Sports Mole

Manchester City will be looking to win their third game in a row in all competitions when they travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens secured a 2-0 top-flight home win over Wolves last weekend and followed that up by beating Galatasaray by the same scoreline at the Etihad in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

However, their European triumph came at a price, as one of Pep Guardiola’s key players was forced off with an injury and has joined a number of other City starts in the treatment room

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Man City’s latest injury and suspension news ahead of the contest against Thomas Frank’s side.

Jeremy Doku

Status: Out

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: Unknown

After providing two assists against Galatasaray, Jeremy Doku was forced off with a calf injury in the first half and Guardiola has since revealed that the winger is expected to miss Sunday’s trip to Spurs, while he could also miss a number of other games.

Josko Gvardiol

Status: Out

Type of injury: Tibial fracture

Possible return date: Unknown

Josko Gvardiol suffered a tibial fracture at the beginning of this year, which required surgery, and he is now in danger of missing the rest of the season.

Ruben Dias

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: February 8 (vs. Liverpool)

Ruben Dias sustained a hamstring injury at the beginning of this year, but the defender is believed to be targeting a return at the start of next month.

Savinho

Status: Out

Type of injury: Unspecified

Possible return date: Unknown

Savinho has missed Man City’s last eight games with an unspecified injury and Guardiola recently revealed that the Brazilian winger could be ruled out for a "month and a half, two months".

John Stones

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: Unknown

Stones has been sidelined since the beginning of December and there is currently no timeframe for when the injury-prone defender could return to first-team action.

Mateo Kovacic

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle/Heel

Possible return date: Unknown

Guardiola confirmed at the end of last year that Kovacic “will be out for a while” and Man City “will wait on him for the last part of the season.”

Kovacic, who has made only two substitute appearances for the Citizens this season since undergoing Achilles surgery in the summer, is now suffering from calcification in his ankle/heel.

MANCHESTER CITY'S SUSPENSION LIST

Manchester City have no suspended players for this match.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches when they play host to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Frank’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley in the top flight last weekend, but that result was sandwiched between two 2-0 victories over German sides Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, with Spurs beating the latter on Wednesday.

Focus now shifts back to the Premier League for Tottenham, who are currently languishing in 14th place in the table, eight points above the relegation zone and eight points behind the top six.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up their latest injury and suspension news ahead of the contest against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Mickey van de Ven

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Unspecified

Possible return date: February 1 (vs. Man City)

Micky van de Ven missed the midweek win over Frankfurt with a "minor" problem and the defender will be assessed ahead of kickoff on Sunday.

Pedro Porro

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: March 1 (vs. Fulham)

Frank recently confirmed that Pedro Porro has picked up a hamstring injury and is set to remain sidelined for the next four weeks.

Ben Davies

© Imago / Every Second Media

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: Unknown

Ben Davies has missed the last three games since being stretchered off with a broken ankle which required surgery. The defender is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Lucas Bergvall

© Imago

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: April 11 (vs. Sunderland)

Lucas Bergvall recently underwent ankle surgery and is not expected to return until the middle of April at the earliest.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Bentancur sustained a hamstring injury in Tottenham's defeat to Bournemouth earlier this month and the midfielder will be missing for a extended period.

Mohammed Kudus

© Imago / Every Second Media

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: March 15 (vs. Liverpool)

Kudus picked up a thigh injury against Sunderland on January 4, and the Ghana international is targeting a return after March's international break.

Richarlison

© Imago / IMAGO / News Images

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: February 22 (vs. Arsenal)

Richarlison was forced off in the first half against Aston Villa on January 10 with a hamstring problem and the Brazilian is set to remain sidelined until the end of February.

James Maddison

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Maddison is currently working on his rehabilitation from the ACL injury that he sustained in August, and although there have been videos of the midfielder back on the grass, the 29-year-old is still fighting to be back for pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Kulusevski has not played since April last year due to a long-term knee injury and Frank recently said that he could potentially be back on grass by the end of the month.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR’S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering making a shock move for Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in the January transfer window.

Tottenham have been busy this month, bringing in Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and Brazilian prospect Souza from Santos as Thomas Frank looks to strengthen his squad.

Johnstone joined Wolves in the summer of 2024 from Crystal Palace after losing his place to Dean Henderson, and has made only 24 appearances for the Premier League side.

The former West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper already has 85 appearances at the Premier League level, but he has lost his place to Jose Sa at Wolves.

Spurs eye move for Sam Johnstone?

© Imago

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Spurs have lined up four-time England cap Johnstone for a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after he fell out of favour at Molineux.

Johnstone would love the chance to move to Spurs, given that Wolves are more likely to be relegated and that he will be able to play Premier League football next season.

The 32-year-old keeper, however, could face a strong challenge to remove Guglielmo Vicario from the starting role, and he may have to remain content with the second-choice option.

Meanwhile, Johnstone is not the only Wolves player Spurs are targeting this month, with reports suggesting that Frank's side are in the hunt to land Hugo Bueno, who is expected to leave Molineux at the end of the season.

The north London club have missed out on signing Andrew Robertson from Liverpool, and they are keen to sign the Spaniard, who would add invaluable experience and leadership to their ranks.

Sam Johnstone to replace Antonin Kinsky?

© Imago

According to a report from GiveMeSport, West Ham are working on a deal to sign Antonin Kinsky, who has struggled for regular game time under Frank.

Kinsky, who joined from Slavia Prague last January, featured 10 times and kept three clean sheets for Spurs last season, but has managed only two appearances this season.

The Hammers reportedly want to bring in the Czech Republic international on loan with the option to sign him permanently next summer.

If Kinsky leaves the club this month, it could pave the way for Johnstone's potential arrival, and Wolves are unlikely to block the move.

Tottenham Hotspur can secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League when they face Eintracht Frankfurt away from home on Wednesday night.

Spurs are fifth in the Champions League table, 14 points from seven games, and a win will guarantee them an automatic spot in the knock-out round.

While the north London club are doing exceptionally well in Europe, their domestic form has been abysmal, and Thomas Frank will be more concerned with his growing injury list.

Ahead of their trip to Frankfurt, Spurs have been dealt mixed injury news ahead of their final Champions League game.

Tottenham injury news: Good and bad

According to a report from Football London, Joao Palhinha has resumed training at Hotspur Way on Tuesday morning.

The Portuguese midfielder, who is currently on loan from Bayern Munich, suffered a knock in training ahead of Tottenham's loss against West Ham, and it was feared that he would not return before February.

The news is a huge boost for Frank, who is already without Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma; both are not registered to play in the Champions League.

However, Spurs are still without defender Micky van de Ven, and the Dutch defender was absent from training, sparking fears that he will miss the contest.

Pedro Porro also picked up an injury during the 2-2 draw against Burnley in the previous game, and he was also not seen in the training session.

Losing Micky van de Ven is a blow

Frank is also currently missing a host of players, including Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentacur, Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski.

The loss of Van de Ven is a big blow for Tottenham, and his current injury status is unclear. The Dutchman did not train ahead of the Borussia Dortmund clash, and it looks likely that he will miss the trip to Frankfurt.

Dominic Solanke trained without difficulty and will be expected to lead the line once again after starting in back-to-back games.

While Randal Kolo Muani is on loan this season from Paris Saint-Germain to Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus are ready to try their luck again with the French striker.

Last season, Kolo Muani rediscovered his form on loan at Juventus. He expected and said he was ready to settle permanently in Turin, but PSG and the Italian club never reached an agreement. The French forward was subsequently loaned out at the very end of the summer window to Tottenham on a straight loan with no option to buy.

This spell in London has not gone well for the 27-year-old. Indeed, he has scored in just one match this season... against Paris at the Parc des Princes. The former Nantes man bagged a brace that night. As such, he has not found the net since November 26.

Juventus want to sign Randal Kolo Muani again

A difficult patch that has alerted Juventus. Fabrizio Romano reports that the Serie A giants have enquired about Randal Kolo Muani's situation in recent days.

However, the Italian journalist insists that Tottenham are not opening the door to a departure for the French international and that PSG remain unhappy following the failed transfer last summer.

As such, this deal is not necessarily on track for Juventus, who have already suffered setbacks in their pursuit of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Youssef En-Nesyri in their search for a striker this winter.

For his part, Gianluca Di Marzio is less pessimistic. According to him, the Old Lady will indeed attempt to sign RKM again.

Tottenham ready to let Randal Kolo Muani go?

The Old Lady have "received signals indicating his possible departure from Tottenham, especially if Spurs do not qualify among the top eight in the Champions League," writes the Italian.

The London club are seventh in the Champions League league phase ahead of Wednesday's final matchday.

Should Tottenham open the door, Juventus would then need to make contact with PSG and Kolo Muani, who pushed to stay in Turin last summer.

Di Marzio concludes: "Negotiations therefore remain complicated, but the Bianconeri intend to try. Kolo Muani is also a profile that Luciano Spalletti really likes."

Tottenham Hotspur are set to welcome Micky van de Ven back to the starting XI in the Champions League against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night.

The speedy Dutchman was suspended last week as the Lilywhites secured a 2-0 continental success over Borussia Dortmund in North London.

There is a slight concern over Van de Ven's trusty partner Cristian Romero, who was forced off late during the draw with Burnley on the weekend.

However, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank has eased concerns surrounding the Argentinian, who was simply suffering with a cramp in the final moments at Turf Moor.

With Conor Gallagher unable to feature in the league phase for Tottenham, the visitors to Germany are likely to field Archie Gray and Pape Sarr in midfield together.

Pedro Porro's game time was managed at Burnley on Saturday as the right-back played only the first half, with the Spaniard expected to feature from the off at Deutsche Bank Park.

After netting the second goal in the beating of Dortmund last week, Dominic Solanke should continue to lead the line.

Looking to end a woeful League Phase campaign on a positive note, Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Deutsche Bank Park in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Die Alder have squandered any chance of reaching the knockout stages across the opening seven gameweeks, whereas Spurs are close to securing their spot in the last 16.

Match preview

After finishing behind only champions Bayern Munich and previously-invincible Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga last term, Eintracht Frankfurt have suffered a severe fall from grace during the 2025-26 campaign.

Die Alder's winless run across all competitions extended to a worrying six matches (D3 L3) on Saturday afternoon, when a second league goal from Nottingham Forest loanee Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga could not prevent a 3-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim.

Focusing on continental matters, Eintracht Frankfurt have won just one of their first seven matches in the League Phase, leaving them languishing down in 33rd spot on a mere four points, four points behind Olympiacos in the top 24.

With their European adventure set to end this Wednesday, Dennis Schmitt's troops will be searching for a morale-boosting victory at Deutsche Bank Park, where they have won just one of their last five competitive fixtures.

Die Alder have suffered massively from the absence of Jonathan Burkardt throughout the winter months, with the 25-year-old netting 10 goals in 17 matches at the beginning of the term before picking up a calf problem in late November.

For the fifth game in succession, Tottenham Hotspur were unable to collect maximum points from a Premier League fixture on Saturday afternoon, when a last-minute effort from centre-back Cristian Romero was required to salvage a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Burnley.

Pressure is certainly mounting on the shoulders of head coach Thomas Frank, who will look at his side's upcoming schedule with trepidation, as Spurs face Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal within the next month.

The Champions League has provided some much-needed joy for those of a Lilywhites persuasion this term amongst the domestic chaos, with Tottenham winning three of their last four continental battles, sitting fifth in the League Phase rankings.

Frank's side can guarantee a spot in the top eight of the cohort with maximum points in Germany on Wednesday, when World Cup winner Romero will be looking to score in a fourth consecutive match.

Spurs' sensational standing in the Champions League has been held up by a 100% record in home contests, however the Lilywhites have failed to win any of their three away matches (D2 L1) in the competition so far this season.

Eintracht Frankfurt Champions League form: L L D L L L

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions): D D L D L L

Tottenham Hotspur Champions League form: D D W L W W

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions): D L L L W D

Team News

After making a positive start to his loan spell, Eintracht Frankfurt's Kalimuendo-Muinga is expected to be sidelined until February with a muscular injury.

The hosts' options at the top end of the pitch are reduced further by the absence of Michy Batshuayi, who is recovering from a broken ankle.

Tottenham boss Frank has eased injury concerns surrounding Pedro Porro and Romero following the draw at Burnley, with the defensive pair both forced off at Turf Moor.

Spurs have a growing list of long-term absentees, with Lucas Bergvall picking up an ankle problem during his side's most recent Champions League fixture.

The Premier League outfit are light on choices in attack, with James Maddison (knee), Mohammed Kudus (muscle) and Richarilson (hamstring) all sidelined.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Kaua; Collins, Koch, Theate; Kristiansen, Skhiri, Larsson, Brown; Doan, Knauff, Uzun

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Gray, Sarr; Odobert, Simons, Spence; Solanke

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Conceding at least three goals in five of their last six matches, Eintracht Frankfurt are a vulnerable side ahead of their final Champions League contest of the campaign.

Despite their domestic struggles, Tottenham should be confident of taking advantage of Die Alder's problems and booking a spot straight into the last 16.

Hoping to confirm their spot in Champions League's round of 16, Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur will travel to face the Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt for their final league phase game.

Die Adler were downed 3-1 by Hoffenheim on Saturday, while Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley, and both will be looking to continental action for an escape from their domestic strife.

Here, Sports Mole provides all the details you need to know about how to watch Wednesday's Champions League clash between Marseille and Liverpool.

What time does Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur kick off?

This match will kick off at 8:00pm on Wednesday, January 28 for viewers in the UK.

Where is Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur being played?

The Lilywhites will travel to the 59,500-capacity Deutsche Bank Park, the ground that has been home to Frankfurt since 1925.

How to watch Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the UK

TV channels

This match will be broadcast live on the TNT Sports 5 TV channel in the UK.

Streaming

Fans will be able to stream this contest live via Discovery+ if they have subscribed to the TNT Sports package on the platform.

Discovery+ with TNT Sports is also accessible through the Amazon Prime Video app.

Highlights

Game-changing events such as goals are set to be posted to the FootballOnTNT X (formerly Twitter) account.

Highlights will also be uploaded to the TNT Sports Football YouTube channel on the night of the clash.

What is at stake in Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur?

Frankfurt have endured a difficult campaign so far, and parted ways with former manager Dino Toppmoller on January 18, hoping in-part to stave off an early Champions League exit.

However, interim boss Dennis Schmitt - who was promoted from the club's Under-21s - oversaw a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Qarabag FK last time out in this competition, marking Die Adler's fifth loss.

That disappointment means that the Bundesliga side can no longer qualify for the playoffs given that they sit 33rd in the table with just four points, half as many as 24th-placed Olympiacos.

As for Spurs, they too have found 2025-26 a struggle overall, but UEFA's premier club competition has proven to be a more successful hunting ground than the English top flight for the Londoners.

Thomas Frank's men have won just once across their last nine domestic outings (five losses, three draws), a record that contrasts starkly with their readout of four victories, two draws and one loss so far in the Champions League.

Starting the matchweek fifth in the table with 14 points, Tottenham are in the automatic round of 16 spots, but given that every team from ninth to 16th (including Barcelona and Manchester City) are within striking distance of them, Spurs will be desperate to avoid any slip ups on Wednesday.

Liverpool have decided against selling Andrew Robertson to Tottenham Hotspur this winter, the latest report has revealed.

The Reds suffered yet another defeat in the Premier League on the weekend, losing 3-2 against Bournemouth, with the result leaving them in sixth place after the end of matchweek 23.

Robertson was brought on at half time for Milos Kerkez, and many fans thought that it could have been the left-back's final appearance for the club.

The Scotsman has been strongly linked with a move to Tottenham, and there were reports suggesting Liverpool were in discussions to bring Kostas Tsimikas back from his loan spell at Roma to cover for his place in the squad.

However, David Ornstein has claimed in his latest piece for The Athletic that Roma have been unable to sanction Tsimikas's return as they have not yet found a replacement, meaning a deal to sell Robertson is not progressing.

Why Liverpool have made the correct Andy Robertson sale decision

When looking at the Liverpool squad purely in terms of numbers, selling Robertson this window made little sense.

Arne Slot currently only has three centre-backs and three full-backs at the club, and with Joe Gomez now injured and Ibrahima Konate's return date uncertain, the Dutch coach only has four defenders for four spots.

Bringing in Kostas Tsimikas would arguably be a downgrade considering he would replace Robertson as Kerkez's backup, but he would not be able to operate in central defence if required.

With Liverpool still in the Champions League and in the FA Cup, Robertson's experience and leadership could also be vital, and the 31-year-old may still play an important role between now and the end of 2025-26.

Why are Liverpool not looking to sign a defender?

When Liverpool were defending the title in the 2020-21 campaign, many fans pointed out that the club only had three centre-backs in the squad, and the decision to head into the season understaffed at the back ultimately cost them the chance of retaining their crown.

The Reds have not been reliably linked to any defender this winter, and they look set to head into the rest of the campaign light at the back.

Virgil van Dijk is 34, Konate and Gomez are both injury prone, Jeremie Frimpong has already picked up two muscle injures and Slot revealed that Kerkez was subbed against Bournemouth as he was at risk of injury.

The decision to wait until the summer to sign players is odd considering the Reds are sixth and at risk of missing out on Champions League qualification.

Perhaps the club are reluctant to spend further on Slot given he has underperformed as head coach, and they would instead prefer to let a new manager shape the squad to their liking in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur will battle to ensure their place in the top eight of the Champions League standings when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the final league phase fixture on Wednesday.

Spurs are fifth in the Champions League table with 14 points and a narrow one-point lead over the chasing pack, meaning they will be eager to claim all three points on Wednesday to confirm their top eight place.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ben Davies

© Imago / Every Second Media

© Imago / Every Second Media

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: Unknown

Davies suffered a serious injury in his side's defeat against West Ham, and an ankle operation is expected to keep the defender out until at least April.

Lucas Bergvall

© Imago

© Imago

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: April 11 (vs. Sunderland)

Tottenham initially believed Bergavll's time on the treatment table would be on the shorter side, but after being assessed, it is now believed that the midfielder could be out until April.

Joao Palhinha

© Imago / Sportsphoto

© Imago / Sportsphoto

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Knock

Possible return date: February 01 (vs. Manchester City)

Palhinha suffered a knock in training ahead of Tottenham's loss against West Ham, and after missing the game against Burnley, the midfielder is not expected to be back until February.

Rodrigo Bentancur

© Imago / News Images

© Imago / News Images

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Bentancur sustained a hamstring injury in Tottenham's defeat to Bournemouth earlier this month, and the midfielder will be missing for a significant period, with predictions currently set for early May.

Mohammed Kudus

© Imago / Every Second Media

© Imago / Every Second Media

Status: Out

Type of injury: Thigh

Possible return date: Unknown

Kudus picked up a thigh injury against Sunderland on January 4, and the Ghana international is set to be sidelined for at least another couple of months, potentially set for a return after the March international break.

Richarlison

© Imago / IMAGO / News Images

© Imago / IMAGO / News Images

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: February 22 (vs. Arsenal)

Richarlison was forced off in the first half against Aston Villa on January 10 with a hamstring problem, and the Brazilian will be out for another six weeks or so, with a potential return for the North London derby.

James Maddison

© Imago

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Maddison is currently working on his rehabilitation from the ACL injury that he sustained in August, and although there have been videos of the midfielder back on the grass, the 29-year-old is still fighting to be back for pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski

© Imago

© Imago

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Kulusevski has not played since April due to a long-term knee injury, and Thomas Frank recently said that he could potentially be back on grass by the end of the month.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR’S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for the Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.