Tottenham Hotspur have suffered domestic cup disappointment over the past ten days but must put that to one side when they host Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Exits from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup have further lowered the odds of Spurs ending their agonising trophy drought this season, with the Europa League their only remaining hope of glory. But to succeed on the continent they must first build up momentum in the Premier League.
They have already beaten fellow strugglers United twice this season and will be looking for a hat-trick this weekend. Ange Postecoglou’s side are in uninspiring form, however, and have an extensive injury list to contend with.
Here are the Tottenham players who will miss the visit of Ruben Amorim’s side.
Goalkeepers & defenders
Defensive injuries have been Tottenham’s major hurdle this season, although the north London outfit have endured endless fitness issues across their squad. They will be without three centre-halves on Sunday.
First-choice partnership Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are both on the sidelines, while Radu Dragusin is missing for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.
Van de Ven came back into the fold in late January but has since returned to the treatment room, with Postecoglou confirming that Spurs are being incredibly cautious with the Dutchman. He’s expected to make his comeback within the next few weeks, with a similar timeline pencilled in for Romero.
In better news for Spurs, Postecoglou revealed that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and left-back Destiny Udogie are both available once more. The former has been missing since November after undergoing ankle surgery, while the latter has been absent since the end of December.
Midfielders
James Maddison has returned to training after missing recent outings with a calf injury. Postecoglou confirmed that he is available to feature against United, although it remains to be seen whether he’s fit enough to start.
Maddison’s return means that Spurs now have an injury-free engine room, with Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr all ready to take on the Red Devils.
Forwards
Spurs won’t welcome any of their missing forward personnel back into the squad against United, with first-choice striker Dominic Solanke still absent due to a knee injury. He’s unlikely to return until early March.
Solanke’s absence has been felt even more severely since the injury-prone Richarlison joined him in the treatment room. The Brazilian was quickly back among the goals in January following a much-anticipated return to action but is now absent with a calf problem.
Spurs are expected to welcome Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson back into the fold relatively soon, with both now in training with the rest of their teammates. However, Sunday’s encounter is likely to come too early.
Wilson Odobert has also returned to the training pitch but remains unavailable for the Lilywhites.
