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Ruben Amorim is hopeful Benjamin Sesko will be back before Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui leave for the Africa Cup of Nations after the striker avoided serious injury.

Sesko hobbled off in the 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur with Amorim fearing that night that his £73.7million summer signing had suffered a serious problem to his knee.

That did not prove to be the case and after pulling out of international duty with Slovenia to begin his rehab at Carrington, Amorim is now much more optimistic.

'He is going to stay a few weeks out, I don't know how long but it is not that serious,' Amorim said.

'We have to be careful with him. He is going to recover, he is doing the recovery and he is feeling better. In a few weeks I expect to have Ben.'

Sesko was one of three noteworthy absentees from training on Friday morning, as Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo also missed the session.

Maguire will definitely not play any part against Everton on Monday night but Mainoo is expected to come back into the mix after missing the trip to Tottenham.

'Kobbie didn't train today but I think tomorrow we could see Kobbie, we will see,' Amorim said.

Sesko's absence leaves Amorim without a genuine No 9 option for forthcoming matches, meaning he will have to shuffle his pack with Matheus Cunha expected to lead the line.

But away from Monday's game, there is a sense of trepidation that United's attack, which has looked much improved this season compared to last, will be decimated in the next few weeks when Mbeumo and Amad leave for AFCON.

Mbeumo's Cameroon play their first match on December 24, Amad and Ivory Coast face Mozambique on the same day, while Morocco and Mazraoui face Comoros three days prior on December 21.

As per FIFA rules, nations can call on players to be released by their clubs two weeks prior to their first tournament match and Amorim is acutely aware that amid a flurry of festive fixtures, bringing Sesko back into a soon-to-be depleted attack will be essential.

'We have the rules when we have to release the players,' he explained.

'We are doing our job to try and maintain the players we have for a bit longer but it's not just in our hands, we have to respect that. But we will try to do everything to protect the club, protect the player and protect the national teams.'

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What it is expected to do is open the door for academy players such as Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, both of whom trained with the first team again on Friday, and Amorim is not fearful of turning to the kids.

'We already knew [players would go to AFCON] and it is an opportunity for other players.

'We also have the Under-21s and we need to also send a message. We'll see. Of course it is not ideal because they are so important in our team and we don't have a long squad but again, our academy is for this moment and we'll be ready.'

The emergence of Antoine Semenyo's reported £65million release clause sent shockwaves through the footballing market on Monday night.

Bournemouth's main man is in the best form of his life having scored six goals and assisted three in just 12 games this season.

It follows a strong 2024-25 campaign for the Ghanaian, during which he racked up 20 goal involvements to help Andoni Iraola's men to a ninth-placed Premier League finish.

His exploits last season saw suitors such as Manchester United swirling for a £70million move in the summer, but Semenyo quashed any such hopes by signing an extension with the Cherries until 2030.

However, details of that new contract surfaced last night, and it has been claimed that the 25-year-old has a written release clause of £65million which can be triggered in the first two weeks of January.

With the news certain to have pricked up the ears of England's biggest clubs, Daily Mail Sport's experts have taken a look at where Semenyo could be best suited and why...

Tottenham - Matt Barlow

He would fit Spurs perfectly. I imagine most teams in the Premier League could find a role for him in current form. He is strong and quick, very much in the mould of player Thomas Frank likes.

He is versatile and most coaches like a player who can operate in different positions across the front line. I can see Semenyo on the Spurs left, his pace and power a counterweight to his Ghana teammate Mohammed Kudus on the right.

Neither Mathys Tel nor Wilson Odobert have nailed that position down since Son Heung-min left for LA. Xavi Simons looks more natural in the centre and Brennan Johnson is so much more of a goal threat from the right. Richarlison can play there but is not a wide man.

The issue at Spurs though would be that having invested a combined £70million in Odobert and Tel, and spent £52m on Simons, would they spend more again on Semenyo who would compete for the same roles in the team and block their progress?

I doubt it unless they think they have buyers for some of the wide players. I also suspect if they are in a genuine transfer contest with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United then Spurs will not win.

They are not fighting for the biggest prizes like Liverpool. And they do not have top earners in the same wage bracket as either Liverpool or United.

Unless we are about the witness a radical change in strategy in what will be the first transfer window without Daniel Levy at the controls.

Liverpool - Lewis Steele

Liverpool have just spent £446million in the summer so another shiny forward would invite criticism from rivals.

Fixing their problems with more money is not the model of this club. But that is where any cons of this deal end. Semenyo is a sensational footballer, a bit of a throwback with his one-versus-one ability and someone who can add goals and assists.

He is best off the left wing and it is fair to say Cody Gakpo is inconsistent, so the Bournemouth star would be an upgrade or at the very least a solid bit of competition.

Liverpool did turn down potential moves for left wingers in the summer, such as Bradley Barcola and Rodrygo, due to the emergence of youngster Rio Ngumoha.

So that is something to keep in mind but overall this would be a top-class signing, especially noting how Mohamed Salah is a) not getting any younger and b) in a patchy run of form.

Manchester United - Nathan Salt

News of Antoine Semenyo’s availability at £65million certainly caused intrigue among Manchester United fans.

There’s a couple of factors at play here. One, is he a good player? Obviously, yes. Second, would he actually fit in? This one is more complicated.

United spent big on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to be their No 10s for years to come, while Mason Mount is a firm favourite of Ruben Amorim’s.

That raises the prospect that you could deploy Semenyo at left wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, something I imagine would be far less appealing to the player amid an expected bidding war.

United desperately need to pool their funds into central midfield having already fixed the goalkeeper, centre back, No 10 and striker positions. Semenyo, while a great player, is a piece of the puzzle United could do without.

Tottenham are reportedly facing legal pressure from an Arsenal supporting writer of Barry Manilow’s hit ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ over the club’s use of the track before matches.

The song was written by David Martin, Christian Arnold and Geoff Morrow in the 1970s, with Martin originally releasing the track in 1975 as a single.

However, Manilow’s version, released three years later, has become the most well-known.

Tottenham fans adopted the song, amid suggestions players had sung it on the team bus on away trips in the late 1970s.

The Premier League club have used the song before matches, with fans joining in and adding ‘Tottenham’ at points in the track.

Morrow, a supporter of Tottenham’s arch rivals Arsenal, has claimed the club has rejected his request for royalties over the use of the song.

‘I hoped that Spurs would be willing to sit down and meet with me to discuss this but they haven’t been interested,’ Morrow told the Sun.

‘When we wrote the song, we never imagined it would become a football anthem.

‘It was written as a love song.

‘What is really frustrating is Spurs won’t accept they are using our song.’

Tottenham reportedly declined to comment, with the Sun stating the club view the songwriter’s claim to have no legal basis under licence rules.

In addition to signing along to the track, Tottenham fans have included ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ on banners.

The club also covered seats during the Covid-19 pandemic with a banner featuring the lyrics, when matches were played behind closed doors.

Morrow's claim comes in the build-up to the North London Derby on Sunday.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will welcome their North London rivals to the Emirates in the headline fixture of the weekend.

It's been a topsy-turvy start to life at Tottenham for Thomas Frank.

No team have won more Premier League points on the road than Spurs this season - and only one team, winless Wolves, have won fewer on home soil.

That just about sums up how things have been for the boss since he was appointed in June, while he has also had to deal with the off-field drama of Daniel Levy's departure and a boardroom reshuffle in N17.

So, who might Spurs look to sign to give their season a lift? What's the latest on the key players currently on the treatment table? And what's really going on with Dominic Solanke? Here our Tottenham expert MATT BARLOW answers all your burning questions...

What are our plans for the January transfer window? How will Daniel Levy’s exit affect things?

It’s the first transfer window without Levy in the cockpit but I would be surprised to see a radical change of policy.

Fabio Paratici, back in an official sporting director’s role after his ban, will be in overdrive and most likely scouting for those who can improve the first team or fix short-term problems.

Right now, the priority appears to be at centre forward, but Spurs need one from the very top bracket to improve the team and not another from the next level down to clutter what they already have.

When January comes around, it may be that Dominic Solanke is fit and in form and the issue feels like something that can wait until the summer.

The Paratici factor makes me think they will at the very least check out what’s happening with Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract at Juventus expires in June. His situation has changed slightly since Luciano Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor as boss.

Spalletti says he wants to keep Vlahovic and would like him to sign a new deal, but the 25-year-old Serb is on big wages worth £10million a year after tax and a free transfer in the summer would be hugely lucrative for him.

If Spurs can afford to pay him what he is asking for then this deal, either in January or in the summer, feels at this stage a more viable option than Ivan Toney, who has been subject to a lot of speculation because of his links to Thomas Frank.

Toney at 29, would jar with Tottenham’s policy of recruiting younger players with scope to develop and his inflated Saudi wages would make him potentially more expensive than Vlahovic.

Similarly, a world-class goalkeeper would give them a boost and, despite signing Antonin Kinsky less than a year ago, Spurs are actively looking. Guglielmo Vicario has had some brilliant moments this season but does not command his penalty area and is often targeted at set-pieces. Could they, for example, make Aston Villa an offer they can’t refuse for Emi Martinez?

There is an element of the unknown because nobody is sure precisely how the Lewis family plan to follow up on public promises to invest in the team for sporting success.

Even if there is a will to come out spending, January is a notoriously difficult market.

There is a lot of excitement around Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo who would fit perfectly into a role on the left wing unclaimed since Son Heung-min left for LA. But in the last three transfer windows, Spurs have spent £125million on Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel.

They also have highly rated teenage winger Mikey Moore out on loan at Rangers - he has suffered in a difficult first half of the season at Ibrox and might benefit from a recall.

I’m not sure it makes sense for Spurs to wade into what could become a mid-season auction alongside Liverpool and others for Semenyo only for him to compete for the same roles in the team as these players, potentially blocking their progress.

Yves Bissouma will be allowed to leave for the right price and Spurs plan to trigger a clause to extend his contract by a year to 2027 if they don’t sell in January.

What rating would you give Thomas Frank for the job he's done so far?

There's been definite improvement defensively, which was the first challenge. Frank’s Spurs are much more secure at the back, stronger at set-pieces at both ends and much harder to beat than under Ange Postecoglou last season.

There have been games, especially at home against obdurate visitors, when they have not been fluent or creative. Maybe not playing with the free-spirited sense of adventure some Spurs purists would like to see. Maybe too concerned with what those opponents can do.

I’m looking at it from a neutral point of view, but I think Frank deserves time to work on the next stages. He knows they need to be more creative in open play, and you can see him tweaking and tinkering with different formulas to find solutions.

His substitutions against Manchester United were booed - but worked. He is not an idiot. He knows what he is doing. He is also aware he has to compete against some of the best teams and biggest budgets in world football without spending as much as they do, and that is impossible if you don’t plan to stop opponents doing what they want to do.

It is a question of balance. It always is at Spurs. And it is a difficult one to solve.

What’s the latest on Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison's injuries? When can we expect them back?

Maddison, injured in August, won’t be back much before the end of the season. It is a serious injury and even when he is fit to train I would expect Frank to be cautious with his return, based upon Radu Dragusin who is on the brink of a return from a similar knee injury.

Dragusin, out since January, has been back in training for a while and anxious to start playing again but played for the first time last week, only 45 minutes with the Under 21s, behind closed doors against Leyton Orient.

He was wanted by Romania for this international break. Spurs resisted his official call-up because they were keen to keep him under their control but they have allowed him to join the Romania camp for training only.

Kulusevski remains on course for a return in December.

How does Lucas Bergvall fit into this team? He’s a massive talent but I’m worried there’s not a place for him in this system

That’s a fair question. Bergvall is an exciting talent but I sense Frank is a little more concerned about his carelessness in possession than most supporters, which I think is the reason he is reluctant to play him regularly in one of the deeper midfield roles.

For the time being, I think he competes for the No10 role with Simons. And maybe over time Frank adjusts the shape of the team and finds a place for him in a midfield with one six and two eights. It’s important to remember that Bergvall is still only 19.

Will Randal Kolo Muani be out for a long time with his fractured jaw, or will we see him playing in a Zorro mask before long?

Spurs are relieved the specialist decided there was no surgery required, which would have ruled Kolo Muani out for a couple of months. As it is they will fit him for a protective mask and get him back sooner, but he is not going to be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday.

Frank must feel cursed by the injuries. It is slightly different to last season when many of Spurs' injured players had muscle issues which were easily blamed upon the workload of the schedule and Postecoglou’s high intensity training regime.

Kolo Muani broke his jaw in an innocuous collision with Harry Maguire and Solanke has been out for five months and counting after turning an ankle in a pre-season game, a problem which later required an operation.

How can Frank fix our abject home form?

This probably goes hand in hand with all the other things, such as the quality of recruitment or the calibre of the players and the search for the right balance, which is probably slightly different at home to away games because few visiting teams will arrive in N17 and take the game to Spurs.

Some will play purely on the counter-attack, others mix it up with a high press, but they all know it is prudent to frustrate the home crowd because when the atmosphere turns, it makes Spurs anxious and prone to overcommit going forward.

It eats away at confidence when trying to play through the press and leads to individual mistakes, especially among the least experienced players. When fear creeps into the football, it means they are no longer making instinctive decisions on the ball.

It’s a cycle they must break to change the mood, and it might take a stroke of good fortune to help them do it.

What’s going on with Solanke? Is it just injury issues or is there more to his absence? Does Frank not fancy him?

Well, he’s injured. He hurt his ankle in Frank’s first pre-season friendly and has not been fully fit since, initially trying to play through it while in discomfort, then trying a treatment of rest with injections and eventually giving in to surgery.

Any conspiracy theory that he is somehow fit and raring to go and not being selected by Frank is ridiculous.

Solanke was the best of the Spurs forwards last season. He scored 16 in a misfiring team, and his presence was valuable beyond the goals because he holds the ball up and helps the team up the pitch.

Spurs were much better with him in the team last season and in the short term could do with him back even if in the longer term they are shopping for an upgrade.

Frank clearly is uncertain about his best forward unit. There are a lot of players at his disposal and yet he cannot find a blend he likes. He has used 14 different combinations of front four in 18 games so far and never used the same one more than twice.

Manchester United fear Benjamin Sesko could be out for up to a month after limping off through injury against Tottenham Hotspur.

Ruben Amorim's side finished that 2-2 epic before the international break with 10 men after Sesko was forced off with a knee issue with United having made all their substitutions.

Sesko, who pulled out of international duty with Slovenia to begin his injury rehab at Carrington, has avoided serious damage but is still set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Daily Mail Sport understands that while United have not put a fixed timescale on the £73.7million summer signing's return, sources are anticipating it could be at least three to four weeks out.

With Sesko only arriving this summer his bounce back ability from injury is a relative unknown to United staff and the hope is that the 22-year-old responds positively to treatment and can return at the moment Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui lead for the Africa Cup of Nations so as not to leave Amorim too short changed in attack.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the Tottenham game, Amorim was fearful of the extent of the injury.

'I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee,' Amorim said.

'We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with Ben.'

Amorim will have to get creative now with limited options at centre forward.

Matheus Cunha is most likely to fill in as an unorthodox No 9 - he started there against Tottenham - while Joshua Zirkzee, who has grown frustrated at such a limited role so far this season, is now likely to be required to step up.

Mason Mount is another who is going to need to stay healthy to plug the gaps that Mbeumo, Amad and Sesko will inevitably leave.

Sesko has taken a lot of criticism since arriving in England, not least from former Manchester United title winner Gary Neville.

He has scored twice and registered an assist in 11 Premier League games so far this season and United gambled on him as their only true No 9 in the squad.

Rasmus Hojlund, who wanted to stay and fight for his place, was pushed out on loan to Napol, while 17-year-old Chido Obi has spent the entire season thus far with the Under-21s to further his development.

Tottenham plan to extend Yves Bissouma's contract to stop him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Bissouma's current deal expires in June, but the club has a one-year option they intend to trigger to preserve his value if he is not sold in January.

Spurs performed a similar contractual move last season with Son Heung-min, activating an extension before selling him to LAFC in the United States for an MLS record fee of £20million in July.

Bissouma, 29, is unlikely to play again for Tottenham. He made 52 appearances in all competitions last season and started the Europa League final in May but has yet to make a single appearance under Thomas Frank.

Bissouma was dropped as a disciplinary measure for persistent lateness from Frank's first squad ahead of the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in August, then struck by an injury in training soon afterwards.

On his return to fitness, he injured a knee while playing for Mali in October and required surgery, which has kept him out since. He has not been named in the Champions League squad.

Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray have shared the load of the two defensive midfield positions in Frank's usual 4-2-3-1 system.

Bissouma's latest recovery schedule has him in a fight to be fit in time for international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco in December and end with the final on January 18.

Compounding a torrid few months, there were court revelations in November of how he had been a victim of fraud with £800,000 stolen from a bank account with Coutts.

Tottenham will listen to offers in January with Fulham among those monitoring his situation but prospective buyers hoping to see his price cut as his contract winds down will be disappointed if the option is triggered and extends his deal until 2027.

There was fleeting interest in the summer from Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray but it came to nothing. Spurs wanted more than £10m for a player who cost them £25m from Brighton in 2022.

Bissouma, who has been in the Premier League since 2018, when he joined Brighton for £15m from Lille, is settled and thought to favour continuing his career in England.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is a major doubt for next Sunday's north London derby after being sent home from international duty with an injury.

The towering defender had to be withdrawn midway through Brazil's 2-0 victory against Senegal on Saturday after going down clutching his thigh.

He appeared in some discomfort as he trudged towards the dugout flanked by medical staff in concerning scenes for Gunners fans.

Tests have now revealed that Gabriel suffered 'a muscle injury in his right thigh', meaning he won't travel with Brazil to Lille for their friendly against Tunisia on Tuesday.

The defender will instead return to Arsenal's north London training ground for treatment.

Gabriel may well therefore miss his club side's clash with fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates next weekend.

Giving an early update on his player's injury after Brazil's win in London, Carlo Ancelotti said: 'I don't know what happened, he had a problem with his thigh.

'The medical staff have to check tomorrow. I'm really disappointed he's got an injury. I hope he recovers well and soon.'

Gabriel's injury comes at arguably the worst possible time for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who face a crucial few weeks with games against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to come after the international break.

They currently sit top of the league and four points clear of Manchester City, who are in blistering form heading towards the festive period.

Gabriel, along with centre-half partner William Saliba, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.

Arsenal have conceded a mere five Premier League goals thus far and kept clean sheets in seven of their 11 games.

Gabriel's been key to such success but has also contributed going forward. He's scored twice for Arteta's men already this season in their bid to win a first Premier League title for more than 20 years.

Thomas Tuchel has scolded England star Djed Spence over his behaviour after he ignored Tottenham manager Thomas Frank last month.

The England boss was unimpressed with how Spence, who is three caps into his international career, blanked Frank following Spurs' 1-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Interestingly, Spence was an unused substitute during Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia at Wembley despite starting the last international in Latvia in October.

‘Yeah, I didn’t like it,’ said Tuchel, who was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘Because the players know they are not only national players when they are the 10 days in camp, they are always national players and the standard of behaviour is always important.’

Tuchel revealed he has spoken to Spence about the incident but did not consider leaving him out of the squad. Jude Bellingham is in line to start here in Tirana, but Ezri Konsa has returned to Aston Villa with a calf issue.

Meanwhile, Tuchel has told his England players to let Albania run through on goal rather than risk a red card and miss matches at next summer’s World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently sweating on his early involvement in North America after his red card against Republic of Ireland this week.

If Portugal qualify automatically and his ban is extended to three matches for violent conduct - he elbowed defender Dara O’Shea - he will miss the first two group games at the World Cup.

Wayne Rooney was also suspended for England’s opening two matches at Euro 2012 after being sent off in the final qualifier.

Tuchel’s side are already qualified and play their final match in Albania on Sunday, and the head coach warned: ‘It is important, I’m aware of it and we will talk about it - no red cards please!

'Because we are through, and we are in a position with the last man and the player holds the shirt he gets the red card, so if there’s a doubt, then it would be smarter not to do it.

‘If we can avoid it, no red card, but I don’t want to make it too big a subject, because then you have a cloud above you. But if you have the choice, don’t do it.’

After 35 years of squabbles between two families, a man named Benn finally found a way to beat a Eubank. That it was comfortably the dullest encounter of the genre will not matter in the slightest to the guy who succeeded where his father twice failed.

And so, when it was done, Conor Benn climbed to the top rope and roared like a maniac at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with no need to wait for the formalities of the scorecards, such was the resounding nature of his revenge over Chris Eubank Jr.

Where the older man triumphed by unanimous decision in a wild, raw slugfest in April, the younger levelled their individual rivalry with speed and control 203 days later.

The official scores of 119-107, 116-110, 118-108 in Benn’s favour captured the nature of the evening, but concealed a pair of surprises. Primarily, that Nigel’s son could limit his aggression and emotions to a functional place, but also in how flat the contest was when set against the chaos of the first.

Were it not for the fire and fury of the final round, when Benn twice dropped Eubank, we would be questioning if more money has ever been spent on such an anti-climax. We still might given the purses for a non-title fight that saw Eubank Jr pocket an estimated £10million and Benn £8m.

But at least there was some bang for the buck and possibly some closure, too, on a rivalry that has been stretched out to excessive lengths to make a fight between men who belong in different weight categories.

In regards to the latter, Eubank Jr might eventually offer a detailed range of excuses for his desperately lethargic performance. And some might even be valid in consideration of the rehydration clauses that limited his ability to recover from a draining weight cut to make the 160-pound limit.

But it is more likely that his age – 36 and the elder by seven years – simply caught him up. He looked slow and old and thoroughly beaten, taking the family score to 2.5-1.5 across two generations.

Benn was happy to see this one as the last dance between them. He said: ‘It has been some journey and this is the end of the Eubank-Benn saga. Everyone who said I can’t box, put that in your pipe and smoke it.’

To sell it as a boxing masterclass would be a mistake – but it was an impressive dismantling of the opposition. There were also some conciliatory words for Eubank, with Benn adding: ‘Listen, this is generational, never done before, so credit to Chris. Thank you for sharing the ring with me. Not bad for two silver spoon kids.’

Eubank, for his part, alluded to difficulties in making the weight. He said: ‘ I have been through hell and back to get to this night. It is what it is. I tried hard. He fought hard and tough and he has power. I don’t know how he did it.’

The last sentence could be vulnerable to differing interpretations in light of the narrative around Benn’s failed drugs tests prior to the first fight.

But this one had no such drama in the build-up. Indeed, there were a significant number of empty seats ahead of the first bell, which told a story of fading novelty. Without the benefit of a scandal to leverage, or even the mystery of whether Eubank Snr would be present, much of the spice was sapped from an event that was never much more than a money grab for all concerned.

On that front, there was still sufficient demand to use this grand stadium for its host. Besides, an attendance upwards of 55,000 on a drizzly night in November is not to be sniffed at.

But it was telling that 2,000 tickets were gifted to local cab drivers by the Saudi overlords and seats that initially cost £100 were going for as little as £28 on secondary markets by the morning of the fight.

For those present, including Thierry Henry, Rod Stewart and Pierce Brosnan among the notables, Eubank Jr promised to dish out an ‘a**-beating’ and that this would be ‘a fight of the decade contender’.

He didn’t and it wasn’t.

Benn, as expected, showed the extra aggression, but with fewer of the rough edges we saw in April. Rather than hunting with haymakers, he was favouring the jab and repeatedly dipped below waist-height in manoeuvres to draw the taller man down.

Did it work? It was enough to take the early rounds but not to cause damage. Barring a couple of moderate right hands that he absorbed around the jaw and body, Eubank seemed content with the arrangement, but why? Was it by design to sap Benn’s strength? Or just a failure to get those ageing fists flying at a moving target?

Either way, he left himself a lot of ground to make up on the cards. By the halfway point, it was hard to make a case for Eubank having won a single round, with the possible exception of the third, when he finally landed a couple of decent shots.

The rest was a reliable pattern of slow jabs into cold air, quickly followed by a more accurate retaliation from Benn. He was too quick for Eubank and too young.

That was highlighted in the seventh when, finally, there was a moment of legitimate excitement. Eubank had landed a strong jab, but as he stepped forward to follow it, he swallowed a left from Benn and then a far harder right that snapped his head back. Benn leaned forward and laughed in his face.

The eighth saw an improvement from Eubank, featuring one driving right flush on Benn’s cheek, but it was only a precursor to more frustration. The 12th round knockdowns settled it all rather emphatically as those right hands from Benn dropped Eubank to the canvas.

With them, he hopefully brought a close to a once-thrilling rivalry that has been allowed to go on too long.

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest updates and result as Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn face off in the latest chapter of their rivalry, with Riath Al-Samarrai reporting from the stadium.

ROUND SEVEN: Benn lands big!

Benn smells blood here. Eubank Jr looks really weak, and he may already need a knockout.

Benn going hard early and Eubank has to grab.

According to CompuBox, it's 35-21 to Benn in terms of jabs landed so far.

He's defending really well, too.

A BIG RIGHT HANDS FROM BENN! Eubanks says fine. Words exchanged at the bell!

Jones: 'Benn is taking advantage'

Barry Jones, former featherweight world champion, speaking on DAZN:

He looks lethargic and it’s usually due to weight issues. Everyone struggles to make weight, he overadvertised it, but it might be an issue.

Benn is taking advantage of every frailty, boxing under instruction.

ROUND SIX: Life in Eubank?

Eubank's corner are calling for more jabs and we are seeing that early doors here.

Benn, though, isn't worried, but does eat a right hand to the chin.

A big right from Benn, but Eubank hits back instantly. He's more in this round.

Potentially the closest round we have had - it ends with Eubank falling to the floor again. I think Benn pushed him.

ROUND FIVE: Benn smelling blood

Come on, Eubank. Not that I'm necessarily cheering him on, but just show us something.

Barry Jones on commentary for DAZN is questioning whether this is one fight too many for Eubank. Maybe too early to say that, but he is being schooled.

He is throwing but missing. A jab and an uppercut.

A good left jab from Benn as the crowd urge him on.

A bit better with a low jab, but he is feeling for it.

Benn then fires in two strong shots - Eubank laughs. The first signs of a real attack that we have seen.

ROUND FOUR: Benn well on top

They are starting to slog it out a bit more now. We are in a fight. It was a weird start from Eubank.

Good left jab from Benn. Then they exchange good lefts. Looks like the right eye of Eubank could be swelling...

He tried for a right hook but misses. Another body shot from Benn.

It's his round again.

ROUND THREE: Eubank Jr wakes up!

Benn lands another jab early. He's throwing that shot a lot more than he did in the first fight.

Eubank is now trying to come forward a little bit more. He narrowly misses a big uppercut but then lands a left on the back foot.

Eubank hits the deck, but he's pushed over. Much closer, now, with Eubank now getting his hands going.

ROUND TWO: Eubank Jr struggling to settle

Bo Mac is telling Eubank to relax in his corner. Benn's round first up, for sure.

Benn hits the deck but it's no knockdown. Benn bundled over, really. Kevin Parker wants a word with both men. It's quite a long one.

Benn is throwing a lot here and hits another good body shot.

The Destroyer is looking very quick here. Eubank is silent, not really moving much, and on the back foot. Is it deliberate?

Either way, I think it may be two rounds to Benn.

ROUND ONE: Benn on the front foot

It's Benn on the front foot early, with the loser of the last fight taking the centre.

A good body shot from Benn as we pass the minute mark. Eubank being very selective with his shots.

Really good from Benn. Quick shots but then he eats one from Eubank.

Benn goes for a big shot and it gets a bit scrappy as referee Kevin Parker calls for them to separate.

A decent first round. Both men looking comfortable.

We are underway!

There's a pause for a round of applause for Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, and we are just about ready to get underway here.

Cheers for Benn. Boos for Eubank. That has changed a little since last time.

One final pep talk from both fathers. Chris nods his head. Conor confident.

And the first bell rings. A roar from the crowd.

Talk about A-listers...

Good evening, gentlemen...

Just James Bond and Rod Stewart. No worries.

Rod didn't seem too impressed with 50 Cent, though!

Here's Eubank Jr - and 50 Cent!

We are hearing there has been a delay backstage. Games until the very end!

LOUD boos for Eubank Jr. Here he comes!

It's the usual Still D.R.E. for him, until 50 Cent comes out! Riath said he was there!

The Eubanks walk with pure swagger. What a dynasty. We spoke about proud fathers...

A warning that there is strong language in the below video.

'It's a fun touch'

I’m a pretty cynical soul on a variety of boxing topics, but any ring walk that involves a marching band of drummers is a fun touch in my book. Hat tip to Benn.

We still await Eubank Jr

It's a nice moment seeing Conor and Nigel together. That is one proud father.

Benn finishes his walk on by being drummed to the ring, and the crowd is on his side here. So keen to see if he can get revenge here.

It's going on a long time, I can't lie.

Benn makes his way to the ring

After Sweet Caroline plays, Adam Smith takes control on DAZN as the crowd lets out a huge cheer.

It's then over to Michael Buffer. You know the voice.

Benn is out first. A mixture of cheers and boos.

He takes his time. Ready or Not by The Delfonics is his choice of music to start with.

Then, after the Big Ben chimes, In the Air Tonight breaks out. Bop, to be fair.

Nigel is loving it too.

Bellew: 'This favours Benn'

Tony Bellew, former cruiserweight world champion, speaking on DAZN:

They are going straight back it and I think that favours Benn. He will have healed quicker and he will want to go into the fire quicker.

Technique and game plan will go out in the window again. Benn has to go there, he is the shorter guy. I can't see this being anything but another classic.

'50 cent is here'

Our sources tell us 50 Cent is in Eubank’s dressing room.

Meanwhile, a variety of staff are mopping down the ring after that Catterall-Essuman bloodbath. Fair play to Catterall – excellent performance.

How Benn spent Eubank Jr's fine

You may remember that Eubank Jr was fined £375,000 for missing weight last fight - if not only because I mentioned it earlier.

Well, Benn has revealed how he spent that money: on a Rolls Royce.

He loves it, too. Fair enough.

Celebrities in town!

The pictures are still filtering through, but we have some famous faces in the house tonight.

How's Jason Statham for you? How about Rosie Huntingdon Whitley? Thierry Henry?

PIERCE BROSNAN is here too! Mega.

Undercard results

The undercard has just finished up here in north London, with Jack Catterall claiming a dominant win over Eko Essuman.

Here are the full results from the other fights:

Adam Azim def. Kurt Scoby by 12th round TKO

Richard Riakporhe def. Tommy Welch by second-round knockout

Ishmael Davis def. Sam Gilley by unanimous decision

Mikie Tallon def. Fezan Shahid by fifth round knockout

Benn vibing ahead of go time!

I'll be honest, I'm not cool enough to know what song this is. Not even close.

But that is besides the point - the Destroyer is chilled, confident, and, seemingly, read.

A good sign for his fans.

That, and I now have a song stuck in my head that I do not know the name of.

Hands being wrapped

We're getting closer and closer to go time here - and the two fighters for the main event have been getting their hands wrapped ahead of the ring walks.

Both look very calm. No time to stress now - no going back!

Joshua vs Fury on the cards?!

Turki Al-Sheikh has told DAZN that Anthony Joshua is set to fight in Riyadh in February and then have a big London fight in London.

Not named were mentioned, but Hearn, AJ's promoter, said recently: 'Our plan is really cemented with Turki Al-Sheikh for 2026. And that's a big fight in February, and then Tyson Fury.'

Jake Paul first though of course, pal.

Nelson: 'Conor can snatch Eubank Jr's heart'

Johnny Nelson, former cruiserweight world champion, speaking to WhichBookie:

My prediction is that Conor Benn will beat Chris Eubank Jr. by way of a tight points decision.

Conor’s main threats, which he must use to good effect in this fight, are pace and pressure. With pace and pressure, he can snatch Eubank Jr’s heart.

He can snatch his lungs, drain his energy and put him under immense pressure. I’m not sure Benn can stop him; I don’t see a one-punch knockout happening there. That said, I could see a situation where the onslaught is so constant that the referee has to step in.

Inside Conor Benn's dressing room

Here's a look inside the dressing room of the Benn camp. Sort of, anyway.

You may recognise this - especially if you're a Tottenham fan. But no football teams in here today - just Benn and his boxing team.

Plenty of room. Very nice.

Nigel Benn: 'I know we are going to get a victory'

Nigel Benn, Conor Benn's father and former boxer:

Conor's fitness is another level. It was about his mindset. His team behind him is relaxed. No stress.

I know we're going to get a victory, I'm 100 per cent sure of that. Conor had him more in trouble than he had Conor [last time].

Hearn: 'I wouldn't be surprised if it's his last fight'

Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn's promoter, speaking to The Sun:

I just know that a lot of people around him didn't want him to carry on fighting after the last fight. And I think this fight will be the same kind of fight in terms of how taxing it'll be, how tough it'll be.

I just think he's coming to the end of his career. What is he, 36? You can't have too many fights like that, so let's see how he performs on Saturday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was his last fight.

Is the rivalry losing its shine?

As of last night, there were still a few tickets on sale ahead of tonight, with the anticipation admittedly not as high as the first fight between these two.

What's the reason for this fight? Family pride? Boxing success? Money?

Well worth reading the below from the legendary Jeff Powell, who has tried to break down tonight and what's on the line. Spoiler: He's not too impressed. But still well worth it.

You can read by clicking here or below.

JEFF POWELL: This second fight in north London is a masterpiece in the marketing of a family rivalry which is being lauded above its standing in the annals of this hard old game.

Hearn gets one over on Eubank Jr

Speaking of Hearn - he and Eubank Jr have been at each other's throats the whole time during this rivalry, pretty much forming one of their own.

Every time the former has tried to speak, the actual fighter has refused to let him, speaking over him, and it all came to a head when he claimed Hearn was responsible for the blocking of his ambulance in April - something he has categorically denied.

In the final presser, though, Hearn had a trick up his sleeve. He displayed cards, essentially reading everything he wanted to say, and there was nothing Eubank Jr could do about it.

ANOTHER sabotage?!

Surely not...

The Eubank camp have been stuck in a lift inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium... and Eubank Jr is convinced Hearn has set it up!

'The sabotage begins,' he said, laughing at his dad - who, interestingly, was shaking his head.

He continued: 'Now the lift doesn't work. It's OK. It's OK, Conor. You can stop the lift, you can stop the cars from coming in. It won't change your fate, my friend.'

I must warn you about the below clip - there is strong language!

'A fading novelty?'

A pretty sedate atmosphere here through the undercard so far. There’s a significant number of empty seats in the stadium despite the best efforts of those selling the show – 2,000 tickets given away to local cab drivers and massively reduced prices on the secondary markets. Indifference or a fading novelty?

Either way, it will be a large crowd in excess of 55,000 for an outdoor fight on a drizzly night in November. For those interested, Benn drew the louder cheer upon his arrival and hour or so ago.

...and recovery!

The issue around the state Eubank Jr was in after his last fight rang true. He was interviewed after the ring despite being seriously dehydrated, and put in an ambulance. He has since claimed that Eddie Hearn was responsible for the delay in the ambulance getting to hospital. We don't know what will happen this time.

This time, Daily Mail Sport was granted exclusive access to Eubank Jr's training camp in Dubai. We watched him power through a brutal conditioning session, trade blows with sparring partners and unveil a cutting-edge recovery routine designed to extend his career.

There is so much to his recovery now. deep massages, but not getting involved with the cold - no chance.

Click here or below to ready more from Charlotte Daly. Again, well worth it, I feel.

EXCLUSIVE BY CHARLOTTE DALY: Nine months on from dismantling Conor Benn in their first meeting, he is back in camp, back in the grind, and back in pursuit of a statement.

Inside Eubank Jr's preparation...

Eubank was dehydrated after the last fight. He cut down to 160.05lbs last time, still missing weight by half an ounce, resulting in a £375,000 fine. Ouch.

This time, though, he weight in LESS than Benn, coming in at 159.1lbs yesterday, with his rival at 159.3lbs.

The second generation star shared a clip of his brutal preparations for this fight, wearing a full sweat suit, roasting himself as he set to work on the exercise bike while draped in a towel and wearing a plastic hat.

He is ready to go.

And here are the Benns!

Not far behind him... Conor Benn is here too! Not quite flanked by his father Nigel, but the former boxer isn't too far behind.

It's white and blue for him tonight. A lot more level-headed this time around, apparently. We will see.

The Eubanks are here!

Last time out...

It was 202 days ago, on Saturday April 26, that 67,000 fans made their ways into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to witness what would ultimately be one of the best fights in quite a long time, to be fair.

Two fighters who hated each other - perhaps still do - going head to head in an absolute slog fest. Capturing the nation, the Eubank name would rise, with the Benns falling courtesy of Conor.

It was a bout a long time in the making. Years, in fact. They had been due to do battle back in 2022, before Benn tested positive for banned substance clomifene.

That would be the main ammo for Eubank's jibes his rivals' way in the build-up to the April bout. So much so that he at one point slapped an egg across the then-28-year-old's face. Eggs were blamed for the positive test.

Nonetheless, Eubank dropped a ton of weight, dominated the fight, and was then rushed to hospital with dehydration. Talk about drama.

And that leads us to tonight.

Will it be repeat or revenge?

Goooooood evening one and all and welcome to Daily Mail Sport's live coverage of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II.

We're back in north London and back inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight, seven months on from the pair's chaotic first bout in the very same arena that saw the former run out victorious. It's just a little bit colder and a little bit more windy this time.

For one reason or another, we are here for a second fight, and it could, could, be a lot closer.

We are expecting ring walks in around an hour. Until then, we have plenty of build-up to provide and lots of undercard bouts to bring you up to date on, so strap in, stay tuned, and enjoy.