The Mirror

Tottenham are reportedly sceptical about the severity of Martin Odegaard's injury despite the Arsenal star being spotted on crutches recently.

The Gunners are facing a midfield crisis heading into Sunday's North London Derby, with several key players likely to be sidelined for the big game. Declan Rice is suspended after being sent off in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton last month, while Mikel Merino and Odegaard have both picked up injuries.

Merino is expected to miss around two months of action after fracturing his shoulder in his first training session at the club following his summer move from Real Sociedad, and Odegaard is being tipped for a three-week absence after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway's clash with Austria earlier this week. However, Tottenham aren't convinced by the latter prognosis.

According to The Independent, some within Spurs' ranks doubt how serious Odegaard's injury really is, suspecting he might make a surprise return in time for Sunday's showdown. Their suspicions arose after Arsenal delayed releasing information about the injury, even though scan results would have been available as early as Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has further stoked speculation by refusing to rule Odegaard out of Sunday's game. "We need some more tests," he said to the press ahead of the derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Let's see what happens in the next day or so. He is super positive about everything. Martin wants to be there every single day."

If Odegaard is sidelined, it might just pave the way for Arteta to roll out an unexpected tactical game-plan. Knowing full well the talent Tottenham's midfield holds, it's understood that Arteta is pondering a gutsy new setup for the face-off if indeed he's lighter than he'd like to be in the centre of the park.

The potential blueprint involves Arsenal sitting deep, absorbing pressure, and hitting Spurs on the counter. Typically, the Gunners have between 55 and 60 per cent of possession during matches, so giving Tottenham the lion's share of the ball would mark a notable philosophical shift for the team.

On the Tottenham front, Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are expected to be fit for the game, though question marks hang over Yves Bissouma's head after he limped out of Mali's triumph over Eswatini this week. Speaking to the press, Ange Postecoglou said: "He [Bissouma] has got a bit of an issue, but we'll have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how it settles."

The Australian also ruled Richarlison out of contention, insisting the Brazilian striker "still has a bit of work to do" before returning to full fitness. Spurs, who are 10th in the table after winning just one of their opening three Premier League matches, will leapfrog Arsenal with a win on Sunday.

As for the Gunners, who are currently sitting in fourth place after two wins and a draw from their opening matches, a victory over Spurs would see them keep pace with, and potentially even overtake, table-toppers Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom have 100 per cent records so far this season.

David Bentley has tipped Harry Kane for return to Tottenham in the future - highlighting chairman Daniel Levy's shrewdness in the transfer market.

Spurs icon Kane severed ties with the club in 2023 after securing a whopping £82million switch to Bayern Munich. Kane departed north London with an impressive tally of 280 goals from 450 appearances. Despite netting 44 times in 45 matches for his new employers in the Bundesliga he didn't manage to win any trophies in his debut campaign.

Kane's exit last term appeared to dash any hopes he had of surpassing Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 260 goals. At 31 years of age, and with 213 goals under his belt, he is 48 shy of the legendary mark. However, the former Spurs midfielder believes there's a chance Kane could don the Lilywhites jersey once more in the future.

Speaking to football.london, Bentley, who earned seven caps for England, conceded that Kane's potential return hinges on how successful his stint with Bayern is, reports football.london.

"You never know in football," the 40-year-old said. "Obviously Daniel [Levy] is very smart with his dealings. I think Spurs fans would welcome him back and I don't see nothing stopping that deal from happening.

"It just depends on how his time at Bayern will go. You never know, it could be a possibility, Harry's such a great professional and a good guy.

"But obviously you've seen what he's done when he's gone over there. It's unbelievable the goals he's scored and you never know if he wins a few things over the next few years, he can potentially come back and I don't see no reason why not."

Spurs have been busy in the transfer market trying to fill the void left by Kane's departure, with Dominic Solanke arriving from Bournemouth for £65m last month. The ex-Chelsea and Liverpool forward netted 19 times in the league last season and has received some sage advice from former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand.

"You haven't gone to Tottenham to be Harry Kane or anybody else other than Dominic Solanke and we know Dominic Solanke can score goals in the Premier League," Ferdinand advised. "That's what he needs to keep doing.

"All those other things put pressure that doesn't need to be there and he doesn't need to put on himself either. People will make comparisons but there's not a lot you can do.

"He's who Tottenham have said 'this is who we think can score us goals', he's got to remember that and I'm pleased. People will now say there is more pressure because there's an expectation at Tottenham as they brought him in to be the main man that scores goals."

Despite being sidelined for Spurs' last two matches due to an ankle injury, the 26-year-old is set to make his north London derby debut this Sunday (September 15).

Arsenal will make the short trip across the capital to face their fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a highly anticipated Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon. Both sides have experienced a season where frustrations have already been shown and the international break has come at the worse possible time for the visitors too.

Mikel Arteta’s side experienced their first setback of the season a fortnight ago, being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton. Before that, the Gunners had enjoyed a strong start with victories over Wolves and Aston Villa. Now, they are keen to bounce back quickly and prove their Premier League title credentials in this early season test at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Gunners will be frustrated to have seen Martin Odegaard limp off with an injury and see photos of him after the match boarding a plane on crutches. The Arsenal captain has been instrumental for his side so far but will add to Arteta's selection headache with Declan Rice also ruled out after his dismissal against the Albion.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have had a somewhat inconsistent beginning to their campaign. With four points from their first three matches, it has been a mixed bag for the North London side. They head into this derby on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, and will be looking to regain momentum with a strong performance against their arch-rivals.

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Former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt previously revealed that he wished he would have joined Arsenal over Tottenham.

The Moroccan joined Spurs in January 2007 when he was just 17 years old. First arriving at White Hart Lane on loan, Taarabt was eventually signed on a permanent deal soon after, however his career never took off at Tottenham.

Appearing 15 times in just under three seasons he eventually left the club to join QPR in 2009. Despite Spurs giving Taarabt a remarkable chance at such a young age, the gifted winger has spoken out about he wanted to sign for the club's arch rivals Arsenal due to their "legendary" manager Arsene Wenger.

While being complimentary of his first club in England, the 35-year-old has claimed that Spurs were not in the business of gifting young players "chances". He also maintained that Arsenal's "mentality" would have suited him better and made life easier for him.

“I signed for Tottenham, but I wanted to sign for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, the legendary Frenchman," Taarabt said in an interview with The National earlier this year. "But (Spurs director of football) Damian Comolli wanted me to go to Tottenham. He told me he was creating something. Gareth Bale arrived at the same time as me, Kyle Walker soon after - It was a good club, but not one that gave young players many chances."

Taarabt has been known as something of a maverick throughout his unsettled career. A talented player with the capability to change a game in a heartbeat, the former Benfica star has lined up for eight clubs throughout his time on the pitch but has only ever made over 50 appearances for just three of them.

Featuring for Lens, QPR, Fulham, AC Milan, Benfica, Genoa and now Al Nassr, he was once compared to Zinedine Zidane in his early days on the pitch. However, his perceived squandered talent saw him included in a Premier League XI of 'wasted potential', and he was also often sought out for his below-par attitude.

Discussing his time in the capital, Taarabt disclosed how he struggled to adapt to life in England. He also asserted that being in a dressing room full of high-profile names did little for his confidence and that Arsenal's French inspired culture would have fitted his personality better.

“London was a culture shock for me. In France, I was the next Zidane," he said. "At Spurs, I was nobody in a dressing room full of big names: Robbie Keane, [Dimitar] Berbatov, Edgar Davids.

“I didn’t feel special because I wasn’t, but I feel it would have been much easier for me at Arsenal with more of the French tradition and mentality."

Taarabt went on to reveal how he wanted to return to France after just three months at Spurs. He added: "People told me London is beautiful but it’s dark and rainy at 3.30pm in the winter. I didn’t speak English, it was hard.”

Nevertheless, despite his seeming indifference to England, he went on to claim that the best decision he ever made was joining Spurs' London rivals QPR. Taarabt was part of the R's side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2011 and ultimately made 164 appearances for the club, scoring 34 goals.

“The best decision I made," he said of his choice to sign for The Hoops. "I needed to play football, not just train. At QPR I got the love, and if you show me love then I want to give you more love."

Tottenham could be without Yves Bissouma for this Sunday's mouth-watering North London derby at home to Arsenal.

Bissouma, 28, picked up an injury during the international break, having scored the only goal of the game as Mali won 1-0 away to Eswatini on Tuesday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. But the midfielder wasn't able to complete the full 90 minutes, as he limped off midway through the second half.

In the 65th minute, Bissouma was hit with a heavy tackle and is now a doubt to face bitter rivals Arsenal. Although the former Brighton man didn't feature in Spurs' opening match of the Premier League season - as he served a club-imposed one-match ban after filming himself inhaling nitrous oxide - he has started both games since.

Bissouma scored a stunner in last month's 4-0 thrashing of Everton before tasting defeat away to Newcastle prior to the international break. The 28-year-old may have to sit on the sidelines when Arsenal visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Gunners have issues of their own in midfield.

Declan Rice will serve his one-match ban this weekend after controversial picking up two yellow cards in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton and to add to Mikel Arteta's woes, captain Martin Odegaard is unlikely to face Spurs. The Norwegian suffered a nasty ankle injury during his country's 2-1 win against Austria on Monday.

Arteta and co are hopeful that Odegaard won't be out long-term, with Norway's team doctor issuing an update on Tuesday. "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer," Ole Sand told Norwegian outlet VG.

Your turn! Who'll win the derby - Arsenal or Tottenham? Let us know your score prediction in the comments section

"What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle." Sand added: "Regardless of the MRI images, his response to the rehabilitation in the next few weeks is the most important. It will start carefully on the bike, carefully in relation to what he can tolerate from pain. Then you take it gradually."

Arsenal are also expected to be without inured new signing Mikel Merino, as he'll miss out alongside Rice, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Defender Riccardo Calafiori and striker Gabriel Jesus are both set to be assessed in the lead-up to the game, with Arteta hoping to have the pair available. As for Tottenham, £65million addition Dominic Solanke is facing a race against time to be fit but the derby will come too soon for fellow striker Richarlison.

Danny Rose insists he has no ill feelings over his Tottenham exit - despite finding himself out in the cold.

The former England left-back clocked up more than 200 appearances during his 14-year spell with Spurs after his arrival from boyhood club Leeds in 2007. However, Rose was shipped out on loan to Newcastle United and found himself frozen out of the first-team picture on his return to North London before eventually joining Watford on a free transfer the following summer.

“It's football and I know how Spurs operate," Rose, 34, told the In The Zone podcast. "It happened to David Bentley, Benoit Assou-Ekoto and Vincent Janssen among others. I'd been there as a young kid and I know how Spurs treat players.

“I had a meeting with the chairman and I said I'm not leaving until my contract is finished. I knew what was coming and I knew I would be sent with the under 23s. When I said that, the chairman looked at me like he didn't know what language I was speaking as if to say they would never do that. Then on the first day of pre-season of the new season, they did that. So it wasn't a shock.

“For me, I honored my contract and that's all there is to it. I still go back to the club sometimes and I've messaged the chairman quite a few times. I've asked him for favours quite a few times. There’s no animosity from me. Three years ago, Leeds played Spurs in the last game of the season and I was sitting in the director's box there, just a row behind him.

“As I said, I've messaged him for favours over the last two or three years and he's always replied, he's always said if he can help or if he can't help. So for me, there's no issue on my side. Whenever I’m down south, I do go to Tottenham games and see some of the staff who were still there.”

Arsenal will have to play the North London derby in unfamiliar colours because of a kit clash.

‌The Premier League and PGMOL have told Arsenal they cannot wear their traditional red home kit because there is too much white on the back of the shirt and that will clash with Tottenham. Arsenal, who will now wear black, did ask the Premier League to wear their red shirt - but the request was refused and it has emerged the club were warned in the summer about the potential kit clash.

The kits are ordered well in advance so production was underway well before the issue popped up in the summer and Arsenal decided to press ahead anyway. It will be the first time in recent seasons either team has had to change colours but now Tottenham will have to wear their away kit in the reverse fixture at the Emirates.

Last season saw the first North London derby of the season held at Arsenal's home, with Spurs twice coming from behind to claim a 2-2 draw. The reverse fixture went the way of Mikel Arteta's side, who opened up a 3-0 half-time lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before eventually running out 3-2 winners.

Arsenal will go into the game with a number of players missing. Declan Rice is suspended following his red card in the draw with Brighton, while new signing Mikel Merino has been made to wait for his debut after picking up an injury in his first training session.

Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard also joined the injury list during the international break. Calafiori was forced off early in Italy's UEFA Nations League victory over France, later leaving the Azzurri's squad entirely.

Club captain Odegaard was injured while playing for Norway against Austria. The midfielder was seen boarding a plane while on crutches, and Arsenal face an anxious wait to learn the extent of his injury.

Share your predictions for the North London Derby in the comments section

“It looked bad in the dressing room too," Norway manager Stale Solbakken said of Odegaard's injury. "He didn't have the nerve to continue. It is not certain that Arteta will call me tonight and praise me."

“He got a small ankle sprain," team doctor Ola Sand said, as reported by Norwegian broadcaster TV2. "We will see, maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow."

The North London Derby kicks off a challenging run of matches for Arsenal as Arteta's team as they do battle on multiple fronts. It's followed by a Champions League game away to Atalanta, while Premier League games against Manchester City and Leicester City sit either side of an EFL Cup meeting with Bolton and October kicks off with a blockbuster European tie at home to Paris Saint-Germain.

Mauricio Pochettino could still return to Tottenham one day, despite his Chelsea tenure and prospective new US national team role.

That's according to one of his former defenders, Danny Rose, who believed that his old boss was all but certain to take up the vacant managerial position at White Hart Lane last summer before the eventual arrival of Ange Postecoglou - and may still have a homecoming.

Pochettino was let go by the north London outfit in 2019 after a Champions League final hangover and a more than stellar five-and-a-half-year stint at the helm of the Lilywhites. A one-year spell with PSG followed a couple of years later, and he was released after just a single season at his next club, Chelsea, in May.

The Argentinian has now reportedly taken a step into international management and is due to be announced as the man to lead the United States into the 2026 World Cup - but Rose believes that there may still be another chapter left to Pochettino's Spurs tale.

“I definitely thought that pre-Chelsea, [Mauricio] Pochettino could return to Tottenham," Rose told In The Zone podcast, speaking about his former boss.

"I don't think that him going to Chelsea for a year hinders that happening again in the future. Although it’s another four years (sic) until the next World Cup and hopefully, he's going to see it out with managing the USA.

“Of course, anything can happen in the next four years, but before he went to Chelsea, I thought it was nailed on that he probably would have gone to Spurs before Ange. I still believe that he will return to Tottenham as manager one day.”

Spurs fans will likely, irrespective of their old manager agreeing to join a bitter rival, remember times under Pochettino fondly. When the ex-Southampton boss became their head coach in 2014, many thought he would become just another along the conveyor belt - as he was their 10th manager in just 12 years.

However, he guided them to Premier League contention in just a single season and developed some key names during this period, including aiding Harry Kane’s transition into one of the world's best marksmen and Dele Alli into an attacking force to be reckoned with.

He helped Tottenham to their highest finish in 54 years, coming second during an impressive 2016/17 season. In said term, they went the entire campaign unbeaten at White Hart Lane in fairytale fashion before it was demolished to make way for the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The club's dramatic run to the Champions League final in 2019 was the epitome of his spell at the reins, but the subsequent 2-0 loss to Liverpool was seemingly too difficult to recover from.

Despite the bitter nature of Pochettino's departure, Rose remains confident that one day, he will return to the club where he was once so beloved.

Danny Rose has revealed that he took a verbal bashing from his England team-mates about his weekly wage at Tottenham.

Rose retired earlier this year after spending the majority of his career at Spurs, with stints at other clubs largely confined to loan spells across his 14-year spell in north London. The 34-year-old also featured heavily in England's run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and is regarded as one of the country's best left-backs over the course of the last 15 years or so.

However, during one particular training camp with his country, Rose found that his pay packet at Spurs wasn't near to some of his England team-mates - something which saw him take quite a ribbing.

Speaking on the In The Zone podcast, Rose said: "When we would go away with England, the lads would laugh at us at what we're being paid. And I have one friend who was at another club.

"I remember one season where West Brom were fighting relegation while we were near the top and some of their players were on more than what we were on. That wasn't right. With Spurs and win bonuses, you had to win by at least a couple of goals to get a bonus from it.

"At the time, I don't regret saying anything about it because it was the truth but now I think the lads are being paid appropriately."

Rose was at Tottenham for 14 years but signed a five-year in 2016 which is believed to have seen him earn around £65,000 per week. He told The Sun in 2017: "As with everyone else in my team, in my opinion, I am worth more than I am getting. In any walk of life, if you think you are worth a certain amount, why settle for less? I am not that person.

"If I get to levels I reached last season — and this goes out to everybody — I will make sure I get what I am worth."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is known to have kept a tight leash on the club's wage structure, particularly while their new 62,850 seat capacity stadium was being built. That changed in 2018 when Spurs opted to double Harry Kane's wages in an unprecedented move, tying him down to a new six-year deal at the time.

Rose, meanwhile, eventually moved on a free transfer from Tottenham to Watford in the summer of 2021 on a one-year contract. He was released in 2022 and announced his retirement earlier this summer.

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has told Steven Bergwijn that his international career is over.

The former Tottenham Hotspur forward completed a move from Ajax to Saudi side Al Ittihad on Monday. Al Ittihad paid Ajax £21million for the winger, and are handing Bergwijn a deal worth £7million per year.

But ex-Southampton, Everton and Barcelona boss Koeman has been left furious by the player's decision, insists he wasn't consulted on it and claims the decision is one taken purely based on money - and therefore won't be picking Bergwijn again.

“The book is basically closed,” said a defiant Koeman, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday. “I think that when you’re 26, the ambition should be sporting and not financial.

"He could have stayed at Ajax, that’s not bad either. And I think they pay pretty well there too. Anyway, everyone has a different view and it’s their choice. I personally wouldn’t have made it.”

When quizzed on whether Bergwijn had spoken to him about the move, Koeman insisted he had not - and reckoned that the reason he hadn't was because he knew the Oranje boss would have been set against it.

"I think he would have known what I would have said," said Koeman.

Bergwijn, who has 35 international caps, has duly been left out of the squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Germany.

But it was pointed out to Koeman that ex-Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum WAS part of the Dutch squad at Euro 2024, despite plying his trade for Steven Gerrard at Saudi side Al Ettifaq.

But Koeman waved away suggestions of a double standard, adding: “He had problems at Paris Saint Germain and this was the only opportunity for him to play. In addition, there is a difference in age.”