Why Tottenham are without a whopping 13 senior players for Champions League clash
As Tottenham prepare for their crunch Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund this week, Thomas Frank must be pulling his hair out with all the players he can’t use in the game.
It’s been an absolutely abysmal start to 2026 for Spurs, and there’s every chance it could get a lot worse when they take on the German giants on Tuesday night.
The two sides are both on 11 points in the Champions League table right now with two games to play. But, for Thomas Frank, there is more than qualification on the line; he could lose his job if he doesn’t win this one.
How the players feel about Frank is thought to be key to that decision. But when it comes to the game this week, the Spurs boss barely has any players at his disposal anyway.
- READ MORE: Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League preview, team news and head to head record
Seven confirmed injuries for Tottenham plus two doubts
With Frank’s latest Spurs injury update, we know a slew of players will be missing the European game, and plenty of games after that, too.
Ben Davies fractured his ankle early on against West Ham at the weekend and is now due to undergo surgery. The Welshman will be out for several months.
Joao Palhinha missed training late last week and was not in the squad to face the Hammers. It is thought he is still unable to take part on Tuesday night. Likewise, fellow midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will also miss out as he’s set to be absent for up to 13 games.
It is believed Richarlison will miss ten matches for Spurs, too, with a hamstring injury keeping him on the sidelines yet again. Tottenham’s attack is further depleted with Mohammed Kudus out until April.
Long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are still unavailable, and it is not known when they will be back, although the latter was seen doing some light training on the grass last week.
Meanwhile, both Archie Gray and Xavi Simons were seen limping in the game against West Ham. However, they were both among the Tottenham players training ahead of Dortmund, so hopefully they’re fit and ready to go.
Six more Spurs stars are not allowed to play vs Dortmund
If that wasn’t bad enough, Tottenham also have other issues to deal with that are affecting Frank’s team selection. For a start, Micky van de Ven is suspended after picking up three yellow cards in the opening six league phase matches.
New signing Conor Gallagher will not be allowed to play either, as he has not been registered in Tottenham’s Champions League squad. The same applies to Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma, while Mathys Tel has been replaced by Dominic Solanke in the latest update to the squad.
Finally, Pape Sarr is not expected to feature as he needs to make his way back from the African Cup of Nations, where his Senegal side just won the competition. Not to mention the fact that Pape was struck down with a nasty virus.
It seems the Tottenham line-up pretty much picks itself at this point, but only because there are no other options for Thomas Frank.
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