Ange Postecoglou confirms double Tottenham fitness boost for Arsenal clash (original) (raw)

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has provided an injury update ahead of the North London derby - and it's good news for two players who had been deemed doubts

Ange Postecoglou has delivered some good news on the injury front for Tottenham ahead of the North London derby

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke are both in contention to feature in Sunday's North London derby.

The Tottenham duo had been doubts in the build-up to this weekend's meeting with Arsenal - but Postecoglou has now said that both could be involved at the weekend.

“Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,” Postecoglou told the club's official website ahead of the match.

“Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training OK and are available.”

While it's good news for Solanke and Van de Ven, Spurs will be without Yves Bissouma after Postecoglou revealed that the former Brighton man had picked up an issue during the international break.

He said of the midfielder: “He’s 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.”

Tottenham will face an Arsenal side who are also missing key personnel; Gunners captain Martin Odegaard is a major doubt after injuring his ankle on international duty, while Declan Rice is suspended after being sent off against Brighton.

Join the debate! Who do you think will win this Sunday's North London derby: Spurs or Arsenal? Let us know here.

Solanke could feature against Arsenal on Sunday

The Gunners are expected to challenge for the Premier League title once again this term after being edged out by Manchester City on the final day of last season and they will provide a stern test of Tottenham's own credentials even without the likes of Rice.

And Postecoglou certainly indicated that he was taking nothing for granted in his press conference ahead of Sunday's game, though he did admit that the game represented a big opportunity for Spurs, who are looking to kick on themselves.

When he was asked why Arsenal would still be tough to play against, Postecoglou replied: “Approach, mentality. The last two years they’ve had a real relentlessness about them. They have this confidence in themselves that they can challenge over the course of the season. They’re going to be a tough nut to crack, but it’s a great opportunity for us.”

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