaros before, Postecoglou met the Hungarian champions in the 2021-22 Europa League while in charge of Celtic, masterminding a 3-2 away win and 2-0 home victory.

Tottenham Hotspur will endeavour to win their fifth game in a row across all competitions when they travel to the Groupama Arena in Budapest to face Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

This fixture represents the first meeting between these two clubs and Spurs' first-ever encounter with Hungarian opposition.

Match preview

© Imago

Since suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats against Newcastle United (2-1) and Arsenal (0-1), Tottenham have turned a corner and have won each of their last four games in all competitions by an aggregate score of 11-2.

Ange Postecoglou's side secured a 3-0 home victory against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag in their opening Europa League fixture last week despite playing for over 83 minutes with 10 men, and just three days later, they put Manchester United to the sword in impressive fashion by the same scoreline.

Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card for the Red Devils on the stroke of half time, but that should take nothing away from Tottenham's dominant showing at Old Trafford, with Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke all on the scoresheet to help the visitors cruise to victory and climb to eighth in the Premier League table, three points behind the top four.

Spurs are currently the bookmakers' favourite to go all the way and win the Europa League this term, but they enter Thursday's contest with Ferencvaros having won only one of their last nine European away matches (D2 L6) - a 2-1 success against Marseille in the Champions League in November 2022.

Tottenham may have never faced Ferencvaros before, but Postecoglou has come up against the Hungarian side twice in his managerial career, leading former club Celtic to a 2-0 home win and a 3-2 away victory in the 2021-22 Europa League group stage.

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Since winning their sixth consecutive Nemzeti Bajnoksag I title - and 35th in their history - last season, finishing a comfortable 16 points ahead of their nearest challengers, Ferencvaros have won 10, drawn two and lost two of their 14 competitive matches across all competitions at the start of this campaign.

Ferencvaros missed out on qualifying for the Champions League earlier this term, after suffering a 3-1 aggregate defeat to FC Midtjylland in the third qualifying round, but they secured their spot in the newly-expanded Europa League thanks to a 3-2 penalty-shootout triumph over Bosnian side FK Borac Banja Luka in the playoff round, following a 1-1 draw over two legs.

Managed by London-born Dutch coach Pascal Jansen, Ferencvaros fell to a 2-1 defeat away against Anderlecht in their opening Europa League fixture last week, with Adama Traore's fifth goal of the season ultimately proving to be just a consolation strike four minutes from time.

The Greens quickly bounced back from that defeat, though, and have preserved their perfect start in the Hungarian top flight after beating Puskas Akademia 3-0 in a top-of-the-table showdown last weekend, thanks to a superb second-half hat-trick from substitute Matheus Saldanha.

Ferencvaros are now gearing up for arguably their toughest test in the League Phase of this season's Europa League against Tottenham on Thursday, but they can take heart from the fact that they have only lost one of their previous 10 European home games (W5 D4) against English opposition - losing 3-0 to Leeds United back in 1969 in the European Cup.

Ferencvaros Europa League form:

Ferencvaros form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Ferencvaros appear to have a clean bill of health at present and Jansen is expected to name his strongest possible starting lineup, with a number of changes to be made to the side that beat Puskas Akademia last weekend.

Endre Botka, Gabor Szalai and Cristian Ramirez could all be recalled to join Ibrahim Cisse in defence, although Raul Gustavo could also retain his place if Jansen opts to select a back five, while Philippe Rommens may replace Habib Maiga and partner Mohammad Abu Fani in centre-midfield.

Adama Traore could move over from the right to the left flank if Kady is recalled, while Norwegian playmaker Kristoffer Zachariassen is set to operate centrally in behind either Barnabas Varga or Matheus Saldanha up front.

As for Tottenham, Radu Dragusin is suspended after being sent off against Qarabag last week, while Richarlison (muscle) and Wilson Odobert (hamstring) both remain sidelined with injuries.

Destiny Udogie was taken off at half time in the win at Man United on Sunday with a thigh problem, while Son Heung-min missed out entirely due to a hamstring issue, and both players are doubtful for Thursday's contest.

Postecoglou will consider making some changes to his starting lineup, with Archie Gray and Ben Davies in line to start as full-backs, while Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall will all be pushing for starts in midfield.

Ferencvaros possible starting lineup:

Dibusz; Botka, Cisse, Szalai, Ramirez; Abu Fani, Rommens; Kady, Zachariassen, Traore; Varga

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Gray, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

We say: Ferencvaros 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Ferencvaros are regarded as one of the weaker teams in this season's Europa League, but they will hope to frustrate Tottenham on Thursday and should not be taken lightly by Postecoglou's side. Nevertheless, even if the Aussie boss opts to freshen up his starting lineup, it is difficult to back against Spurs coming out on top in this one.

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

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