Sports Mole

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is expected to recall several big-hitters to his starting XI when the Magpies face West Ham United at the London Stadium in Sunday's Premier League showdown.

The Englishman made a handful of changes for Wednesday's EFL Cup fourth-round battle with Tottenham Hotspur, which paid off to the maximum as Newcastle strode to a 2-0 victory.

Howe does have an impending Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao to prepare for - the Spanish side visit St James' Park next Wednesday - but he is likely to revert to a full-strength XI against West Ham nonetheless.

As a result, wingers Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon can expect to be recalled alongside towering striker Nick Woltemade, whose header in midweek made it six goals from his first 11 appearances for Newcastle.

Brazilian boys Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes are primed to come back into the midfield too - the latter was responsible for the Magpies' late winner against Fulham last weekend - but Sandro Tonali may be retained over Lewis Miley.

Sven Botman was taken off on the 61-minute mark against the Cottagers on October 25 due to a knock, but the Dutchman was an unused substitute in the Spurs win and should therefore be fine to return to the backline.

Goalscorer Fabian Schar should therefore prepare to be sacrificed, as Malick Thiaw has also established himself as a regular starter and recently won Newcastle's October Player of the Month award.

Dan Burn is a defensive shoo-in too, but Emil Krafth and Aaron Ramsdale will no doubt make way for Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope in the capital.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon

> Click here to see how West Ham could line up for this game

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Chelsea striker Liam Delap will serve a one-match suspension when the Blues face Tottenham Hotspur away from home in Saturday's Premier League London derby.

The summer signing returned from injury off the bench in Wednesday's 4-3 EFL Cup fourth-round win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he was only on the pitch for 25 minutes before being dismissed for two bookable offences.

As red cards count across all competitions, Delap will sit out Saturday's derby after his "very stupid" dismissal, in the words of his manager Enzo Maresca.

The striker will therefore form part of a sextet of absentees for the visitors, who are also without the services of Cole Palmer (groin), Dario Essugo (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (muscle), Levi Colwill (knee) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension) for the time being.

Before Delap returned from his thigh problem, Maresca went with Marc Guiu up front and Joao Pedro just behind him in last weekend's 2-1 loss to Sunderland, but the Italian could now consider an alteration.

Andrey Santos was one of the stars of the show for Chelsea in midweek with a goal and assist, so the Brazilian could operate in the number 10 slot behind Pedro, who will also receive support from Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto.

Jamie Gittens could hardly have done more for a start here - setting up two goals and scoring a cracker of his own at Molineux - but he admitted to fatigue after the game, so a well-rested Garnacho should be given priority.

Further back, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will return to the double pivot, while a full complement of changes at the back should see Robert Sanchez, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella all come back in.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Santos, Garnacho; Pedro

> Click here to see how Spurs could line up for this game

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank is likely to make a handful of changes for Saturday's Premier League London derby at home to Chelsea.

The Lilywhites crashed out of the EFL Cup by virtue of a 2-0 fourth-round loss to Newcastle United on Wednesday night, where Frank was without a staggering 12 players due to injury.

Yves Bissouma (ankle), Kota Takai (ankle), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Radu Dragusin (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Ben Davies (thigh) remain on the sidelines, while Cristian Romero (adductor), Destiny Udogie (knee), Archie Gray (calf) and Wilson Odobert (abdominal) are all doubts at the time of writing.

Frank also confirmed that number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was an enforced absentee in the cup, but he also stressed that the Italian would be given the all-clear to face the Club World Cup winners this weekend.

Both Vicario and Micky van de Ven - the hero of last weekend's 3-0 win at Everton with a brilliant brace - are expected to return to the backline, joining Pedro Porro, Djed Spence and Kevin Danso if Romero does not recover in time.

Van de Ven's return ought to push Joao Palhinha into his recognisable midfield role alongside Rodrigo Bentancur, while Lucas Bergvall may have done enough to continue just ahead of the double pivot.

If so, Xavi Simons will have free roam of the left wing and left half-spaces, while Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani are likely to displace Brennan Johnson and Richarlison respectively.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Bergvall, Simons; Kolo Muani

> Click here to see how Chelsea could line up for this game

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A London derby that rarely fails to deliver endless entertainment, Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea on Saturday in the pick of this weekend's Premier League fixtures.

The fierce rivals enter gameweek 10 on the back of contrasting EFL Cup results, as Spurs were dumped out by Newcastle United while the Blues edged a seven-goal spectacular with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Match preview

One shot at domestic silverware has already passed Thomas Frank by, as his consistently inconsistent Tottenham side were no match for Newcastle's aerial prowess at St James' Park on Wednesday evening.

Two headers from Fabian Schar and the towering Nick Woltemade was all it took for the Magpies to eliminate Spurs from the fourth round of the EFL Cup, the rudest of rude awakenings for the Lilywhites after their statement Premier League success a few days beforehand.

The Europa League winners became the first side to sink Everton at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium home, where flying Dutchman Micky van de Ven inspired Tottenham to their fifth Premier League win of the campaign with a brilliant brace before Pape Sarr also got in on the act.

A run of just one win from five games does not paint a pretty picture for Tottenham, but the Premier League table arguably does - only leaders Arsenal and second-placed Bournemouth are better off than Spurs, who sit five points below the Gunners after nine games.

However, the hosts do not have their home form to thank for their bronze medal placement - Tottenham have taken just one point from their last three top-flight games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where only Burnley have succumbed to defeat in the Premier League this term.

Such a statistic spells pessimism against a Chelsea side rejoicing in their third consecutive win away from home, albeit an incredibly hard-fought one, as Premier League basement boys Wolves came close but no cigar to pulling off a captivating EFL Cup comeback.

Despite the customary Chelsea red card - this time to Liam Delap - the Club World Cup winners' young guns did the damage in an absorbing 4-3 success, one that was particularly momentous for the history of English football.

Indeed, the seven-goal thriller marked the first time that a Premier League side had four different scorers aged 21 or under in a single game, but neither Chelsea's juvenile prospects nor senior stars could prevent the Blues from falling to a shock loss to Sunderland in the top flight.

That 2-1 upset at Stamford Bridge - Chelsea's third loss in five league games - left Maresca's men in an unremarkable ninth in the standings, and only twice before have the visitors lost four times in their opening 10 matches of a Premier League campaign.

However, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a particularly happy haunt for Chelsea, whose unforgettable 4-3 success there last season represented their fifth Premier League victory at the ground - no visiting team has won more.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea form (all competitions):

Team News

Currently navigating their way around the worst injury crisis in the Premier League, Tottenham have concerns in the double figures ahead of Saturday's game, which Yves Bissouma (ankle), Kota Takai (ankle), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Radu Dragusin (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Ben Davies (thigh) will definitely miss.

Cristian Romero (adductor), Destiny Udogie (knee), Archie Gray (calf) and Wilson Odobert (abdominal) will all need once-overs ahead of the derby too, but Frank has affirmed that Guglielmo Vicario - an enforced absentee against Newcastle - will be fine for the visit of the Blues.

In brighter news, a well-rested Van de Ven will return to his rightful role in the Lilywhites' backline, while Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani are all in contention to start up front.

However, Chelsea's attacking options have once again been hit by a disciplinary blow, as Delap serves a one-game ban for picking up two yellow cards at Molineux on Wednesday evening.

The former Manchester City youngster - whose sending-off was slammed as "very stupid" by Maresca - will be one of six Blues absentees on Saturday alongside Cole Palmer (groin), Dario Essugo (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (muscle), Levi Colwill (knee) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension).

Maresca went with both Joao Pedro and Marc Guiu in central roles against Sunderland, but Andrey Santos ought to have played his way into a start this weekend, but Jamie Gittens may lose out to a well-rested Alejandro Garnacho despite his goal and two assists in midweek.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Bergvall, Simons; Kolo Muani

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Santos, Garnacho; Pedro

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Chelsea

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Chaos is so often the order of the day when Spurs face Chelsea at home, and with the Blues sharing 16 goals across their last three games in all tournaments, Saturday is likely to be no different.

Confidently predicting which version of Frank's Tottenham will show up is a fool's errand, and the Lilywhites are equally effective and vulnerable from dead-ball situations, so a gripping draw could be on the cards here.

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

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Previews by email

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Reeling from the loss of one shot at silverware, a wildly inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur welcome London rivals Chelsea to their headquarters for Saturday's mouthwatering Premier League derby.

Thomas Frank's men were sent packing in the EFL Cup fourth round in midweek, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United thanks to goals from Fabian Schar and Nick Woltemade.

However, the Lilywhites were resounding 3-0 victors in their last Premier League game against Everton, a result that left them third in the standings and five points below leaders Arsenal.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Chelsea, who did manage to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals courtesy of an engrossing 4-3 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wilson Odobert

Status:Â Minor doubt

Type of injury:Â Abdominal

Possible return date:Â November 1 (vs. Chelsea)

Wilson Odobert was absent from the squad to face Newcastle due to a side strain, Frank revealed after the match, although he also stressed that the winger "could look positive" for this weekend's London derby.

Archie Gray

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Calf

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Archie Gray was the victim of a calf injury in Spurs' recent Champions League draw with Monaco, and the former Leeds United youngster is not expected to be involved here.

Cristian Romero

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Adductor

Possible return date:Â November 1 (vs. Chelsea)

Cristian Romero is back out on the training pitches following an adductor injury and might be given the green light to return this weekend, but he will be cutting it close.

Destiny Udogie

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â November 1 (vs. Chelsea)

Likewise, Destiny Udogie is on the cusp of a return from a minor knee irritation, but there is no guarantee that the Italy international will be fit for the derby.

Ben Davies

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Thigh

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Ben Davies sustained a thigh injury while representing Wales during the most recent international break, and the experienced defender is expected to remain out until after the next two-week hiatus.

Yves Bissouma

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Another victim of the October international break, Yves Bissouma has now undergone surgery on the ankle problem he suffered while playing for Mali, and no timeframe has been placed on his return.

Kota Takai

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Foot

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Kota Takai is still not involved in Spurs' first-team setup, despite taking part in full training in September after a foot problem, so it can be assumed that he will miss out again this weekend.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Radu Dragusin tore his ACL in the Europa League nine months ago, but the Romanian defender is training fully again and is expected to take part in a friendly during the November international break, so he is looking good for a competitive return before the end of 2025.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Dejan Kulusevski is yet to make an appearance this term due to the severe knee problem he suffered towards the end of last term, and there is still no indication when the Swede might be back in the ranks.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â Unknown

James Maddison's 2025-26 season ended before it even began due to a summer ACL injury, and it remains to be seen if the English playmaker will return before the campaign ends.

Dominic Solanke

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Possible return date:Â November 8 (vs. Manchester United)

Dominic Solanke is taking "steps forward" in his recovery from an ankle operation, but the visit of Chelsea will come too soon for the striker.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.

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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has called for an EFL Cup rule change for future competitions.

Spurs are currently preparing to square off against holders Newcastle United in a fourth-round tie that will be played at St James' Park on Wednesday night.

Having played Monaco and Everton on their travels in the space of the last week, the North Londoners will be taking on their third away fixture in quick succession.

Speaking ahead of the trip to St James' Park, Frank feels that the governing bodies should consider enforcing a rule change later in the tournament that may aid clubs with such schedules.

What EFL Cup rule change has Frank suggested?

While Frank left a smaller club in Brentford to be appointed as Spurs boss in the summer, the Dane feels that the semi-finals should be restricted to one tie rather than played over two legs.

He told reporters: "There should only be one semi-final. I said that before at Brentford and that's why I'm very happy to say it again.

"For the smaller clubs, if you want to beat a bigger club, it's much much easier to play only one game.

"So if we really want someone to break out and it's not the same boring same teams that are winning - of course except for Spurs - then we need to skip one semi-final. For everyone else that plays so many games, it should only be one."

Why Frank's suggestion makes sense?

Given the expansion of the Champions League, matches such as FA Cup replays have been scrapped to the detriment of that competition.

Supporters would much prefer for space to be found in the calendar for such fixtures than weeks being dedicated to four teams in the latter stages of the EFL Cup.

As Frank has alluded to, it may increase the chances of a surprise, but teams with European commitments would be in favour of an extra free midweek even if they did reach the EFL Cup semi-finals.

Ever since the competition was founded in 1960, there have been two-legged semi-finals, meaning that senior figures in the Football Association and EFL would need to break tradition in order to enforce such a change.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning to sign a Serie A-based forward in January to strengthen their attacking options.

Spurs’ top scorer this season is centre-back Micky van de Ven with five goals, two more than Richarlison and Brennan Johnson, both of whom have scored three goals going into November.

Thomas Frank is said to be concerned about his options up front, as Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel have not yet made the expected impact, and Dominic Solanke's injury problems persist.

As a result, the North London club are now aiming to strengthen their attack, hoping that the new signing will improve the overall quality in the final third.Â

Spurs target Serie A-based forward to boost efficiency

According to TBR Football, Spurs are seeking to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2026.

The report suggests that Fabio Paratici admires the former Fiorentina striker, and the Premier League club could make a move for the forward during the winter transfer window.

With Juventus reluctant to lose the 25-year-old on a free, a deal worth around £20m could be negotiated between the two clubs to bring the striker in six months early.

Although Vlahovic has fallen out of favour in Turin, his goalscoring ability is undeniable, having netted 111 goals in all competitions for Fiorentina and Juventus.

Spurs reportedly ready to compete with Champions League contenders for centre-forward

The aforementioned source further suggests that Spurs may have to compete with two Champions League contenders and a London rival to secure Vlahovic’s signature.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona are said to be interested in the Juventus striker, who is also attracting attention from Chelsea.

Bayern, however, have in-form Harry Kane in their squad, while Barca’s Robert Lewandowski remains the first-choice forward in Hansi Flick’s team, albeit at 37.

Chelsea’s desire for a forward is clear, especially since Joao Pedro’s goals have dried up and Liam Delap has yet to return from a hamstring injury.

It will be interesting to see if Spurs beat these clubs to the signing if a four-way battle were to occur either in January or next summer.Â

Tottenham Hotspur are allegedly toying with the idea of making an approach for a former Manchester United midfielder.

While the North Londoners have not been at their best of late, Sunday's 3-0 victory at Everton moved Thomas Frank's side into third position in the Premier League table.

Frank has found an effective way of managing domestic and Champions League fixtures with just three players starting every Premier League game thus far.

None of that trio are engine-room midfielders with Joao Palhinha, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall all being used on a regular basis.

Nevertheless, as per TEAMtalk, Spurs have 'taken a shine' to a player who has previously represented Man United in England's top flight.

Spurs considering surprise McTominay bid

The report claims that Spurs are keen on adding Napoli's Scott McTominay to their midfield options during the summer transfer window.

McTominay has gone from being unwanted at Man United to a Serie A title winner and being ranked 18th in the recent Ballon d'Or rankings.

However, last season's Serie A MVP has sometimes taken on a different role in Antonio Conte's starting lineup during 2025-26 to accommodate Kevin De Bruyne.

Although the 28-year-old has still contributed four goals and one assist from his 10 starts in Italy's top flight and the Champions League, he has not always been as effective as in 2024-25.

Napoli will allegedly play hardball if any offers are made for McTominay, particularly in January, but there is likely to be opportunities to make a substantial profit on the £21m that they spent in 2024.

What is McTominay's stance?

Given his star status at Napoli and continued faith from Conte, McTominay is said to be "extremely happy" in Naples and "loves the life" in the city.

Therefore, it appears highly unlikely that he will push to leave a club where he has contributed 17 goals and seven assists from his 46 appearances.

That said, Napoli will be conscious that McTominay's contract is due to expire in 2028, and efforts will allegedly be made in January to extend his terms.

Thomas Frank has delivered a positive update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven.

The 24-year-old has been a standout performer for Spurs since Frank’s arrival as head coach in the summer and has made important contributions at both ends of the pitch in the 2025-26 season.

Only Pedro Porro and Guglielmo Vicario have played more minutes for Tottenham in all competitions this season than Van de Ven (1,160), who has helped Frank’s side keep six clean sheets.

Remarkably, Van de Ven is also Spurs’ top scorer so far this term with five goals, including a brace in a man-of-the-match display whilst wearing the captain’s armband in last weekend’s 3-0 Premier League victory at Everton.

Van de Ven’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed, as the in-form defender has been linked with the likes of Spanish giants Real Madrid in recent weeks.

The Netherlands international is under contract in North London until June 2029, but it is understood that he is not currently one of Spurs' top earning players, raising the prospect of a new deal to reflect his growing importance.

‘Van de Ven definitely a player I see with a big future at Spurs’, says Frank

With other key first-team stars including captain Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur having recently tied themselves down to long-term contracts at Tottenham, Frank is not fazed by the speculation surrounding Van de Ven and insists he is ‘really enjoying’ his time at the club.

Speaking at a press conference before Tottenham’s EFL Cup fourth-round trip to Newcastle on Wednesday, Frank said: “Very happy with Micky. I think he has been brilliant for the club since he signed and he has taken some steps up this season.

“He actually defends even better. He is still very good on the ball, he added the goals and the headed goals, which I am very happy with. He’s a threat from set-pieces.

“Character and leadership also growing and as far as I know, we have a good contract with him but definitely a player I see with a big future at the club.

“I think he is happy here, that is very important and we’re happy with him, so let’s see what happens in the future.

“The most important thing is it looks like he really enjoys his football, he really enjoys his time here, I am very happy with him, everyone is really happy, so that’s a good sign.”

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank will again be without the services of nine first-team players for Wednesday's EFL Cup fourth-round contest with Newcastle United.

James Maddison (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Radu Dragusin (knee), Kota Takai (ankle), Yves Bissouma (muscle), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Ben Davies (muscle), Cristian Romero (groin), Destiny Udogie (knee) remain out of action for the North London club.

Frank will make changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Everton on Sunday.

Antonin Kinsky should feature between the sticks, while Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are also expected to be in the first XI for Spurs.

Joao Palhinha could drop into the middle of the defence, having featured in that area against Doncaster Rovers in the last round of the competition.

Pedro Porro is likely to retain his spot at right-back, while there should be a spot in the final third of the field for Brennan Johnson, who scored in the last round against Doncaster.

Junai Byfield, 16, could also be in line for some first-team minutes, with the defender on the bench against Everton due to the team's injury problems.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:Â Kinsky; Porro, Palhinha, Danso, Spence; Gray, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Tel, Odobert

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