Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost ahead of the North London derby next month, as one of Arsenal’s key players is likely to miss the game through injury.
Tottenham’s defence has always been an area the media have chosen to target since Ange Postecoglou arrived at the club. However, for much of the season, Spurs had conceded fewer goals than the majority of teams in the Premier League.
But this is no longer the case as nine teams in the league have now had fewer goals scored past them than Tottenham. And their defence has looked particularly worrying in recent weeks, notably in matches such as the 4-3 and 6-3 home defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.
With Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies all still injured, concerns over Tottenham’s defensive problems are growing. But recent news from the camp of their bitter rivals will encourage Spurs ahead of next month’s North London derby.
According to The Times, Arsenal’s England international, Bukayo Saka, has been sidelined with his third hamstring problem of the season. The winger was in visible discomfort during his side’s 5-1 thrashing of Crystal Palace and signalled he wanted to be substituted, before leaving Selhurst Park on crutches.
Although Saka is usually quick to return from injuries, he is likely to be out for four to six weeks which means he is a major doubt for Arsenal’s clash with Spurs in mid-January.
So far this season, Saka has five goals and ten assists in the Premier League, while he has also bagged four goals and two assists in five Champions League appearances, so he would have been a real attacking threat to Tottenham’s leaky defence.
Having started all bar one of Arsenal’s league matches this season, Saka’s injury is a blow for the Gunners, but great news for Spurs.
Spurs have experienced more than their fair share of injuries this season, which have affected multiple positions in their first-team squad. But they will be hopeful of having their star defenders back in training before the North London derby.
Both van de Ven and Romero are not expected back until at least January, with exact return dates currently unknown, but with van de Ven’s injury less serious than his previous one, there is a chance Spurs will have a stronger backline to face their sworn enemies (Standard).
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