Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou admits a late call will be made on the fitness of captain Son Heung-min ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United.
Son started Thursday’s Europa League opener against Qarabag, which 10-man Spurs won 3-0, but needed treatment before he limped off in the 71st minute to be replaced by Timo Werner.
And, speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford, Postecoglou hopes Son’s hamstring issue is not serious and that he will be able to train on Saturday.
“Fair to say the boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in a shift. Apart from Sonny, everybody is okay,” Postecoglou revealed.
“Sonny, I don’t think is too bad. He wants to train tomorrow and we will see how it goes and make a decision from there. We have another day up our sleeve to give him every chance.”
In terms of who could replace Son if he fails to make it, there are two natural contenders in Werner and exciting youngster Mikey Moore.
And when asked if Moore was not yet ready to start for Tottenham, Postecoglou insisted: “No, I wouldn’t say that. We’ll see with Sonny. Obviously with Wilson (Odobert) out, we’re kind of limited and with Richy (Richarlison) out because Richy can play there as well.
“Timo and Mikey can certainly come into the frame. We have Deki Kulusevski who can play wide as well so we’ve got some options there, but firstly we’ll see how Sonny is.”
Postecoglou discusses Son contract situation
This week has seen Son’s future put into sharp focus after he discussed his contract situation on Wednesday ahead of the Qarabag clash and admitted no fresh talks had taken place.
Son’s current terms are due to expire next summer, but Tottenham do hold the option of extending his stay by a further year and are expected to trigger that deal.
Postecoglou, meanwhile, insists he is keen on the 32-year-old forward sticking around for what would be a 10th season in north London.
The Australian added: “I don’t always have the final say but certainly I like to think my input is significant on it.
“I think it is part of a broader discussion around Sonny but the way he is performing and leading the club at the moment, I certainly want him to stick around for a while.”
Tottenham hunting Inter star as Ange makes Bergvall promise
In other Tottenham news, Spurs are reportedly considering a move for Inter Milan’s highly-rated forward Marcus Thuram, but will face a battle with Premier League rivals Aston Villa for his signature.
The France international attacker has taken his game to another level since moving to the San Siro on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2023.
And that has led to rumours of a big-money exit, with the Premier League duo in the mix for the talented forward.
Meanwhile, Postecoglou promised Lucas Bergvall he will get “plenty of opportunities” after being forced to take the summer signing off inside 10 minutes of the Europa League clash against Qarabag.
The Swede was replaced by Destiny Udogie after Radu Dragusin’s early red card and was clearly crestfallen as he walked off.
However, Postecoglou insists there will be no shortage of chances for him to impress throughout the season.