Tudor hopeful of 'a nice surprise' as Maddison and Kudus near returns

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor said he is hoping for "a nice surprise" over the availability of James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus before the end of the season, with both players nursing long-term injuries as Spurs fight to avoid relegation. Spurs head into a crucial match against Nottingham Forest sitting 16th, one point clear of West Ham and this weekend's opponents.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will play on Sunday before undergoing hernia surgery that could sideline him for four to six weeks, while Tudor revealed Kudus has been out with a hamstring problem since January and Maddison suffered an ACL injury in pre-season. Tudor said Kudus is "progressing very well, already with the ball" and suggested he might rejoin some squad activity in around ten days.

Dejan Kulusevski's comeback remains unclear: he had knee surgery in May, has not been seen on the grass this season and will miss Sweden's World Cup play-off against Ukraine.

Sweden, Nottingham

tottenham, igor tudor, james maddison, mohammed kudus, dejan kulusevski, nottingham forest, guglielmo vicario, acl injury, hamstring, relegation