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أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، مجموعة منتخب الأرجنتين في بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026، الصيف المقبل، خلال مراسم إقرعة القرعة في مركز “جون كينيدي” مساء يوم الجمعة.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

ويجري الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، في مركز “جون كينيدي” مراسم قرعة النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم 2026، حيث تم الكشف عن طبيعة مجموعة منتخب الأرجنتين (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتأهل منتخب الأرجنتين، بطل نسخة 2022، إلى بطولة كأس العالم بعدما تصدر تصفيات أمريكا الجنوبية برصيد 38 نقطة. مجموعة منتخب الأرجنتين في كأس العالم 2026

حسبما تم الإعلان، جاءت مجموعة منتخب الأرجنتين في حملة الدفاع عن لقبها ببطولة كأس العالم، على النحو الآتي:

المجموعة العاشرة:

الأرجنتين

الجزائر

النمسا

الأردن

CSK have now lost five successive games at home, which also ends their playoffs chances

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Apr-20252:10

Is CSK losing five times at home IPL’s biggest shocker?

5 – Defeats for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk in IPL 2025, the most for them in a single edition. They lost four matches each in 2008 and 2012, including the final.CSK have now lost five games in a row in at home this season since defeating Mumbai Indians (MI) in their opening game. Only three teams have lost more home matches on the bounce in an IPL season. Deccan Chargers, in 2008, lost all seven home games, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) lost six at home after winning their first game in 2023 and 2024. Pune Warriors India also lost six in a row after winning their first two games at home in 2012.3 – Number of players including Yuzvendra Chahal to take multiple hat-tricks in the IPL. Chahal’s first hat-trick came against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2022. Amit Mishra has three IPL hat-tricks, while Yuvraj Singh has two.Related

• 'It's a feel thing for him' – Simons says Pathirana is close to being back at his best

• Ponting: Shreyas 'understands game situations better than ever before'

• Hat-trickster Chahal is still making batters look silly

• Injured Maxwell in danger of missing rest of IPL; Ponting says 'stay tuned' for replacements

• Dhoni says CSK 'need to take some catches' after falling 'slightly short'

1 – CSK have been bowled out in successive matches for the first time in the IPL. They were cleaned up for 154 in their previous game by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). That was the first time CSK were bowled out in an IPL match since the introduction of the Impact Player rule in IPL 2023.9 – Chahal now has nine four-plus wicket-hauls in the IPL, the most by any bowler. He went past Sunil Narine, who has eight.1 – Chahal also became the first bowler to take a hat-trick against CSK in the IPL. Parvinder Awana took a hat-trick against CSK in 2014 while playing for PBKS (then Kings XI Punjab), but that was in a CLT20 match.Chahal’s hat-trick was the fifth for the Punjab franchise in the IPL and the first since Sam Curran’s effort against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2019. They now share the record with Rajasthan Royals (RR).11 – Number of balls PBKS took to pick the last six CSK wickets, the fewest for any team in an IPL innings. SRH took 13 balls to take the last six wickets of Pune Warriors in 2013, and PBKS also needed 13 deliveries against SRH in 2020.4 – Wickets for Chahal in the 19th over of CSK’s innings. This is the second time that he’s picked up four wickets in an over in the IPL, with the other instance coming in 2022 against KKR when he took his previous hat-trick. Amit Mishra against Pune Warriors in 2013 and Andre Russell against Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2022 are the others with a four-wicket over in the IPL.Yuzvendra Chahal picked up four wickets in an over and celebrated like only he can•Getty ImagesChahal is now one of only three bowlers to take four-plus wickets in an over in men’s T20s on multiple occasions (where ball-by-ball data is available). Russell and Shaheen Shah Afridi also have multiple four-wicket overs in T20s.203 – CSK’s predicted score as per ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster after 18.1 overs, when they were 184 for 5. CSK lost the remaining five wickets in seven balls to get bowled out for 190.CSK’s 190 is the highest by any team when they were bowled out when batting first in the IPL. RR’s 185 against PBKS in 2021 was the previous highest, although they batted all 20 overs.1 – The CSK-PBKS match on Wednesday became the first in the IPL featuring four uncapped players to open the batting. Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre opened the batting for CSK, while Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh opened for PBKS.1 – CSK have failed to make it to the playoffs in successive seasons for the first time in the IPL. This is the fourth time that they have failed to make it to the final four – in 2020, 2022, 2024 and now 2025.

The New York Yankees have a glaring need at third base, and not too much time to figure out a solution.

MLB's trade deadline is rapidly approaching, looming just three weeks away, and the Yankees find themselves in a bit of a rut. The team limped through the month of June, going 12-14, before getting swept in a four-game series at the start of July.

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. set to return to his more trained position of second base, New York is set to deploy Oswald Peraza at the hot corner. He has an OPS of .487 and an OPS+ of 37. For a team hoping to contend for a World Series, that won't suffice.

Finding the right third baseman within the organization seems unlikely at this point, so a trade feels like the best route to address the position. There could be a few third baseman available on the market, and the Yankees should absolutely be making phone calls in the coming weeks in order to get a deal done.

Here are a few players they could target:

Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Daniel Farke looked long gone as Leeds United manager heading into an intimidating run of matches in the Premier League.

Not even the most optimistic Elland Road supporter would have expected the Whites to grab some much-needed points against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

Yet, after this trio of difficult clashes, Leeds are four points better off with a win and a draw secured, which also – most importantly – means they’re two points above the dreaded relegation zone.

Farke will just keep his fingers crossed that this high-energy approach can be replicated versus the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace to come, away from turning on the style against some of the division’s flashier opponents.

More positive results ahead would give Leeds a huge boost in their bid to avoid relegation, with the January transfer window also providing the Whites with an opportunity to add some standout signings to help them secure their survival.

Where Leeds could strength in January

Even though there has been a dramatic upturn in form, when Farke once looked like a dead man walking, Leeds will still likely be active in the hectic window to come.

Indeed, rumours are already beginning to circulate that the Premier League newcomers have Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl on their radar as transfer season edges ever closer. Moreover, the relegation-threatened outfit has also been linked heavily with a move for AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez to bolster their centre-forward options.

Away from all this gossip, though, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also come out to state via his YouTube channel that Farke and Co have even made a concrete approach for an attacking playmaker in the form of Martin Baturina.

Romano stated: “In the last few days, Leeds has been in touch, the teams are starting to move.”

The £21m midfielder, who only signed for Cesc Fabregas’ Como in the summer, is struggling for consistent first-team minutes in Serie A at the moment. Yet, despite his predicament, he isn’t overly keen on a switch to West Yorkshire, according to Romano, with Como allegedly turning down the approach.

Still, transfer stories can change in the blink of an eye, so don’t write this one off completely.

How Baturina can become Farke's next Rutter

If Leeds were eventually successful in their mission to land the captivating 22-year-old, Farke could sign Leeds’ new version of Georginio Rutter, with the 15-time Croatia international capable of being a terrifying assist machine, much like the former number 24 was at Elland Road.

Rutter did manage to hammer home some memorable strikes when still situated at the Whites, with eight goals tallied up. But, it was his unerring ability to create chances for fun that made him really stand out as a fan’s favourite during his short, but sweet, 66-game stint at the club.

TalkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling would herald him as a “class act” at Leeds for the way he managed to make creating chances galore look effortless, with a bumper 18 assists coming his way across that string of matches.

In league action alone across the 2023/24 season, Rutter would muster up a ridiculous 22 big chances created, which led to the silky Frenchman securing himself a deserved £40m move to Brighton and Hove Albion.

While it hasn’t gone Baturina’s way at Como to date, with just one Serie A start handed to him by Fabregas this season leading to zero assists being tallied, it’s clear from his explosive time at Hadjuk Split that he has the same devastating ability to carve team opens that Rutter possesses.

Fabregas has already waxed lyrical about the 22-year-old’s “immense” nature to make things happen in “key moments” when first moving to Italy.

The clip above saw the £21m-rated midfielder calmly tee up his teammate for a golden opportunity in the Champions League back in 2024, with the assists flowing throughout his time at Split, leading to scout Jacek Kulig once hailing him as one of “the biggest talents” in Croatia.

League stats: Baturina vs Rutter

Stat

Baturina

Rutter

Games played

114

60

Goals scored

17

6

Assists

36

17

Big chances created

38

23

Stats by Sofascore

Albeit from a wider pool of matches than the Seagulls star, Baturina would see out his time in his native Croatia with a staggering 38 big chances created from 117 league contests, which trumps Rutter’s own creative prowess.

Analyst Ben Mattinson would weigh in with some praise of his own by stating that the new Como number 20’s passing range was “outstanding” throughout his much-talked-about Split stay, with Farke now hopeful – if a move can be pulled off – that Baturina can enhance Leeds’ attack even more, after the goals have started to come naturally against the likes of Chelsea and Arne Slot’s Reds.

Of course, there will also be a worry in the air that for £21m, Leeds are risking their money on a midfielder who hasn’t ignited into life in Serie A.

Still, the Whites were here before with Rutter when splashing the cash on him in a January window, and while it took time for him to acclimatise, he is now seen as a modern great. Could Baturina soon follow in his esteemed footsteps?

Related Leeds now make contact over signing "powerful" star who's been likened to Odegaard

He’s a wanted man.

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The New York Yankees lost at home to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night. It was a nightmare game for the Yankees who saw Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony excel in his first game at Yankee Stadium.

Of course, Anthony couldn't have done it without some help and that's just what the Yankees gave him. Anthony's thrilling home run in the ninth was set up by a Yankees' error that extended the inning. They also committed three more errors in the second inning which resulted in the Red Sox's first run of the game.

And if the errors weren't enough, Yankees pitchers walked nine batters with starter Luis Gil issuing five of those.

If that sounds bad, that's because it is. Historically bad even.

It turns out the Yankees haven't committed four errors and walked nine batters in a home game in more than a century.

So what exactly happened on May 11, 1912? Well, the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Highlanders 9-5 at Hilltop Park. Cozy Dolan, Birdie Cree, George McConnell and Ed Sweeney were responsible for the four errors.

Hippo Vaughn, who would go to lead the NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts in 1918 with the Cubs, particularly struggled out of the bullpen. Vaughn walked four batters, gave up three earned runs and failed to record an out. Maybe home plate umpire Silk O'Loughlin was squeezing him, but without ABS we may never know.

With the loss the '12 Highlanders were off to a 5-13 start. They would go on to finish 50-102 which remains the worst record in franchise history. Things were so bad that they closed Hilltop Park after the season and changed the team's name to the Yankees ahead of the 1913 season. The stadium, which had just opened in 1903, was demolished in 1914.

The last place where the Yankees committed more than four errors and walked more than nine batters is now the site of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Consider Yankee Stadium on notice.

His 7 for 69 from 24.3 overs follows Kasey Aldridge’s 180 and allows Somerset to enforce follow on

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Sep-2025Hampshire 172 (Leach 7-69) and 35 for 1 (Middleton 8*, Vaughan 1-18) f/o trail Somerset 454 for 8 dec. (Aldridge 180, Abell 118, Overton 50*) by 247 runs A spin bowling masterclass from Somerset’s Jack Leach plunged relegation-threatened Hampshire into deeper trouble on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.After the hosts had increased their first innings total from an overnight 381 for 7 to 454 for 8 declared, the left-arm spinner, overlooked in recent times by England, claimed 7 for 69 from 24.3 overs to help bowl out Hampshire for 172 and make them follow on.Kasey Aldridge was last man out in the Somerset innings for 180, having begun the day on 149, while Craig Overton finished unbeaten on 50.Hampshire made a better fist of things in their second innings, reaching 35 for 1 before rain and bad light ended play 15.1 overs early, but still face a backs-to-the-wall fight tomorrow to avoid what might prove a hugely damaging defeat.The first ball of the day, bowled by Keith Barker, saw Aldridge nudge the single needed to take him to a maiden 150, having faced 207 balls and hit 16 fours and five sixes. He and Overton were positive from the outset.Aldridge cut a boundary off James Fuller to take Somerset’s score past 400 and followed up with an upper cut six off the same bowler. Overton cleared the ropes off Abbott and Washington Sundar as the pair took their entertaining partnership to the century mark from 90 deliveries.The next target was to take the score to 450, which they achieved in the 103rd over to secure maximum batting points. Overton went to fifty off 42 balls and the only remaining question was the timing of the declaration.It came when Aldridge was run out by Nick Gubbins’ direct hit at the bowler’s end attempting a quick single to mid-off. The tall all-rounder, bound for Durham next season, had batted for more than four and a half hours, facing 233 balls and extending his boundary count to 20 fours and six sixes.Hampshire’s reply had reached 13 after five overs when Leach was introduced from the River End. His first over saw Ali Orr bowled between bat and pad by a delivery that turned considerably from outside the left-hander’s off stump.Soon it was 27 for 2 as Gubbins reverse swept Leach straight into the hands of Archie Vaughan at short third and three runs later Fletcha Middleton had his off stump clipped by Leach from a delivery that pitched on middle.Toby Albert launched two defiant sixes off Vaughan in moving to 29 before driving at a wide ball from the off-spinner and offering a straightforward return catch. Lunch was taken with Hampshire 61 for 4.Vaughan struck again after he and Leach had swapped ends in the afternoon session, bowling Ben Brown, on 21, as he attempted to cut.The accurate Leach was bowling some rippers and one accounted for Sundar. Having battled his way to 23, the India Test player pushed forward defensively to a ball that spun back through the gate and bowled him to make the score 102 for 6.Fuller tried to counter-attack and had made 24 off 17 balls when becoming Leach’s fifth victim, lbw sweeping. Barker was bowled for 19 attempting to reverse sweep Leach and Felix Organ top-edged a pull off a Vaughan long-hop to be caught at midwicket before Abbott lofted a catch to wide long-on to end the innings and give Leach season’s best figures.Tea was taken before Somerset enforced the follow-on. The tireless Leach, who played the last of his 39 Tests for England almost a year ago, took the new ball in tandem with Vaughan, while Tom Abell was off the field having suffered a jolting blow on the helmet when fielding at short-leg.Orr and Middleton took the score to 35 in the 22nd over when Orr fell for 27, struck on the back pad by a ball from Vaughan. Before the game could restart, the rain which had been forecast for much of the day finally arrived, much to Hampshire’s relief.

Manchester City return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they welcome Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth to The Etihad.

The Cityzens booked their place in the last eight of the League Cup on Wednesday night with a 3-1 win against Championship side Swansea City away from home.

That night in Wales provided some players with an opportunity to show that they deserve to start in the Premier League, and Rayan Cherki grasped that chance with both hands.

The key change Pep must make to the Man City starting XI

France international, Cherki, came off the bench against Villarreal and Aston Villa in the last two games after returning from injury, and finally made a return as a starter against Swansea in the League Cup.

Cherki, as shown in the graphic, was incredibly influential in the 3-1 win over the Welsh outfit, with a staggering 119 touches across the 90 minutes, which led to him creating six chances for the team.

The French magician buried a composed finish into the bottom corner for his goal and played a slick pass through for Omar Marmoush to score in the second half.

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Cherki is not the only player who should keep his place in the starting line-up from the win, though, as Pep Guardiola should also unleash Marmoush from the start to make Erling Haaland completely unplayable.

Cherki is not the only Man City star who can make Haaland even better

Haaland has scored 11 goals in nine matches in the Premier League, five more than any other player in the division, so you could argue that he already looks unplayable.

However, the Norway international blanked against Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League, as he only had 0.23 xG worth of chances, with Savinho and Oscar Bobb on the flanks to support him.

Savinho and Bobb, who are goalless in the Premier League this season, did not create any ‘big chances’ between them, which is why Cherki and Marmoush should be unleashed alongside Haaland against the Cherries.

They could provide a tangible threat at the top end of the pitch that the other two forwards have been unable to, which could then create more chances and more space for Haaland because of the attention that they can draw from opposition defenders.

Marmoush, who scored against Swansea, has proven that he can provide a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals, for Eintracht Frankfurt and since his move to Manchester City in January.

Omar Marmoush (24/25)

Bundesliga

Premier League

Appearances

17

16

xG

8.87

5.49

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

97

170

Big chances created

11

8

xA

4.14

2.12

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Egypt international produced 15 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 16 appearances in the Premier League last season, which shows that he hit the ground running in English football.

Marmoush, who was described as a “proper maverick” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also has good memories against today’s opponents, as he won the club’s Goal of the Season award with a sensational long-range strike.

The former Bundesliga star has the quality to be a real difference maker for the Cityzens, as evidenced by his statistics, and Cherki, given his output against Swansea, falls into the same bracket.

Their combined presence at the top end of the pitch against Bournemouth could draw some of the attention away from Haaland, giving him more space to work with, which could make him completely unplayable.

Related Man City closely monitoring Ezri Konsa as Aston Villa may now be forced to sell

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Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 31, 2025

The Norwegian star is already the best striker in the Premier League, given his goal return this season, but selecting Cherki and Marmoush could take him to another level entirely.

Sophie Devine took her time to get going, and then took time off to play hockey, but built up a remarkable body of work in ODI cricket before calling it a day

Shubh Agarwal26-Oct-2025Built to lastIt’s been almost two decades since Devine made her international debut as a 17-year-old in 2006. She finishes with the second-longest ODI career for a New Zealand cricketer, male or female. Only Suzie Bates, Devine’s long-time team-mate, has had a longer career, having made her debut seven months before Devine.In between, Devine had paused her cricket career for two years (2011-2012), when she featured for the New Zealand women’s hockey team.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe fixture against England is Devine’s 159th ODI, the second-most for a New Zealand woman, only behind Bates’ tally of 178. Remarkably, she also stands as the only New Zealand cricketer – and just the third women overall – to achieve the rare double of 4000 runs (4256 before her final ODI) and 100 wickets (110) in the format.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine has the third-highest runs for New Zealand in women’s ODIs and is one among only three bowlers to pick up over 100 wickets.The emergence of the batterDevine actually did not bat much at the start of her career. She batted at No. 8 on her T20I debut and was run out without facing a ball. Four days later, she batted at No. 11 on her ODI debut, making an unbeaten 6 off 29 deliveries.However, things changed after 2013. It was the first time she averaged over 30 with the bat in a calendar year and she didn’t look back after that. It was also the time when she started batting in the top five consistently.But, at the same time, her bowling workload took a backseat.Since then, Devine has not only been among New Zealand’s most consistent run aggregators but also has the best strike rate among those who have at least 1000 runs in this period, also playing 40 of her 108 innings in this period at the tricky No. 4 spot.The batting numbers have spiked since then.In 2015, she was promoted to open the innings, which she has done 34 times in her career. In fact, she is one among only five players to have batted at all 11 batting positions in women ODIs.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine shone in the opener’s role too. She scored five hundreds as an opener, the second-most for New Zealand with only Bates ahead with 12 centuries.Overall, her total of nine ODI hundreds, four of them as captain and six away from home are all second only to Bates’ numbers.Her 2470 runs away from home are also the second- most for a New Zealand woman cricketer.In the 2017 World Cup clash against Pakistan, Devine smashed nine sixes – a women’s ODI record later matched only by Chamari Athapaththu in 2023. Devine’s 93 off 41 balls came at a strike rate of 226.82, the highest for a 50-plus score in New Zealand’s ODI history.Before her final ODI, Devine had 75 sixes – the second-highest in women’s ODIs, behind only Deandra Dottin’s 91.Defiance in defeatWhile New Zealand’s campaign at this World Cup has been marred by poor weather and some mediocre cricket at times, Devine has stood tall as their highest run-scorer: she has amassed 289 runs at an average of 57.8.In New Zealand’s first fixture, she scored a valiant 112 walking out at 0 for 2 while chasing 327 against Australia. It was her third World Cup century, the second-highest for New Zealand. She followed it up with scores of 85 and 63 with wickets falling around her.Yet, she couldn’t save New Zealand from an early exit in this World Cup, a familiar script for a batter who has the second-highest runs in defeats in ODI history.

New Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran was called upon to close out his first game with his new club against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, and his first entrance was absolutely electric.

Duran, nicknamed the Durantula, was known during his time with the Minnesota Twins to emerge from the bullpen to intense music, a light show, and the home crowd waving their cellphone lights. That routine won't be changing now that he's in Philadelphia, as Citizens Bank Park gave him the same treatment.

Here's a look at the entrance:

With the Phillies holding onto a 5-4 lead, Duran needed only four pitches to get the job done, forcing a groundout, a foul-out, and a lineout to secure the victory.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days for Duran, who was heartbroken to be dumped by Minnesota. But, after being able to get his No. 59 jersey from his new manager Rob Thomson and securing his first save for the National League East-leading Phillies, he's surely already starting to feel right at home.

Sweden boss Graham Potter shared an update on Dejan Kulusevski's injury as the Tottenham star continues a lengthy recovery. The 25-year-old has not played a minute under new Spurs manager Thomas Frank after suffering a right patella injury in May during a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. It was a blow that ruled him out of Tottenham’s Europa League final triumph over Manchester United.

Potter happy with Kulusevski's progress

Kulusevski underwent surgery shortly after the injury and has spent the past five months rehabbing, mostly away from the spotlight. But after Sweden’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia, Potter confirmed the midfielder is finally moving into the later stages of his recovery. 

"Dejan is taking steps forward. He was happy with where he is in his rehabilitation," Potter informed. "It’s in Tottenham’s hands, and his. But he was feeling good when I last spoke to him and I look forward to seeing him maybe at Christmas or around New Year."

Potter warned, however, that nothing is guaranteed: "There is a lot of football to be played until then. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like in March. That is the reality. But he is in a good place, and he was happy with his rehabilitation last time we spoke. Then he was ready to take the next step [in rehabilitation]. But there is no stress involved. He will do his rehab in a good way and if he does that, I am pretty sure we will see him on the pitch soon.”

His comments suggest that Sweden expect to have Kulusevski fit for March’s World Cup play-off against Ukraine. It is a fixture of enormous importance after the Scandinavians finished bottom of their qualifying group but earned a second chance via their Nations League performance. 

AdvertisementTraining footage sparks optimism

During the international break, Spurs defender Destiny Udogie posted footage showing Kulusevski back on the grass at a warm-weather camp in the Middle East. The video delighted supporters, but Tottenham’s medical staff remain determined not to accelerate his schedule. Frank stated in September that he hoped to have the Swede back "before the end of the year" but refused to specify an exact return date.

"Instead of putting an exact month on it – October, November, December – I just want him back as quickly as possible," he said. "The medical guys and Kulusevski are working really hard on that. So, it's not tomorrow, but hopefully not too far away."

When further pushed, whether Kulusevski will be available at the start of the new year, he added: "Yes, there's a good chance of that."

In September, Kulusevski surprised fans by sharing an unfiltered photograph from his operation, showing surgeons holding his kneecap open. He accompanied it with a cryptic caption: “Warning for sensitive content. Thank God it happened so I could see it clear.”

Despite the graphic nature of the post, his tone during an interview with was noticeably optimistic.

"The status is great. I wake up every day with the same hunger," he said. "I will be back in the very, very near future. If everything goes according to plan, I’m confident I’ll be back in two to three months."

Spurs’ injury list continues to grow

Tottenham’s attacking options have been severely reduced in recent months. Alongside Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, playmaker James Maddison is also out with a knee injury, while deadline-day loan signing Randal Kolo Muani fractured his jaw against Manchester United and remains uncertain. Solanke has managed just three competitive appearances for Tottenham this season, last featuring in the 2-0 win at Manchester City in August. Although Frank reassured supporters the injury was "not serious", Solanke later underwent a "small procedure" and has been out ever since.

Solanke told "It’s been very difficult. At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long but we didn’t really understand the extent of the injury. I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn’t happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back. I’m not putting a timeline on it because I’ve been telling everyone ‘I’m going to be back soon’ for the last few months. I’m taking it day by day but hopefully I won’t be much longer."

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Getty Images SportMassive test at Arsenal looms

Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League with 18 points from 11 matches. They travel next to the Emirates to face top-of-the-table Arsenal on Sunday, trailing Mikel Arteta’s side by four points. Victory would boost their Champions League ambitions and, more importantly, hand them the bragging rights of north London.