Ange Postecoglou has confirmed both Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are available for Tottenham Hotspur's match against Arsenal on Sunday.
Solanke missed Tottenham's past two matches through an ankle injury picked up on the opening weekend of the season against Leicester. He is fit for this game, whilst Van de Ven was unavailable for their match against Newcastle according to Postecoglou.
"Micky van de Ven has trained pretty fully through the international break. Dom is back after this week. He joined in with the first team and he trained today. We've got training tomorrow, so if they make it through, they will be available," the Australian outlined.
However, midfielder Yves Bissouma returned from the international break with a knock and Postecoglou, 59, confirmed he faces a late fitness test.
"Bissouma is the only one with an issue. It is not serious, but he's getting treatment today. We will see if he can train tomorrow and make a decision there."
Dealing with North London Derby expectations
Postecoglou understands the significance of rivalries through his spell at Celtic – but his success in Scotland is yet to be replicated south of the border.
Tottenham have not beaten Arsenal since May 2022, losing three of their last four encounters. After not winning a single match against rivals West Ham or Chelsea last campaign, pressure is building on Spurs to finally deliver on the biggest occasion.
When asked to sum up the rivalry, Postecoglou outlined that "every derby is a bit different."
"It's fairly intense between the two clubs. Geographically, they are situated in the same part of town – trying to defend the same turf. I thought both games last year were very entertaining," he stated.
"We played well at their place and really matched with them. We could have even won on the day.
"At our place, we got blown away in the first half. We tried to make a game of it in the second half. [There were] plenty of goals. We know what it means to our supporters and the club. We have got to go out there and perform. Irrespective of the rivalry, they are a top side."
Tottenham's North London Derby struggles are well documented, but Postecoglou insisted he will never try to manage expectations.
"I would hate to think I would go into any game trying to get people to manage expectations. You go into every game hoping to win. I do not think you should walk into a stadium fearing anything or [be] scared to dream and be successful.
"I have never done that in the past. It's not the way I coach or lead my life. Every game you have is an opportunity to do something special. That's the way you should approach it."
Postecoglou expected Bentancur's FA charge
Rodrigo Bentancur was charged by the FA on Thursday, with a statement from the organisation stating he acted in an improper manner and used abusive words.
It came after he made a racist joke in the summer, stating: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
The Uruguayan could be in line for a six to 12-game ban under the FA's rules, but Postecoglou admitted he expected the charge.
"Not unexpected from our perspective. We knew it was something the league would look at. We need to let the process play out now. Rodrigo is aware of the ramifications, but we will wait and see what they come out with," he stated.
Postecoglou later added: "In terms of Sonny and Rodrigo, they had a discussion about the whole incident. Both players understand and respect each other's position.
"He's already apologised for what he said. Sonny has accepted that and the fact one of his teammates and a person he is close to made a mistake.
"Whether you are a footballer or anyone down the street, we all live in the same world. We understand the ramifications of our actions.
"Ultimately, we represent ourselves as people. We try and do the right thing all the time, but we all make mistakes. For me, it's not just about punishment; it's the opportunity for people to learn. If you are talking about having a society that is understanding and tolerant of anything, we must show that to people who make mistakes.
"We know him very well – a lot better than most because we spend every day with him. He's a great guy and fantastic teammate who has made a big error this time – and he's got to take the punishment. But, we need to give him the opportunity to learn from it. Hopefully, others learn from it as well."