Football.London

Ruben Amorim may have to re-think his favoured tactics going into his first game as Manchester United manager.

The last thing you want in your first couple weeks as manager of a new club is important players being injured, and United have a fair few injuries to attend to. Although this is a challenge that all managers will likely face in their career, Amorim is unfortunate enough to have it happen to him before his first match.

The Portuguese manager took Sporting CP to the top of their respective league playing in his celebrated 3-4-3 formation. Fans are expecting to see this play-style at United as well, however, it might not be from the get-go.

Amorim will be facing a backline headache as six defenders are doubtful with injuries for their managers debut game against Ipswich on Sunday.

Lisandro Martinez was the one of the latest to be added to the long list of injuries as he missed out on international duty recently. He suffered a lower back injury in Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game as interim manager against Leicester.

It's likely that Amorim was watching international duty biting his nails, hoping more players wouldn't be rule out. But it was Victor Lindelof who went off 25 minutes into Sweden's win over Slovakia. The severity of the injury is unknown.

Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are the other defenders who are all waiting to come back from injury. So, who does Amorim actually have to pick from for his backline.

The players who are fit are still highly skilful players. These include Matthijs de Ligt, Jonny Evans, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui. Amorim now has a jigsaw puzzle to solve, deciding where his four remaining defenders go in his back three - or a back five with two wing backs.

De Ligt and Evans stand out as clear centre backs. The Dutch centre back hasn't been able to find the form that fans know he can achieve just yet. Evans has also struggled this season after his resurgence into the starting XI under Erik ten Hag last year.

Dalot and Mazraoui will likely have to act as the wing backs, something the pair have proven they are capable of this season. However, who fits into the final central defencive role to make Amorim's iconic back three work?

Although Kobbie Mainoo returned to training on Monday, it would seem a waste of the midfielders talent to put him in the back line. His passing abilities and skill to turn with the ball would be too precious in midfield. The same would go for other defensive midfielders like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.

This is what puts the Portuguese's ideal formation in jeopardy. Playing a traditional back four might be what Amorim needs to do, not wants to do. This means fans may have to wait a bit longer to see what Amorim can truly get out of this United side. They face Ipswich at Portman road on Sunday at 16:30.

Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a seven-game suspension and a hefty £100,000 fine by the FA, yet he'll be back in action for Spurs as soon as next week. The Uruguayan midfielder found himself in hot water after making controversial remarks on TV back home.

During the interview, when asked about getting Son Heung-min's shirt, Bentancur quipped: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

Despite denying the charge and issuing an apology to his teammate, the FA imposed a serious sanction, citing an 'aggravated breach' of their rules, which was supported by an independent regulatory commission panel.

While Bentancur is set to miss a string of domestic fixtures, including Premier League and Carabao Cup matches until Boxing Day, the ban doesn't extend to European competitions. This means he is clear to play in Tottenham's Europa League match against AS Roma next Thursday and the following game at Rangers on December 12.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will surely welcome this news, given the injury woes plaguing the team, with Wilson Odobert and Richarlison out for the long haul, Micky van de Ven nursing a thigh issue, and both Timo Werner and Mikey Moore having missed games prior to the international break.

Bentancur has been a key figure in Tottenham's Premier League campaign this season, featuring in all but one of their 11 matches, starting seven and finding the back of the net once. The 27-year-old midfielder, who joined Spurs from Juventus in 2022, is a crucial cog in Postecoglou's machine.

However, the north London side suffered two consecutive defeats before the international break - an away loss to Galatasaray and a home defeat to newly-promoted Ipswich Town. Their schedule doesn't get any easier, with a challenging trip to Manchester City lined up for this Saturday evening.

Despite currently sitting 10th in the table with as many losses as victories, Postecoglou can take heart from his team's attacking prowess. With a total of 23 goals, no other Premier League team has outscored them, and six different players have scored more than once.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou could be facing a challenging few months in charge with the January transfer window on the horizon. The last 11 days have been far from straightforward for Spurs - with two poor defeats coming alongside several blows off the pitch.

A 3-2 loss away at Galatasaray and surprise defeat to Ipswich Town in Premier League action saw the Lilywhites enter the November international break on a very sour note. Following that, Wilson Odobert's injury setback was was fully confirmed when he posted an update from a hospital having undergone surgery.

With the winger set to miss a significant period, he will be joined out of the team by Rodrigo Bentancur. On Tuesday, the FA confirmed the midfielder had been handed a seven-game ban - and £100,000 fine - for racist comments he made in an interview about Spurs teammate Son Heung-min.

Bentancur will only miss domestic outings and, thus, can return on Boxing Day which means his absence is unlikely to impact Postecoglou's January plans. However, there's a clear need for a new midfielder to come in, with another area of the pitch in need of being addressed imminently.

With that being said, football.london has taken a look at the important decisions Postecoglou could make over the next few months before January's window comes and goes;

Kubo transfer

Even before confirmation of Odobert's injury, Spurs lacked a direct winger, full of pace, with the ability to drive at full-backs with end product following that. The current options available to Postecoglou are Son Heung-min, Timo Werner, Mikey Moore and Brennan Johnson, while Dejan Kulusevski can also be deployed out wide.

While all five of those names do have at least one of those aforementioned traits, there are clear struggles in certain areas. Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo could solve all of that - however - with the highly-rated Japan international improving his end product significantly.

His tally for the season is already nearly halfway to his total from the 2023/24 campaign but, more importantly, he possess the traits Postecoglou will love. Beating opponents with his pace and dribbling ability has seen him linked to numerous clubs including Tottenham.

If Spurs can get such a marquee deal over the line midway through the campaign, it could drastically help matters as the current campaign reaches its climax.

Cardoso and Yang agreement

Though the January window does not open for another 44 days, Tottenham already have two very clever deals in place. The first of those was agreed over the summer in the Giovani Lo Celso deal that saw him return to Real Betis on a permanent basis.

Spurs may have struggled to recoup anywhere close to the £27.2million they parted ways with back in 2020, but a positive did come out of his exit. Tottenham now have a £21million priority option to sign Johnny Cardoso who has been impressing in Spain as of late.

Given the midfield issues Postecoglou has encountered, as mentioned above, it will absolutely be worth activating that deal as soon as possible. Even if Spurs opt to go elsewhere, and another club comes in, the Lilywhites will earn some financial gain having included a sell-on clause.

Spurs have also signed South Korean winger Yang Min-hyuk for £3.4million from Gangwon FC. Although he looked set to arrive in the winter trading period, football.london understands he will now arrive in December, but will be given plenty of time to adapt to his new surroundings.

Goalkeeper dilemma

Guglielmo Vicario has endured a mixed first 15 months at Tottenham - with his best traits and clear weaknesses both having been made abundantly clear.

As an out-an-out shot-stopper, there are not too many goalkeepers better in the Premier League, but there are major question marks over distribution and penalty box dominance with set-pieces a particular issue. Spurs have improved from corners defensively, but a permanent fix has not yet been found.

Bringing in a new goalkeeper has now emerged as quite the priority with Fraser Forster, Vicario's back-up, seeing his current contract expire next summer. The decision for Postecoglou, regarding his replacement, centres around whether or not he will challenge Vicario for the No.1 spot or slot into an understudy role.

Competition breeds excellence and it's clear Vicario is a strong character, which means signing a top-quality shot-stopper is needed to bring the best out of him and his potential new teammate.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur may have the opportunity to revive their reported interest in Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler after a tough start to the new season.

The Turkish prodigy, 19, has been tipped to achieve big things at Real Madrid. Signed from Fenerbahce last year, injuries forced Guler to wait until January for his debut, but he ended his debut season with a flourish, scoring six goals in 10 league games despite playing just 373 minutes in total. The teenager’s scoring streak continued at Euro 2024 with a stunning strike against Georgia during Turkey’s route to the quarter-finals.

Spurs were briefly linked with the Real Madrid midfielder earlier this year before the suggestion of Guler moving on was shut down. However, the door could have been reopened for Spurs following claims from a Turkish pundit that Guler is unhappy with his lack of minutes at Madrid after struggling during the latest international break.

“Arda has shown rustiness in his performance. That's natural,” iconic Turkish coach Mustafa Denzil told HT Spor following the country’s draw with Wales on Saturday. “Arda no longer comes back from Real Madrid with high morale as he used to. He is not experiencing psychological happiness there. We know that he has had few minutes and few opportunities, but his rivals in the dressing room have increased their performances.”

Guler has been limited to three starts in 12 appearances this season for Madrid, who are six points behind league leaders Barcelona. Denzil believes that manager Carlo Ancelotti was more willing to play Guler last season when the club was in line to win a La Liga and Champions League double.

"It doesn't matter. In terms of score and results, it's worse. The team's performance has dropped,” Denzil added. “When the team's performance was higher, he played more; when the team is doing worse, he gets less playing time, and that has a significant negative impact."

Guler has been substituted in four of Tukey’s five Nations League games this season, including in the final minutes of their stalemate with Wales. Manager Vincenzo Montella was asked about his decision to take off the Real Madrid star, who could help Turkey top their group with a positive result against Montenegro on Tuesday.

"Getting Arda Güler off the pitch is a really difficult task because you would never want to take him off,” Montella admitted. “He is a talented player and a fast player, but he has not played continuously for a long time. I was convinced that he would not be able to continue due to physical problems."

Meanwhile, it appears Ancelotti would have no interest in entertaining any offers for Guler. "Arda is going to be a very important player for us in the future, and there is no doubt that he will stay here next year,” the Real Madrid boss said in April.

Rodrigo Bentancur has posted on social media for the first time since he was handed a seven-game domestic ban for a racist remark made about team-mate Son Heung-min. Bentancur was charged by the Football Association on September 12 with an alleged misconduct breach relating to a TV media interview.

The 27-year-old, who joined Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022, made the comments while on international duty with Uruguay in June. Bentancur was filmed speaking in a social media clip saying that South Korean people "all look the same" in an interview conducted in Spanish on Uruguayan TV.

The host asked Bentancur if he could get him a Tottenham player's shirt to which the midfielder replied: "Sonny's?" before adding: "It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

Although Bentancur apologised for making a "very bad joke", an independent commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case. And the independent commission came to the decision to ban the midfielder for seven domestic matches, including this weekend's trip to Manchester City and the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. Bentancur will be available for Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers, however, as that doesn't count as part of the suspension.

After it was confirmed that Bentancur will serve a seven-game ban, the Uruguay international took to social media and posted for the first time. He shared Manuel Ugarte's Instagram story - which showed him on international duty with Uruguay - but decided against adding a caption.

Bentancur's ban was enforced 10 weeks since his initial charge. An FA spokesperson said: "An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

"It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

"It was further alleged that this constitutes an "aggravated breach", which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference - whether express or implied - to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

"Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing."

Cristian Romero is the latest injury concern for Ange Postecoglou after the defender was ruled out of Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Peru on Wednesday.

Romero came off at half-time during the shock 2-1 defeat to Paraguay last Thursday due to a problem, the nature of which has yet to be confirmed. The 26-year-old was previously forced to exit Tottenham's 4-1 win over Aston Villa in the second half after sustaining a right foot complaint.

However, the centre-back returned to play the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town prior to the international break. The severity of Romero's latest issue is unknown, with Spurs due to face Manchester City away from home on Saturday.

Argentina confirmed the withdrawal of Romero on social media. A statement on the national team’s X account said: “Defender Cristian Romero [is] left out of the match against Peru.”

The availability of Micky Van de Ven this weekend is doubtful with the Dutchman yet to return since tweaking his hamstring in Tottenham's League Cup win over Man City last month.

Postecoglou envisaged his return would be “some time after” the international break, clarifying: “When exactly, we’ll have to see."

Meanwhile, Spurs are set to be without the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur for the next seven domestic matches after using a racial slur about captain Son Heung-min during the summer. He has also been fined £100,000 and ordered to partake in a mandatory in-person education course.

His suspension begins this weekend against Man City. Timo Werner and Mikey Moore are doubts for the clash while Richarlison is not expected back from his hamstring issue for a while yet.

Harry Kane travelled to within four miles of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday to be present for the unveiling of a statue at the place where he first started playing football.

The England captain and all-time top scorer has been immortalised in bronze at May Sports Centre, the venue where he took his first steps in football aged five. The centre is just a 20-minute drive from Tottenham's home ground and the club where he became a legend.

The statue was paid for by Waltham Forest Council and cost around £7,200. It had been kept in storage for four years until a suitable spot was found and agreed upon.

The figure sits in front of a mural of Kane that depicts various poignant moments of his England career. The Bayern Munich star was joined at the unveiling by two youngsters from Ridgeway Rovers FC, the team Kane first played for in his youth.

Posting a selfie with the statue on Instagram, Kane wrote: “A real proud moment for me to go back to where my life in football began and unveil a statue. I hope it helps inspire the next generation to work hard and believe in themselves.”

And speaking to the BBC, he added of the statue: "It's pretty special to be honest. I played on these pitches as a five-year-old with dreams of playing for England, and I've been lucky enough to achieve that.

"Hopefully the boys and girls will walk past and be inspired by the story of my journey, my life and hard work."

Kane is set to work under former Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel, the man who signed him for the Bavarians in 2023, when the German begins his role as England head coach in January. The striker says he is looking forward to working under the ex-Chelsea manager once again.

The 31-year-old said: "He's a fantastic coach and a really good guy as well. I'm excited to work with him again.

"I know he'll bring bundles of energy, and come March [Tuchel’s first game in charge] we'll be focused on America and the World Cup, and that's an exciting prospect to look forward to."

Asked by PA about his international future beyond the 2026 World Cup, Kane outlined: "I don't think [it will be my last major tournament].

"I think there's a perception when you get to your 30s that you're coming to an end, but for me I'm performing at the highest level I've ever performed and feel as good as I've ever felt, so it's about taking in the moment.

"I don't like to look too far ahead and in my career, I never have, the [2026] World Cup is going to be exciting.

"In America it will be an incredible occasion and ultimately it's about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years."

Ben Davies is the first Tottenham player to have given his verdict on Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-game ban following his comments about Son Heung-min.

On Monday morning Bentancur was handed a seven-match suspension by an independent regulatory commission, along with a £100,000 fine for his comments, containing a racial slur, to a Uruguayan reporter regarding Spurs captain Son Heung-min. Tottenham have a set amount of time to decide whether to appeal the decision or not.

The 27-year-old will now be out of action for six Premier League games and the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United, before being able to return to action on Boxing Day. As it is a specifically a domestic ban, Bentancur will be able to play in Tottenham's two Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers during the period.

Davies, currently on Wales duty ahead of his country's Nations League match against Iceland on Tuesday, was asked in a press conference about his Spurs team-mate's ban.

“I read the news this morning, probably just like everyone else did. It's something that it felt like at Spurs it's been handled in-house and now it's been handled outside as well," he said.

"I think that as a group, as a team at Tottenham, we’ve all put a line under it and moved on, but I think ultimately, it’s important that we realise that these kind of things need to be looked at with the seriousness that it has been. As far as I'm concerned and the team's concerned, there's a line under it now and we move on."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-game ban has got Tottenham supporters asking questions about the consistency of the FA's decisions, namely the situation this year regarding Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Bentancur was handed a seven-game ban from domestic competitions on Monday by an independent regulatory commission, along with a £100,000 fine for his comments to a reporter regarding Spurs captain Son Heung-min. Tottenham have a set amount of time to decide whether to appeal the decision or not.

The Uruguayan will miss six Premier League games and the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United, before being able to return to action on Boxing Day. As it is a domestic ban, the 27-year-old is able to play in Tottenham's two Europa League matches against Roma and Glasgow during the period.

The commission proved the charge that the Tottenham midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

Bentancur responded in the interview with a Uruguayan media outlet when asked about "the Korean's shirt" by the reporter: "Sonny? Or one of Sonny’s cousins as they all look more or less the same."

After the ban was announced on Monday, some Tottenham supporters asked why if Bentancur had been charged and punished, an incident in July involving Chelsea's Fernandez had not been addressed by the FA.

The Blues midfielder was filmed singing derogatory songs, including racial and homophobic slurs about members of the French national team. The chants were called out by some of his Chelsea team-mates and the Argentine was investigated by Chelsea. He later made a donation to an anti-discrimination charity and apologised to his team-mates.

However, the incident fell outside of the FA's jurisdiction because he was on international duty at the time, at the Copa America with his country. That meant it fell instead to FIFA, who previously said they were looking into the matter. The French Football Federation also indicated at the time that they would be filing a legal complaint over the chants.

With Bentancur, his interview was published in June online but according to documents from the hearing over the case this month it was filmed the day after Spurs' match at home against Nottingham Forest in April. That meant it fell within the FA's jurisdiction and a charge could be brought.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

It would be fair to argue that Lucas Bergvall is still getting up to speed with the demands of English football three months into his Tottenham Hotspur career, which is understandable given the context.

The midfielder is only 18 and has arrived from Sweden’s top-tier, a league ranked 22nd behind the likes of Israel, Serbia and Norway in UEFA’s coefficient table. Ange Postecoglou has spoken to Bergvall about “giving him an understanding of the levels here", which the player has had no problem acknowledging.

The playmaker made his full debut in September's League Cup win over Coventry City and has since started all four of the club’s Europa League ties, albeit has yet to last a full 90 minutes.

The teenager has yet to begin a Premier League match and has in fact not played in the competition at all since September, despite being included in every matchday squad.

There is very much the sense of Bergvall being an apprentice to his senior colleagues as he learns the ropes ahead of a more prominent role in the side down the line. The Sweden international has shown enough glimpses to excite onlookers, who might see more of them in the next month.

Rodrigo Bentancur’s domestic seven-match ban for using a racial slur about Spurs teammate Son Heung-min means Postecoglou will be required to reshuffle his midfield.

It is still unlikely that Bergvall gets into the starting midfield three initially, with Yves Bissouma available to slot into defensive midfield. But with fewer options available to rotate, Bergvall might break his two-month barren Premier League streak before long.

Bentancur is still permitted to play in the Europa League, with Tottenham set to face Roma next week and Rangers a fortnight later. Postecoglou will undoubtedly use those games to keep Bentancur’s match fitness ticking over during his suspension in English competition.

The Spurs boss will meanwhile have to bear in mind that Dejan Kulusevski - who has played on the right of the middle three of late - is two yellow cards away from a one-game suspension.

Meanwhile, Bissouma currently sits on two cautions and it’s common knowledge that midfield pivots are subjected to more yellow-card-inducing situations during a match. There are six Premier League fixtures before Bentancur returns.

And, of course, there are always injuries to manage, while the hectic football calendar means rotation will be required at certain stages. If Bergvall is to get his maiden Premier League start in 2024, it seems this period is his best bet.

Bergvall finds himself in a rare situation where a teammate’s long-term ban, as opposed to an injury, has inadvertently boosted his chances of game time. Return dates for injuries are always ambiguous whereas in this scenario, Bergvall knows precisely how long he has got.

His ultimate aim is to make himself a starting XI contender no matter who is and is not available. For now, this is perhaps an opportunity to show his manager that he is indeed making strides towards the levels required of him.