Tottenham take on Azerbaijani champions Qarabag at White Hart Lane as the Europa League group stages kick-off on Thursday.

Mauricio Pochettino's side picked up their first win of the season with a narrow 1-0 triumph at Sunderland on Sunday, courtesy of Ryan Mason's fine team goal.

Defeat to Fiorentina saw Spurs crash out at the last 32 stage last season, having made the quarter-finals of the competition in two of the three years prior to that.

With the prize of Champions League football for the winners, Pochettino's men will be hoping to be in the mix come the latter stages again.

Qarabag dropped into the Europa League play-offs having lost 1-0 to Celtic over two legs in the Champions League 3rd qualifying round and overcame Swiss outfit Young Boys to make the group stages for the second successive season.

They will hope to improve on their record of just one win in six games - however, that victory was away to eventual finalists Dnipro and they also held Inter Milan to a goalless draw in Baku.

Team news

Ryan Mason will miss the Group J clash with Qarabag on Thursday night.

The England midfielder injured his knee in scoring the late winner at Sunderland on Sunday and will not feature against the Azerbaijan champions at White Hart Lane as a result.

Mauricio Pochettino will also still be without Mousa Dembele (foot) and Christian Eriksen (knee) but the latter did train with his team-mates on Wednesday morning.

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Tottenham have only lost one of their last 19 matches in the Europa League group stages (W12 D6), though this was their last group stage match v Besiktas.

Qarabag only managed to score three goals in their six Europa League group stage matches last season.

In the last three seasons, Spurs have made it to the knockout stages but failed to go further than the quarter-finals in any of those campaigns.

Qarabag have already played a British club in Europe this season, losing against Celtic in a two-legged affair in Champions League qualifying.

Spurs hitman Harry Kane scored five goals in the five matches he played in the Europa League group stages last season.