Sports Mole

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly need to submit a 'huge offer' to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window.Â

Spurs were linked with a move for Gallagher during the summer transfer window, but the north London club did not make any formal approach as they bolstered other areas of the pitch.Â

That being said, Thomas Frank is said to be a huge admirer of Gallagher, who has featured in each of Atletico's three La Liga matches this season but only came off the bench in the last two games.Â

According to a report from Football Insider, Manchester United and Crystal Palace retain a strong interest in the 25-year-old midfielder, while Spurs could enter the bidding war for the England international.Â

Since joining from Chelsea last summer, Gallagher has scored four goals and registered six assists in 53 appearances for Atletico, and it would take a lucrative offer to lure him away from Spain.Â

How much Spurs need to pay for Gallagher?Â

It was previously reported that Tottenham are planning to make an offer for Gallagher in January, and the La Liga club could be open to letting him leave in 2026.

However, the new report suggests that Diego Simeone wants to keep a strong squad, especially if they qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, which means Atletico would be reluctant to sell Gallagher during the January window.Â

The Rojiblancos paid £33m to sign the former Chelsea midfielder in 2024, and they would demand in the region of £50m for him.Â

Spurs signed Palhinha from Bayern Munich on loan during the summer transfer window, but they still need more depth, experience, and quality in midfield, and Gallagher ticks all the boxes.Â

Should Tottenham make a move for Gallagher in January?Â

The long-term injury to James Maddison means Frank must sign a new box-to-box attacking-minded central midfielder in January.Â

Yves Bissouma has become surplus to requirements at the club, and there will be room for a new addition if he leaves.Â

Gallagher started against Liverpool in the Champions League, but he has been in and out of the side. At the same time, he has a contract at Atletico until 2029, and the La Liga giants are not under any pressure to sell him. Â

Having said that, Tottenham are expected to lurch in a fresh direction after Daniel Levy left the club, and Frank could be backed properly in the winter market. So, a potential move for Gallagher cannot be completely ruled out.Â

Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in Saturday afternoon's Premier League contest at the Amex.

Brighton found themselves 2-0 ahead in the 31st minute of the fixture, with Yankuba Minteh on the scoresheet before Yasin Ayari struck one from distance to leave Spurs in a world of trouble.

However, Richarlison managed to level the scores in the latter stages of the first period, before an own goal from Jan Paul van Hecke in the 82nd minute earned a point for Thomas Frank's side.

Tottenham are second in the Premier League table, boasting 10 points from their first five matches of the season, while Brighton are 12th, gathering five points from their opening five games.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Tottenham were in all sorts of bother when Brighton doubled their lead in the 31st minute, but the response from the visitors was strong, and a point, all things considered, is an excellent result at the Amex.

Spurs have now picked up 10 points from their first five matches of the season, which has left them second, and that represents an excellent start for Frank in charge of the North London club.

Tottenham had entered this game off the back of successive wins, keeping clean sheets in both fixtures, but their goalkeeper struggled on Saturday, and he was certainly at fault for Brighton's second.

Brighton at the Amex is always a tough match for opposing teams, so Spurs can be pleased with their point, and it was another strong performance from Mohammed Kudus in a wide area.

Richarlison was also in impressive form for Spurs, while Minteh was the standout player for Brighton, and a draw was just about right when looking at the match as a whole.

BRIGHTON VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Yankuba Minteh goal vs. Tottenham (8th min, Brighton 1-0 Tottenham)

Brighton make the breakthrough in the eighth minute of the contest, and it is Minteh on the scoresheet, as the attacker races onto a pass from Georginio Rutter before rounding the Spurs goalkeeper and finding the back of the net.

Yasin Ayari goal vs. Tottenham (31st min, Brighton 2-0 Tottenham)

Brighton double their advantage in the 31st minute of the match, with Ayari finding the back of the net from distance, but questions must be asked of Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Richarlison goal vs. Brighton (43rd min, Brighton 2-1 Tottenham)

Tottenham have a goal back just before the half-time interval, as Richarlison manages to convert into the back of the net from close range following a strike from teammate Kudus.

Jan Paul van Hecke goal vs. Brighton (82nd min, Brighton 2-2 Tottenham)

Tottenham level it up at 2-2 in the 82nd minute of the match, as Van Hecke scores past his own goalkeeper, converting a cross from Kudus into the home side's goal. Will there be a late winner here?

MAN OF THE MATCH - YANKUBA MINTEH

Minteh made the breakthrough against Spurs with a brilliant goal, and the attacker continued to cause Tottenham problems throughout the afternoon with his pace and movement.

The 21-year-old also made two tackles to help his team out defensively, and he has held off competition from Ayari, Kudus and Richarlison in order to secure the man-of-the-match award.

BRIGHTON VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Brighton 36%-64% Tottenham

Shots:Â Brighton 12-11 Tottenham

Shots on target: Brighton 4-3 Tottenham

Corners: Brighton 2-10 Tottenham

Fouls: Brighton 10-13 Tottenham

WHAT NEXT?

Brighton's attention will now switch to the EFL Cup, preparing to head to Barnsley in the third round of the competition on Tuesday night, before returning to league action at home to Chelsea next Saturday.

Tottenham, meanwhile, will host Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, before hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League next Saturday.

No Data Analysis info

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly prepared to bid around £52m for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

The Lilywhites made a positive start to their Champions League campaign earlier in the week, securing a narrow victory over Villarreal in North London.

Elsewhere in UEFA's top-tier club competition, Hjulmand played 70 minutes as Sporting Lisbon smashed tournament debutants Kairat Almaty 4-1.

Over recent times, the 26-year-old has gained the honour of captaining the Primeira Liga giants, highlighting his development in Lisbon.

Since making the switch from Italian outfit Lecce over the summer of 2023, Hjulmand has featured on 103 occasions for Sporting, scoring eight goals.

Tottenham plotting £52m move for Hjulmand?

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Tottenham are plotting the reinforcement of their midfield ranks during the upcoming transfer windows.

The report states that the Europa League winners are keen on securing the services of Denmark international Hjulmand on a big-money deal.

It is understood that Tottenham are preparing to submit an initial financial package totalling £52m for the talents of the 26-year-old in the near future.

Despite being happy and content in Lisbon, it is believed that a lucrative switch to the Premier League could be too good to turn down for Hjulmand.

Fellow Dane and Spurs head coach Thomas Frank is said to be a major part in the North London club's interest in the engine room enforcer.

Sporting suffer raids

After a successful spell under the tutelage of Ruben Amorim, Sporting Lisbon's greatest talents continue to be snatched by Europe's elite clubs.

The most obvious example of this is the move of Swedish marksman Viktor Gyokeres to Premier League giants Arsenal over the summer.

Following his record of netting around a goal per game on the Portuguese scene, the 27-year-old was always destined for a transfer away.

Fresh from their midweek European triumph, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to win their third successive game in seven days across all competitions when they travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs will be seeking revenge against the Seagulls after losing both home and away meetings in the top flight last season, conceding seven goals in the process.

Match preview

Brighton entered September’s international break on a high after beating Manchester City 2-1 on home soil, but they were brought back down to earth last weekend when they suffered defeat by the same scoreline at the hands of Bournemouth.

Kaoru Mitoma’s first goal of the season restored parity for the Seagulls three minutes into the second half, but they eventually came away from the Vitality Stadium empty handed, as Jan Paul van Hecke clumsily stuck out a leg to concede a penalty which Antoine Semenyo converted to condemn the visitors to their second loss after four league games this term.

Fabian Hurzeler was left “frustrated” after his 50th game in charge of Brighton, as he felt that his players “didn’t get the rewards” they deserved for their tireless efforts, particularly in the second half. Nevertheless, the result leaves Brighton 13th in the table, one point above the relegation zone and five behind the top four.

Brighton will welcome a return to the Amex Stadium on Saturday, as they have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League matches in front of their own supporters (W6 D3) and they are unbeaten in their last six on home soil (W3 D3) since a 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa in April.

The Seagulls should back themselves to pick up maximum points against Tottenham considering they have won three of their last four Premier League meetings with the North Londoners, completing the double over them last season (3-2 at home and 4-1 away) which is the only time that they have ever won back-to-back league encounters with Spurs.

After suffering their first setback of the Thomas Frank era against Bournemouth (1-0) prior to the international break, Tottenham have since responded well as they have won their last two matches against West Ham United and Villarreal without reply.

A deserved 3-0 away victory over 10-man West Ham in the Premier League last weekend was followed by a narrow 1-0 home win over Villarreal in their opening League Phase fixture of the Champions League on Wednesday, courtesy of a fourth-minute own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

Outscoring the opposition was the mantra under former boss Ange Postecoglou, but Tottenham’s focus appears to have shifted towards keeping the ball out at the other end of the pitch under Frank, who was “happy with the defensive side of the game” from his new-look Spurs team after they did not concede a single shot on target against Villarreal.

Tottenham, who have conceded just one goal across 450 minutes of competitive football this term, sit third in the Premier League table and head into Saturday’s clash with Brighton having already won their first two away league games by an aggregate score of 5-0; not since November 2020 under Jose Mourinho have they won three consecutive PL matches on the road (four in a row).

Spurs have lost in both of the last two league visits to the Amex, but they have never suffered three consecutive away defeats to Brighton, while Frank has only lost one of his last six encounters with the Seagulls (W2 D3) - all while in charge of Brentford - having previously lost his first two PL meetings in the 2021-22 season.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

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Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

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Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

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Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

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Team News

To compound Brighton’s disappointment at Bournemouth last weekend, Jack Hinshelwood (ankle) and Maxin De Cuyper (knee) were both forced off with injuries in the first half. While Hinshelwood has joined Adam Webster and Solly March (both knee) in the treatment room, De Cuyper is a doubt for Saturday, but Mats Wieffer (knee) and Diego Gomez (illness) are both fit and available for selection.

If De Cuyper is not deemed fit to start at left-back, then Ferdi Kadioglu will be expected to earn a place in the back four next to Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke and Joel Veltman, while either Carlos Baleba or Yasin Ayari is set to replace Hinshelwood in midfield.

Yankuba Minteh has the highest take-on success rate among players with 10 or more attempted in the Premier League this season (65% - 13/20) and the Gambian is set to continue in attack along with Mitoma, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck.

As for Tottenham, Dominic Solanke is “progressing forward" in his recovery from an ankle injury after returning to training, but Saturday’s contest will come too soon for the striker, who remains sidelined with Yves Bissouma (knock), Kota Takai (foot), James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin (all knee).

Frank will consider making a couple of changes to his starting lineup, with Destiny Udogie back fit and in contention to start at left-back ahead of Djed Spence, while deep-lying midfielder Joao Palhinha will be hoping to force his way back into the first XI at the expense of Rodrigo Bentancur.

Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani will all battle it out for the centre-forward spot, with the former likely to get the nod, and he could be joined in the final third by Xavi Simons and fellow summer signing Mohammed Kudus, although Brennan Johnson - who scored in an away defeat to Brighton last season - is ready to earn a recall on either flank.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons

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

If history is anything to go by, a draw may not be on the cards this weekend as each of the last 15 meetings between Brighton (six) and Spurs (nine) across all competitions have produced a winner.

Spurs have not enjoyed their recent trips to the Amex, but they look a much stronger outfit under Frank this term and we are backing the North Londoners to outscore a Seagulls side who have not looked wholly convincing in the early stages of the new campaign.

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

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke was not seen in training ahead of the Lilywhites' Champions League showdown with Villarreal on Tuesday evening.

The £65m attacker has endured a disrupted start to the 2025-26 season, playing just 49 minutes across two Premier League appearances and one UEFA Super Cup substitute outing.

Solanke made second-half cameos against Burnley and Manchester City in Spurs' first two top-flight outings of the campaign, but he has since been sidelined with an ankle injury.

The 28-year-old is expected to be the next cab off the rank in terms of Tottenham's injury victims, as Thomas Frank revealed before the weekend's 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham United that he was "not too far away" from returning.

However, the visit of Villarreal may come too soon for Solanke to make his comeback, as he was not seen in open training with the rest of the squad on Monday morning.

Solanke missing from Tottenham training ahead of Villarreal clash

Frank will be expected to give a firm update in his pre-game press conference, but the signs are that Solanke will not be available for the meeting with Marcelino's side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The former Liverpool striker will be one of at least seven absentees for the Lilywhites in midweek, as Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are all nursing injuries.

In any case, the latter five were all left out of Tottenham's squad for the league phase of the Champions League, as a result of both their injuries and Spurs' well-documented problems signing and promoting home-grown players.

Mathys Tel was also omitted from Frank's 22-man selection for the first stage of Europe's premier tournament, during which Spurs will also take on Bodo/Glimt, Monaco, Copenhagen, Paris Saint-Germain, Slavia Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Randal Kolo Muani or Richarlison up front for Tottenham?

With Solanke likely absent and Tel ineligible for the league phase, either Richarlison or Randal Kolo Muani can be expected to lead the line for Tottenham in their first Champions League clash of the season.

Tel was given the nod up front for the weekend's victory over West Ham, briefly playing alongside Richarlison after the latter replaced Xavi Simons in the 71st minute, shortly before Wilson Odobert came on for Tel.

However, new signing Randal Kolo Muani was left to watch proceedings from the bench as an unused substitute, meaning that the Paris Saint-Germain loanee has not played since Juventus' Club World Cup last-16 loss to Real Madrid on July 1.

As a result, Richarlison will almost certainly get the nod over his French counterpart to start against Villarreal, although Kolo Muani can feel optimistic of making his Spurs debut as a substitute on Tuesday.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Sevilla attacker Ruben Vargas in 2026.

After their shock Europa League triumph last season, the Lilywhites are preparing for their Champions League opener with Villarreal on Tuesday night.

Tottenham have made a solid start to the Premier League campaign after parting ways with Ange Postecoglou over the summer.

The North Londoners - now under the tutelage of Thomas Frank - sit third in the top-flight rankings, behind only Liverpool and Arsenal.

Frank's troops returned from the international break in style on Saturday evening when they smashed West Ham United 3-0 at the London Stadium.

Tottenham have Sevilla star Vargas 'on their radar'

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Tottenham are keen on securing a La Liga talent during the January transfer window.

The report claims that Sevilla and Switzerland attacker Vargas is on the radar of the Europa League winners as 2026 approaches.

As well as Frank's men, it is understood that Europa League-competing Aston Villa are also closely monitoring Vargas's situation.

However, at this stage, it is believed that Spurs have the financial muscle and sporting ambition to beat the Villans in a race for the winger.

Vargas attracted interest during the most recent summer transfer window, with Villarreal supposedly seeing a bid rejected for the player.

Why is Vargas wanted in North London?

Focusing on the here and now, Vargas has made an exceptional start to the La Liga campaign, providing three assists in as many contests.

Following a near six-year spell at Augsburg in Germany, the Swiss attacker made the switch to Sevilla at the beginning of the calendar year.

After just 14 appearances for the Spanish side, Vargas is capturing the attention of clubs from the most-watched league in the world.

Tottenham Hotspur can reportedly recall one of their loanees to the club during the January transfer window, but only if the worst should happen injury-wise.

The Lilywhites have made positive strides under Thomas Frank so far this season, as the Dane oversaw his third win from four Premier League games on Saturday evening against West Ham United.

Spurs struck through Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr in a 3-0 beating of the Irons, where Cristian Romero also had a first-half goal disallowed for an apparent foul.

Romero nevertheless registered a direct contribution at the London Stadium, pinging a long ball forward for Bergvall to latch onto, before Van de Ven finished low into the net from the Swede's own assist.

Frank's first-choice centre-back duo had their names up in lights during the London derby, and the Dane can also call upon Kevin Danso and the experienced Ben Davies in the heart of defence.

Tottenham have 'recall option' for Luka Vuskovic in worst-case scenario

However, new signing Kota Takai is yet to make an appearance for the club due to a foot injury, which could take another few weeks to heal, and injuries have not been kind to Tottenham's defence in recent years.

Van de Ven has already missed 48 games for club and country since joining Spurs - suffering four separate hamstring injuries - while Romero missed three months of last term with a hamstring injury of his own.

A repeat this season may not be so disastrous, though, as according to BILD - via The Spurs Web - the Europa League winners can recall Luka Vuskovic from his loan spell at Hamburger SV during the January transfer window.

Tottenham will only be able to bring Vuskovic back to North London if they are hit with more than one serious injury in defence, though, otherwise the Croatian youngster will continue his development in the Bundesliga.

Spurs agreed to sign Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in 2023, but the 2007-born defender did not officially join the club until his 18th birthday earlier this year, and he is still waiting for his competitive Tottenham debut.

Vuskovic scored and provided an assist in a 2-0 pre-season win over Reading, though, and he was on the bench in Spurs' first three games of the season against Paris Saint-Germain, Burnley and Manchester City.

How did Tottenham's Vuskovic perform on Hamburg debut?

The teenager experienced the true meaning of a baptism of fire on his Bundesliga debut over the weekend, being thrown into the starting XI for Hamburg's trip to reigning champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Vuskovic and co were thumped 5-0 by Vincent Kompany's side, as Harry Kane struck a brace while Aleksandar Pavlovic, Serge Gnabry and Luis Diaz also found the back of the net for the Bavarians.

Vuskovic nevertheless contributed to the defensive effort with six clearances, one block and one interception, while completing 86% of his passes and registering a successful dribble.

The 18-year-old had forged a reputation as a major goal threat before his summer loan move, and he has already netted 11 strikes in his senior career.

Tottenham Hotspur's record signing Dominic Solanke is likely to miss out again when the Lilywhites host Villarreal in Tuesday's Champions League league phase contest.

The £65m striker sat out Saturday's 3-0 Premier League victory over West Ham United due to an ankle problem, albeit one that should not take too much longer to heal.

However, Thomas Frank should err on the side of caution with Solanke this week, especially as he has two fully-fit centre-forwards in Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani vying for minutes in the number nine role.

One of the pair will replace Mathys Tel - ineligible for the league phase - but as Kolo Muani was only an unused substitute against West Ham and has played little football recently, Richarlison should get the nod over the Paris Saint-Germain loanee.

The Brazilian ought to be flanked by Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons once again, while Lucas Bergvall is in no place to be dropped from the engine room after his goal and assist in the hammering of the Hammers.

Pape Sarr is in line to join the Swede in the engine room once again, but Frank could swap out Joao Palhinha for Rodrigo Bentancur, for no reason other than fresh legs.

The same goes in the left-back slot, where Djed Spence could be offered a rest as Destiny Udogie comes back in, but the rest of Frank's rearguard should remain untouched.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons

No Data Analysis info

Both recent winners of the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal aim to take the first step towards Champions League glory in Tuesday's league phase opener in North London.

The Lilywhites conquered the second-tier tournament last season to return to the big time, while the visitors' fifth-placed La Liga finished sufficed for UCL football.

Match preview

Set to reap the rewards of his predecessor's hard work, Thomas Frank leads Tottenham into Champions League battle on Tuesday after Ange Postecoglou masterminded Spurs' run to Europa League supremacy last season, their first major trophy in a long and torturous 17 years.

Seventeenth place ultimately took precedence over 17 years when it came to deciding Postecoglou's future, but barring one mishap at home to Bournemouth, the early signs under ex-Brentford boss Frank are highly promising for the hosts.

Tottenham reverted to type on Saturday with their third win and third clean sheet of the Premier League season, making extremely light work of London rivals West Ham United as Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven all found the back of the net in a 3-0 victory.

Spurs already have one UEFA defeat next to their name this season, but they came out of their Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain with a certain amount of credit, and the pre-game statistics make for pleasant reading thanks to last year's Europa League success.

Indeed, Tottenham have avoided defeat in each of their last 20 UEFA competition games played at home, while they have only failed to score in one of their last 16 continental matches - an inconsequential 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in last year's Europa League last-16 first leg.

Four years before Tottenham hoisted the Europa League trophy aloft, Villarreal's penalty-shootout success over Manchester United in the 2020-21 final earned the Yellow Submarine their first-ever major honour, if we leave out a pair of Intertoto Cup triumphs.

An unforeseen Champions League semi-final appearance followed for the visitors just one year later, although they have not been back to Europe's top table since, suffering last-16 exits in the Conference League in 2023 and the Europa League in 2024.

However, thanks to Spain's high UEFA coefficient ranking, Villarreal's fifth-placed La Liga finish last season was enough to earn them a ticket back to the Champions League, but Marcelino's men have started to lose their way at an inopportune time.

The Yellow Submarine claimed back-to-back wins over Real Oviedo and Girona at the start of the 2025-26 season, but they have taken just one point from the most recent six on offer, drawing with Celta Vigo before a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

To make matters worse, Villarreal have remarkably never beaten an English team in the Champions League - losing eight and drawing six of their previous 14 such meetings - although Spurs have only ever won two of their previous 14 UEFA club matches versus Spanish sides.

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Villarreal form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham crushed West Ham at the weekend despite missing record signing Dominic Solanke, who is still nursing an ankle injury and is a major doubt for the visit of Villarreal, where he will likely only make the bench even if he is passed fit.

Guaranteed absentees for the Lilywhites are Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin and James Maddison - all of whom are both injured and ineligible after being left out of Frank's Champions League squad - while Mathys Tel did not make the cut either owing to Spurs' lack of home-grown players.

The latter led the line against West Ham, but his absence will allow either Richarlison or new signing Randal Kolo Muani to spearhead the charge on Tuesday, where Xavi Simons should retain his place on the left wing after banking an assist on his Spurs debut at the weekend.

Regarding Villarreal's injury situation, Logan Costa and Pau Cabanes are both on the long road to recovery from ACL issues, while ex-Manchester United defender Willy Kambwala is expected to remain out until December with a hamstring problem.

Gerard Moreno's own hamstring issue means that the experienced striker is also touch-and-go, so ex-Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe - who has just been voted the La Liga Player of the Month for August - could continue up front on his return to the English capital.

Speaking of returning North Londoners, Juan Foyth should start at the back against his old employers, while loanee Manor Solomon is eligible to face his parent club but will likely be kept in reserve.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Junior; Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Pepe, Gueye, Parejo, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Villarreal

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Villarreal's atrocious record against English clubs in the Champions League and Spurs' pitiful performances vs. Spanish teams adds another layer of intrigue to this battle, where the hosts have our vote to defy their old La Liga struggles.

Frank's men are finding goals from all across the squad right now, and even with a reduced selection, the Europa League winners can take down a Villarreal side on a slight downward trajectory.

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

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Back at Europe's top table following a brief absence, Tottenham Hotspur host Villarreal in their opening Champions League league phase battle on Tuesday evening.

Thomas Frank will reap the rewards of Ange Postecoglou's hard work after the Australian guided Spurs back to the continent's premier tournament last season, where the Lilywhites' run to Europa League glory earned them a UCL ticket.

Tottenham also have the wind in their sails heading into their midweek opener, having eased to a 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham United at the weekend courtesy of goals from Pape Sarr, Micky van de Ven and Lucas Bergvall.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of the visit of Villarreal, who were beaten 2-0 by Atletico Madrid in La Liga action at the weekend.

Yves Bissouma

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Knock/ineligible

Possible return date:Â September 20 (vs. Brighton & Hove Albion)

Yves Bissouma is still waiting for his first appearance of the 2025-26 season owing to a knock, but the Mali international was left out of Spurs' squad for the UCL league phase anyway.

Kota Takai

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Foot/ineligible

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Similarly, Kota Takai was not named in Frank's selection for the first stage of the competition, as there is no timeframe on the Japan international's recovery from a foot injury.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â ACL/ineligible

Possible return date:Â October 19 (vs. Aston Villa)

Radu Dragusin continues to make positive strides forward in his recovery from an ACL tear, but a comeback is still a few weeks away at the very least, and he was also left out of Frank's league phase squad.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee/ineligible

Possible return date:Â November 29 (vs. Fulham)

Dejan Kulusevski's knee concern is taking longer to heal than first anticipated, and the Swede is not expected to return until late November.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â ACL/ineligible

Possible return date:Â April 2026

Likely the first name on Frank's mind when it came to leaving players out of his Champions League squad, James Maddison is on the long road to recovery from an ACL injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be back in action before the campaign is over.

Dominic Solanke

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Possible return date:Â September 16 (vs. Villarreal)

Dominic Solanke is the next cab off the rank in terms of Tottenham's injured players, but his chances of recovering from his ankle blow in time for the visit of the Yellow Submarine are slim.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this game, but Mathys Tel is also unavailable on account of being left out of Frank's Champions League squad.

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