Tottenham could receive a double injury boost ahead of the trip to Fulham.
Tottenham Hotspur began the post-Thomas Frank era with a defeat, losing 4-1 to neighbours Arsenal at home.
Fans will have hoped Igor Tudor’s appointment as the interim boss would lead to a bounce, but Sunday was not that day. Instead, it was more misery for them, a repeat of the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium, as Arsenal put four past a hapless Tottenham side.
A tightly contested first half saw Igor Tudor’s Spurs side head into the break at 1-1, after Randal Kolo Muani quickly cancelled out Eberechi Eze’s opener. But the Gunners changed gears after the break, with Eze adding his second and a Viktor Gyokeres double sealing the deal. The defeat to bitter North London rivals left Tottenham just four points above the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Igor Tudor hopeful of having two defenders back from injury vs. Fulham
The match was Tudor’s first in charge, and while his team were second best in all departments and deservedly beaten, he cannot be entirely blamed for the performance, considering 12 players missed the game due to either injury or suspension. Indeed, the big Croat admitted after the North London derby defeat that the injury situation he inherited from Frank is unlike anything he has previously encountered in his managerial career.
However, Spurs could be in for a double injury boost ahead of the weekend’s game against Fulham. In the post-match presser, Tudor was hopeful that Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso would make the squad for the trip to Craven Cottage on Sunday.
“Yeah, probably [the] two of them [will return]. We hope. We’re going to see now what is best for the team,” Tudor was quoted by Football London.
With just 11 games remaining in the Premier League this season, the Spurs gaffer will need as many of his players back fit if he is to achieve his objective in N17. Thus, the return of Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso would be extremely important.
An attack-minded full-back, Pedro’s technical skills and ability to build up from the back would make him an immediate upgrade over Archie Gray at wing-back. Danso has shown that he is a capable defender when filling in for either Romero or Van de Ven this season or during the second half of last campaign.
So, the defensive duo would be welcomed back to the squad with open arms by Tudor and his coaching staff. It is difficult to see either of them starting against Fulham, but with Premier League survival on line, Tudor may take a chance or two in the final three months.