Tottenham will be without at least nine players for their UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg clash with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night and that could rise to 11 before kick-off.
Spurs have nothing to lose as they host Diego Simeone’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Spanish side having one foot, if not more, in the quarter-finals thanks to that 5-2 win in the first leg.
It would take a comeback of monumental proportions from a side in terrible form to turn the tie on its head and secure a last eight berth for the Lilywhites.
Key Duo Set For Atletico Madrid Involvement
Interim head coach Igor Tudor has been boosted by the news that two injured stars are back in training and fit to be named on the substitutes’ bench on Wednesday.
Lucas Bergvall has returned from his ankle injury quicker than expected, with the Swede a doubt for his nation’s World Cup play-off game in the March international break at the end of the month.
Destiny Udogie is another who has returned, right on schedule, from the hamstring injury that has kept him out for the last five weeks.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Tudor said: “Destiny and Lucas will be on the bench tomorrow. One part of the game, not too much because they just started to train with us but it is good to see them.”
Cristian Romero will also return to action following his clash of heads with teammate Joao Palhinha in the first leg – the Portuguese will be missing, however.
Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur and Wilson Odobert all remain long-term injured, while Mohammed Kudus and Yves Bissouma are alongside Palhinha in being unavailable. As is Richarlison, who is suspended after being booked in the first leg encounter, while Souza is ineligible having not been registed for the Champions League.
More Injury Problems For Tottenham
Two others could also be missing from the game in N17.
Conor Gallagher missed the match with Liverpool after it was revealed that he was unwell and Tudor explained the situation during his press conference.
He added: “We see today what we can do because he has, as you know, probably asthma problems. He has some virus to make some not nice things so we are going to see tomorrow if he is able to go on the bench.”
Dominic Solanke, who scored in the first leg, is also a doubt for the clash with some “small problems”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has broken his silence on the decision of the United States to deny entry to Somalian referee Omar Artan ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
There was outrage around the world when it emerged that Artan, the leading official from Africa, would not be allowed to enter the USA, despite having already been granted his visa.
Having arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Istanbul, he was informed that he would not be allowed to proceed further due to ‘vetting concerns’, essentially ending any chance of him officiating at the tournament. He had been due to become the first Somalian ever to officiate in any capacity at a World Cup.
Why Omar Artan was Denied Entry to the USA
Omar Artan via omar_artan on Instagram
Fifa initially released a brief statement confirming the news, which read:
“Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.” However, Infantino has now expanded on that brief comment.
In the days since he was denied entry, more details have emerged concerning Artan’s case. The decision to ban him from the US was seemingly made based on the fact that he shares the same name as a leader of the Al Shabab military group.
Artan was denied in Miami for 11 hours and interrogated by officials, before he was allowed to return home to Somalia. Speaking on his arrival back home, the referee stated:
“I’m simply a referee trying to live my dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup. I had all my papers in order, yet I was interrogated for hours, thrown into prison, and then expelled. I think they have a problem with my country.”
Benoit Tessier via Reuters
Despite the controversy and anger surrounding the decision, Infantino gave a bizarrely relaxed answer when he was quizzed on the situation on Wednesday as spoke to reporters at a pre-World Cup news conference, even telling them to “chill” and “relax.”
“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia. Again, we don’t control everything. We try, we will discuss, we will speak, we will see.
“Sometimes it’s good to chill, relax, we work on everything, we try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, we always try to find solutions.
“But we need to respect we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces. We are a sports organisation.”
Infantino also refused to make any assurances on any repeat of the Artan debacle in future when being asked if he had “lost control” of the tournament.
“You know in 2035 I think, we hope, the women’s World Cup will be in the UK right – there still needs to be a decision but it looks like it.
Would you find it normal that Fifa would dictate to the British government who to let in the country and who not to let in the country?
I don’t know. Maybe you find it normal. I would like personally, on the other side, the reality of the matter is that in every country, there are governments that try to get into the UK, Germany, Switzerland without a visa, try to get a visa if you’re from certain countries, it’s not easy, that’s what I want to say.”
Olivia Buzaglo and Ben Jacobs are live with a special World Cup preview edition of Market Madness, bringing you the latest transfer news alongside expert insight from across the globe.
South American football expert Tim Vickery joins the show to break down the key storylines ahead of the tournament, including:
– The mood in Brazil as they look to end their World Cup drought
– Neymar’s inclusion and current form at Santos
– Argentina’s chances of defending their crown
– Young South American talents who could earn big moves to Europe
– Potential surprise packages
Ben also delivers the latest breaking transfer news and answers your questions in his weekly mailbag, keeping you up to speed with all the biggest moves as the window heats up before the World Cup.
Plus, we hear from The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, speaking directly from the USA traning camp, with insight into how the co-host nation is shaping up ahead of the tournament.
Manchester United are looking to strengthen their attacking options as we head towards the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils are certainly in the market to sign midfielders this summer, but they could also look to strengthen in other areas.
It’s an incredibly important summer transfer window for United as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the Champions League.
The Red Devils were without European football during the 2025/26 season, which made it easier for them to finish in the top four due to the lack of distractions.
Michael Carrick’s side will now be playing twice a week for large parts of the season, so they’ll need a deeper and more competitive squad.
Manchester United might face a problem in the transfer race for one midfield target this summer.
Man Utd Eyeing Forward Reinforcements
According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Manchester United have working on Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old is set to compete at the World Cup with Belgium, and United are showing an interest as a potential forward option.
Despite his age, Fernandez-Pardo made 29 appearances for Lille in Ligue 1 last season, providing 13 goals and assists combined.
The Belgian forward, who has made two appearances for his country so far, predominantly plays as a centre forward but can also play on either wing.
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Versatile Forward Could be Smart for Man Utd
Signing a versatile forward in the summer transfer window could be an ideal move for United ahead of the 2026/2027 season.
Bringing in a player capable of playing in multiple positions in the forward line would be hugely beneficial, especially when Carrick looks to rotate his squad across different competitions.
