Ange without “very strong” Tottenham player through injury alongside Son

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is certain to be without a “very strong” player for their trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday, with star winger Son Heung-min also very likely to miss the Premier League encounter.

Tottenham beat AZ Alkmaar as Postecoglou returns to winning form

Spurs narrowly scraped past Dutch giants AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday evening, courtesy of Richarlison’s first goal of the season, and the win makes it two from their last two games after a rampant 4-1 victory at the expense of West Ham last weekend.

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It is a perfect response to their regrettable 3-2 fumble at Brighton just before the international break – a result which Postecoglou will want to forget as soon as possible considering Spurs’ two-goal lead – but the Lilywhites’ past two outings are doing wonders to put it behind them.

Next up, Crystal Palace await Postecoglou’s side at Selhurst Park, with Eagles boss Oliver Glasner under intense pressure and looking to secure his first win of the new campaign.

Richarlison and Wilson Odobert will both be available for the south London clash, with the latter coming off the bench against AZ and making his first appearance in weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury.

However, the same cannot be said for Son, who is a huge doubt for Palace. The South Korea international will not be able to train this afternoon, and is therefore unlikely to make a return on Sunday.

“Sonny is still not right or feeling 100 per cent,” said Postecoglou in his press conference today.

“He won’t train today and so unlikely for the weekend and we’ll see how he is beyond that.”

The 32-year-old will be a big miss considering his importance to Postecoglou in an attacking sense, having stood out as one of their key players since the Australian took over from Antonio Conte last season.

Tottenham without Djed Spence for Crystal Palace through injury

Alongside Son, Postecoglou won’t be able to call upon right-back Djed Spence. The Englishman suffered a groin injury in training last week, and it is believed Spence will be absent for Tottenham’s trip to Crystal Palace as a result, but he isn’t expected to be out for much longer.

Spence was recently awarded a new deal at Spurs, owing to the redemption arc he’s undergone since being sent out on multiple loan spells last season. Italian media praised Spence for his form out on a temporary spell at Genoa last season, and he’s now brought that home to N17.

The “very strong” defender, as he was called by Gabriel Martinelli, is now a member of Postecoglou’s first-team squad – and could play a role as Tottenham seek to end their 16-year wait for a major trophy.

“I said a couple of days ago and consistently say, most of a players future is in their own hands,” said Postecoglou on Spence.

“They’re as much in control as anyone else. I think sometimes footballers forget that. With Djed, it could have been easy for to go out on loan again. But when he came into preseason, he was determined to make a career for himself here at Tottenham rather than wait to be loaned out.

“He did everything right in training, his attitude was great. He’s a good footballer, I think the way we play suits him and he’s knuckled down to that. And he’s earned himself a spot on the roster in our squad.

“The rest is up to him again. Because it’s an easy decision for me to make when I see that. Like I said, sometimes footballers think their fate is in other peoples’ hands. For the most part, it’s in their own. If they’re doing well and doing everything right, the future tends to take care of itself, whether that’s where you currently are or you move on. And Djed’s certainly done that.”