Tottenham opponents Bodo/Glimt in chaos as they face having HALF their team out for crunch Europa League clash
TOTTENHAM’S Europa League semi-final opponents Bodo/Glimt face an absentee crisis ahead of Thursday’s first-leg showdown.
The Norwegian champions are already without three players due to suspension, including influential skipper Patrick Berg.
But now they are sweating on injuries to key centre-back Odin Bjortuft and winger Ole Blomberg.
Ever-present Bjortuft, 26, was forced off early in the second half of Bodo’s 3-0 league win over KFUM on Sunday with a groin complaint.
Bodo boss Kjetil Knutsen said after the game: “I do not know anything. I never enjoy a player laying down, but the medical staff are looking into it.”
Bjortuft is now a doubt for this week’s trip to North London, along with wideman Blomberg who missed the KFUM game completely due to an injury picked up earlier this month.
Skipper Berg, 27, is banned due to too many yellow cards, along with midfield partner Hakon Evjen and striker Andreas Helmersen.
The latter netted a crucial goal in the quarter-final triumph over Italian giants Lazio, which added to their impressive list of scalps this season.
Knutsen’s side have already beaten Olympiacos, FC Twente and Besiktas this season.
While they also gave potential final opponents Manchester United a scare by going 2-1 up at Old Trafford in November, only to lose 3-2 thanks to a Rasmus Hojlund double.
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Bodo’s domestic campaign has only just kicked off, but they are unbeaten in four league games, winning three of them.
Spurs’ season – and possibly the future of boss Ange Postecoglou – hinges on them going all the way in Europe.
That is after an horrendous league term where they have lost NINETEEN games, with their latest disasterclass coming at Anfield on Sunday where a 5-1 thrashing handed Liverpool the title.
Postecoglou has been without multiple key players due to injury this season but goes into the Bodo game only worrying about the fitness of captain Son Heung-min.
The South Korean, 32, has missed the last four games with a foot injury.