Tottenham suffer own injury blow ahead of Arsenal derby after star limps off on international duty – as Gunners come to terms with Martin Odegaard bombshell
- Tottenham have raised concerns over the availability of an in-form star
- They have several doubts, like Arsenal, as the North London derby approaches
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Tottenham are struggling with injuries ahead of the North London derby.
Spurs fans were probably feeling spoiled when they saw Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard suffer an ankle injury during Tuesday night’s match against Norway.
It is unclear how long the Arsenal captain will be out after club tests were inconclusive, but Norway’s team doctor predicted a three-week absence.
That will have been music to the ears of Spurs fans, especially as Odegaard’s midfielder Declan Rice is suspended.
But optimism is likely to wane after news that Yves Bissouma took a knock during Mali’s 1-0 win over Eswatini on Tuesday.
Yves Bissouma was injured in a match against Mali on Tuesday – a setback for Tottenham ahead of the derby
Spurs play Arsenal on Sunday but may have to do without the midfielder who scored against Everton
Bissouma scored the only goal of the game but was sent off in the 65th minute for a bad foul.
The 28-year-old has impressed in his last two games for Tottenham Hotspur, scoring his first stunning goal for the club in a 4-0 win over Everton in August.
He missed the first game of the season after Spurs suspended him after viewing a video of him inhaling laughing gas.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said Bissouma had made “a very bad decision” and should learn from his mistake.
Bissouma apologized for a “serious lack of judgment” after posting a video of himself inhaling nitrous oxide in a chauffeured limousine and laughing between puffs on his private Snapchat account, which The sun obtained.
Tottenham are struggling with several stars, including Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison.
The top two are more likely to be ready for Sunday’s derby than Richarlison, but there are no certainties.
Arsenal unsure how long Martin Odegaard will be out after injury against Norway
At Arsenal, Mikel Arteta is facing a growing absence crisis.
Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also injured, while Declan Rice is suspended for the derby following his controversial red card against Brighton.
