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After a difficult exit from the Carabao Cup which put Tottenham‘s top four hopes in doubt, Thomas Frank hopes to refocus the squad for a visit from Chelsea in Premier League action on Saturday.
A 2-0 defeat to Newcastle midweek dumped Spurs from the League Cup and left fans wondering if they are able to maintain their third-place position over the course of the season when the schedule gets tougher going forward.
A soft start to the league slate has led Spurs to a hot start, but the upcoming slate looks daunting and will provide a view towards how well Tottenham can compete for European places.
After this game against Chelsea, Frank is staring down the barrel of matchups against an in-form Man United, leaders Arsenal, and Newcastle again all before the holiday period arrives, plus a Champions League date with PSG in the French capital.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are starving for a turnaround as they sit ninth in the league table after the first nine games of the season. The Blues progressed into the EFL Cup quarterfinals past their midweek test against Wolves, but it was not pretty, as they nearly collapsed after taking an early 3-0 lead, hanging on for a 4-3 victory.
MORE: Chelsea predicted lineup, team news, injuries for the match against Tottenham
Tottenham lineup vs. Chelsea: Starting XI
Vicario (GK)
Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Spence
Palhinha, Bentancur
Kudus, Sarr, Bergvall
Kolo Muani
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Tottenham team news
We knew that Guglielmo Vicario will return in goal to replace Cup deputy Antonin Kinsky, but beyond that it was unclear how much Thomas Frank would revert his squad for Premier League play, as he did not rotate as much as expected for the EFL Cup match.
Micky van de Ven comes back in along the defensive line, returning Joao Palhinha to midfield after he stepped in along the back for the EFL Cup game. Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons were deployed in each of the last two games and therefore rotate out, with extra midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr chosen over natural wingers like Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.
Both Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison have been ineffective up front in their recent starts, but the former returns to the XI after the latter was given a go in the League Cup midweek.
There are a host of Tottenham players carrying fitness issues, with Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke all out injured but expected to return shortly.
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Your team to take on Chelsea ✊
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/WYWIvwmE9I
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 1, 2025
Tottenham injury list
Below is the latest injury picture for Tottenham, including estimated return dates for those who are sidelined.
Radu Dragusin
- Injury: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
- Expected return date: November 2025
Romania international Dragusin tore his ACL in January in a Europa League clash with Elfsborg and his recovery timeline had been set at around 10-11 months. The club have confirmed his rehab is on track, and Frank stated he was back in light training at the start of September, but a full return is still at least some weeks away.
Ben Davies
- Injury: Thigh injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Veteran defender Davies suffered a thigh muscle injury on international duty with Wales on October 13 as his 100th cap ended in defeat to Belgium. The 32-year-old immediately left the Wales camp and Frank confirmed he would be out for “a few weeks”.
Dejan Kulusevski
- Injury: Knee injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Kulusevski’s absence has been felt by club and country with the Sweden international yet to feature this season after undergoing knee surgery in May. The call to address a persistent issue was taken before Frank’s arrival at Spurs, and all parties are cautious over his comeback date after he played a key role under Ange Postecoglou.
Dominic Solanke
- Injury: Ankle injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Solanke needed a minor operation on an ankle injury in September, and with his overall recovery going well, Frank is confident he will be back at the start of November.
Yves Bissmoua
- Injury: Ankle ligament injury
- Expected return date: December 2025
Bissouma was another player injured on international duty with Frank confirming an ankle ligament damage suffered in training with the Mali squad.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder has not played for Spurs since being omitted from the UEFA Super Cup final squad for persistent lateness, and there are suggestions he could move on in January.
Cristian Romero
- Injury: Adductor injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Romero missed the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend and the trip to Monaco with an adductor strain. The Argentina international was not included in the squad over the weekend and is game-to-game as Spurs trudge along.
Destiny Udogie
- Injury: Knee injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Frank’s third Spurs star injured in the international break is Udogie, who asked to be excused from the Italy squad after complaining of knee pain. He’s slightly behind Romero in terms of recovery and will be touch-and-go moving forward.
James Maddison
- Injury: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
- Expected return date: June 2026
Maddison suffered ACL damage in a preseason game against Newcastle United in August, with his campaign over before it even started. The England international has left a creative gap in Frank’s team, but due to the length of his rehabilitation, he’s not expected to feature again this season.
Kota Takai
- Injury: Ankle injury
- Expected return date: November 2025
Japan international Takai is yet to make his Spurs debut following a summer move from Kawasake Frontale, and Frank is hopeful he will be ready to join in match action at the start of November.
Tottenham vs. Chelsea match details
- Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
- Kickoff time: 5:30 p.m. local / 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT / 4:30 a.m. AEDT (Nov. 2)
- Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, England)
- Competition: Premier League, Matchday 10
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
- VAR: Craig Pawson
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