Porro picked up a hamstring injury at St James’ Park, while Richarlison has been struggling with a knee injury and hasn’t played 90 minutes since February 10. Ange Postecoglou is looking for a reaction from his players after the Newcastle disappointment – and Spurs know a win over Arsenal could end their rivals’ title chances. “It was just an unfortunate incident in training.
He’s had the operation, it’s gone well, so hopefully it gives him time to have pre-season and get back into it. So we’ll miss him.”
On Udogie’s injury, he added: “It was non-contact. He just went to have a strike at goal by himself and got the injury.”
Asked if he felt Spurs have been unlucky with injuries, Postecoglou said: “I’ve been around long enough to know sometimes these things happen in football.
For all you try to create the best possible environment for players but even within that there’s a possibility these things will happen. “So, look, unfortunate for him because he had the Euros as well and he’d had a really promising season for us, he learnt a lot, he was progressing. But this is just part of a footballer’s journey.
He’s going to have to deal with this. Every footballer at some point has a setback. If there’s one silver lining, it happened just before the off-season where he’s not going to miss a chunk of the season if everything goes well and he’s really close to the start of next season.”
Oliver Skipp has also been ruled out of the Arsenal game with a “small knock” picked up in training.
Tottenham are also without long-term absentees Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon, and Manor Solomon. “You prefer games, absolutely, especially at this time of the year,” Postecoglou said. “It’s unusual to have two weeks of no games at all, particularly when there’s a fair bit of football happening and you’re not involved.
We’ve tried to use that time as well as possible. We’ve trained hard, and the players have embraced that. But I’m definitely looking forward to having a game, that’s for sure.”
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