Tottenham Hotspur have received a major boost ahead of their highly anticipated North London Derby clash against Arsenal this Sunday.
With Arsenal missing several key players, Spurs could go into the match in a much stronger position.
Arsenal’s injury woes
Arsenal will be without midfielder Declan Rice, who is suspended after receiving a controversial red card against Brighton.
Adding to the Gunners’ problems, summer signing Mikel Merino, who would have been an ideal replacement for Rice, is also sidelined with an injury.
Another summer signing Riccardo Calafiori as also left Arsenal sweating after he left the Italy camp yesterday following a freak injury against France. And club captain Martin Odegaard could be the next in the list of injuries for the Gunners.
Odegaard limps off against Austria
There were initial concerns about Odegaard’s availability after he picked up a knock during the Brighton game. But he ended up being fine as he played the full 90 minutes of Norway’s Nations League match against Kazakhstan on Friday.
However, the Norwegian midfielder was involved in a collision with Christoph Baumgartner midway through the second half against Austria earlier tonight, which forced him off the pitch.
Arsenal fans will be worried as Odegaard was seen limping off, and it remains uncertain if he will recover in time for Sunday’s derby.
?? Martin Ødegaard has just limped off for Norway with an ankle injury ahead of the North London derby. | @JanAageFjortoft pic.twitter.com/8ezUMMOqa9
— Daily Hotspur (@Daily_Hotspur) September 9, 2024
While Tottenham are still waiting on the recovery of Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven, they look to be in a more favourable condition compared to their rivals.
Both players have been working on their fitness ahead of the game, and manager Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to have them available.
Given Arsenal’s depleted squad, Tottenham supporters may feel that their team has a strong chance of securing a win in this crucial fixture, with expectations for a positive result growing ahead of Sunday’s showdown.