Spurs suffer major blow in pursuit of Aston Villa and Champions League spot

Spurs’ task of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League has got harder after two of their players were ruled out for the rest of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are in direct competition with Villa for fourth spot in the Premier League which would see them qualify for the Champions League. Villa are currently seven points ahead with Spurs having two games in hand. The North London club play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday and kick-off half an hour before Unai Emery’s men take on Olympiacos.

In the build-up to the match, their manager Ange Postecoglou has delivered some bad news. Both Ben Davies and Timo Werner are to miss the last remaining matches of the campaign.

'Yeah, not good unfortunately,” said Postecoglou about Werner in his pre-match press conference.

'He's had a couple of issues after the game with his hamstring.

'We've only got two-and-a-half weeks to go so he'll miss the rest of the season.

He added: "Ben Davies got a calf injury and he'll miss the rest of the season as well. Everyone else is OK and Skippy (Oliver Skipp) should be back for this game.”

Werner returned to the Premier League in the winter transfer window after joining on loan from RB Leipzig. He registered three assists and two goals in 14 appearances for Spurs. As for Davies, he's played in 19 games in all competitions and made his first Premeir League start in over a month in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby.

Destiny Udogie has already been ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury and could miss EURO 2024. Back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster is another after fracturing his foot in training whilst Ryan Sessgnon and Manor Solomon are also sidelined.

Tottenham play Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester City and Sheffield United in their final four matches of the campaign. A post-season friendly against Newcastle United in Australia has also been organised.