Tottenham will again be without key attacker Richarlison when they travel north to visit Newcastle United in the latest pivotal match in Spurs’ chase of a top-four finish.
The Brazilian has 10 league goals in his second season at Spurs — second on the team behind Korean forward Son Heung-Min’s 15 — but missed last weekend’s 3-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest with a knee issue.
With an additional 15 days between games following Saturday’s clash, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said Richarlison will again be absent in Newcastle with an eye toward returning against Arsenal on April 28.
“Not for this week. He’s close and, obviously with the weekend off next weekend, it’ll give him time to recover — and he’s on track to do that,” Postecoglou said. “Everyone else from last weekend has got through unscathed and are ready to go.”
Without Richarlison, Spurs (18-7-6, 60 points) eventually outlasted Forest in a victory that ensured they stayed level on points with Aston Villa, with an advantage on goal difference as well as a match in hand.
Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro scored after the break to make for a relatively comfortable win, after Chris Wood’s equalizer canceled Spurs’ early lead from a Forest own goal.
But the trip to Newcastle (14-12-5, 47 points) should be more difficult.
Bruno Guimaraes’ 81st-minute winner lifted the Magpies to a 1-0 win at Fulham last weekend and extended their modest league unbeaten run to three matches.
“It wasn’t a great performance, but we were dogged and determined,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. “It was a big step forward by not playing too well but finding a way to score and win the game. We haven’t been able to do that enough this season.”
The eighth-place Magpies are also competing for potential European places, with the win moving them within two points of sixth-place Manchester United.
And they’re unbeaten at home in their last five in the league, with their only defeat at St James’ Park in 2024 coming in a 3-2 setback to defending league champions Manchester City in January.
Striker Alexander Isak is also in excellent form, scoring five goals in his last five matches to bring his league total to 15. But Newcastle’s injury list remains lengthy and includes attacker Miguel Almiron, midfielder Joelinton and defender Kieran Trippier.
–Field Level Media
