´Everyone likes a car crash´ – Postecoglou on Spurs´ injury problems

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged that Tottenham’s long injury list this season has required hard work to overcome.

Kevin Danso, Son Heung-min and Rodrigo Bentancur are all among the doubtful players ahead of their trip to Ipswich Town, while Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Radu Dragusin and Micky van de Ven are all out.

“Everyone likes an impeding car crash, I am sure we had a lot of people willing that scenario on. I know how hard these players have worked,” he said.

“Our training was better and I was confident that we would put in a good shift. The focus is still on trying to win games. In the background we are doing it our own way. We are looking into ways we can do things better, but we’re not going to be the only ones.

“There will be a few that come to my world in the next period and people will see it’s not just a reflection of people involved, but the circumstances you have been dealt with.

“We have had a few players who have not got injured at all.”

When questioned as to whether he thought the problems with injuries and poor form might soon ease, he was unwilling to give a definitive answer.

“Who knows? We feel, and I certainly feel there’s a massive opportunity in the back half of the year,” he said.

Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer, meanwhile, has praised 22-year-old forward Liam Delap, who scored his 10th goal of the season against Aston Villa last time out.

“You look at him and he’s a monster. He’s a young lad that’s got the enthusiasm and energy and also the talent,” said Palmer.

“So for us to have him and him be playing as well as he is at the moment, he’s going to have a big part to play the rest of the season.

“He’s a proper striker, and I think for us as well he’s an outlet. He’s a big physical boy. He’s not huge but he’s got that raw strength.

“Even build up, he helps us stick and set, so he’s not just a goal scorer. He’s an all-round striker.”

Next stop: Suffolk

@Castrol pic.twitter.com/6tnDITVDmp

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 19, 2025

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich – Liam Delap

Delap is Ipswich’s top scorer, with all of his 10 goals coming in the Premier League. He comes into this game having scored in back-to-back league games.

Only Chris Wood (43.9%) has scored a higher share of his team’s goals in the Premier League this season than Delap (43.5% – 10/23). Delap’s 10 goals this season is the joint second most by an Ipswich player in a single Premier League campaign, behind only Marcus Stewart in 2000-01 (19).

Tottenham – Mathys Tel

Tel scored in his first start for Tottenham, away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup earlier in the month, which was also Spurs’ last away game.

While, at home to Manchester United last time out, he became the seventh different teenager to feature for Tottenham in the Premier League this season. It’s the joint-most different teens they have fielded in a single campaign in the competition (also seven in both 1992-93 and 1993-94).

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

After a run of one win in 11 Premier League games (D2 L8) that saw them concede 24 goals, Tottenham have won their last two (2-0 v Brentford, 1-0 v Man Utd). They last won three in a row in December 2023, while they last did so without conceding in May 2022.

Ipswich remain the only side without a win in the Premier League so far in 2025, drawing two and losing four of their six games. They last had a longer run without a league victory from the start of a calendar year in 1990 (eight games).

No side has won fewer games (one) or scored fewer goals (nine) at home in the Premier League this season than Ipswich Town. Since beating Chelsea in December, they have lost their last three at Portman Road by an aggregate score of 10-1.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich – 29%

Draw – 25.1%

Tottenham – 45.8%