Tottenham alarm as Bergvall, Spence miss training; Kudus not seen during prep day

Multiple first-team observers noted fresh uncertainty today as Lucas Bergvall and Djed Spence were not seen with Tottenham’s main training group, while Mohammed Kudus was also not visible during his club’s scheduled prep-day activities. The timing is brutal, arriving right before a pivotal Premier League fixture cycle. Spurs now face depth questions at full-back and midfield, and West Ham could be sweating on their most explosive outlet if Kudus is managing load or fitness. Official clarifications are pending, but the optics hint at late selection jeopardy, potential niggles, or straight tactical smokescreens that could swing match-day plans.

Club beat reporter Alasdair Gold, reporting from Hotspur Way, observed that Lucas Bergvall and Djed Spence were not part of the visible first-team group during today’s training window. In parallel, Mohammed Kudus was not seen in public-facing preparations at his camp, with suggestions he may have been on media duties. Neither club has issued a formal medical update at the time of writing, leaving availability to be clarified closer to matchday.

🚨 JUST IN: No Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall or Djed Spence spotted in Tottenham training today. [@AlasdairGold]

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From Tottenham’s perspective, the optics are immediately negative: missing a session this close to the weekend typically points to one of three buckets—knock management, tailored gym work, or a selection decision that distances a player from the final tactical run-through. For Djed Spence, absence amplifies long-standing uncertainty at right-back rotation and depth behind Pedro Porro, complicating contingency plans if an in-game reshuffle is needed. Lucas Bergvall’s no-show, while he’s still integrating, dents the midfield flexibility Postecoglou has been cultivating for late-game control and pressing triggers.

For West Ham, any ambiguity around Mohammed Kudus is seismic. He is their primary ball-carrier between lines, the first-outlet escape in transition, and a high-probability shot creator from half-spaces. If today’s non-sighting is more than simple media or load management, Moyes would need to reconfigure chance creation through Bowen’s touchline gravity and Paquetá’s diagonals, with a likely drop in direct threat against a settled low-to-mid block. That, in turn, emboldens opponents to compress central lanes and dare West Ham’s full-backs to provide width.

Psychologically, the uncertainty itself can be disruptive. Opposition analysts will now prep dual plans, stretching final-day tactical clarity. If Spurs are juggling late fitness calls on two squad pieces and West Ham are shielding Kudus’ status, expect cagier early phases and heavy emphasis on set-plays, where marginal gains replace broken-play chaos usually sparked by Kudus.

Reaction

Fan reaction split fast and loud. One camp shrugged—“Been here before. They still won”—arguing that recent results show system resilience even when names drop out late. Another group moved to calm the Kudus storm, noting he was likely busy with press duties rather than nursing a knock, a reminder that not all absences are medical. A handful of commenters veered off-topic, riffing on league-table volatility and broader leadership talking points—social media being social media—yet the core thread was clear: uncertainty fuels speculation.

Spurs supporters voiced anxiety over right-back depth and the optics of losing training reps so close to kickoff, suggesting it undercuts rhythm in Postecoglou’s high-automation patterns. Others, more cynical, hinted at classic mind games—protective opsec to keep opponents guessing. West Ham fans, meanwhile, were quick to contextualize: if Kudus was involved in media work, this was a non-story; if not, any setback would dramatically reduce their transition punch. The overarching mood: cautiously agitated, scanning for official clarity while bracing for late team news twists.

Social reactions

Sok pas lawan mu lak ujug2 dadi pemain terbaik duniaaa

last good man (@Ibuuul__)

Are you scared of Tottenham just like we became scared of Brighton and Forest?

OldTrafford🏟 (@oldtraffordonly)

Hard to read much into this. Could just be given extra time off for recovery after the weekend - especially if not expected to feature midweek.

UnitedSense (@_UnitedSense)

Prediction

Three realistic scenarios sit on the table. First—and most likely—load management and media duties: Bergvall and Spence rejoin for the tactical tune-up the day before the match, while Kudus starts after a controlled week, with all three cases framed by coaches as workload optimization. Second, partial availability: Spurs keep Bergvall as a bench option, Spence misses out entirely, and West Ham manage Kudus’ minutes with a second-half plan. Third, the nuclear option: Spurs omit both players, and Kudus is sidelined, forcing Moyes into a Bowen–Antonio-led break game with Paquetá threading early diagonals.

Tactically, expect contingency chess. Spurs would lean even harder on Porro’s progression and Maddison’s half-space orchestration, with Kulusevski helping ball-security on the right if Spence is out of the matchday picture. If Kudus is limited, West Ham’s pressing height likely drops 5–10 metres, prioritizing compactness and set-piece leverage. Net-net: marginal gains decide it—defensive restarts, second balls, and who blinks first on in-game adjustments.

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Conclusion

Today’s non-sightings turn a straightforward build-up into a late-week cliffhanger. For Tottenham, missing Bergvall and Spence in visible training narrows rotational levers and tests structural resilience on the right side if anything happens to Porro. For West Ham, any doubt over Kudus, however benign, is headline material—he is the tempo-breaker who bends game states in their favour. Without official medical disclosures, the only responsible read is that both staffs are balancing workload, secrecy, and timing.

Still, the competitive edge is in the ambiguity. Opponents must now prep for multiple XI permutations, while the first 20 minutes could skew risk-averse as coaches feel out availability and rhythm. Watch for rapid clarity in the final pre-match briefings; until then, the market and the fanbase will oscillate on whispers. The team that navigates this uncertainty with cleaner set-play execution and calmer possession under pressure should walk away with the points.