The main storyline for Tottenham Hotspur right now, obviously, is the hot seat of manager Thomas Frank. And we covered that in the last post. A loss at home to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night will only further ramp up the pressure. If Frank is going to achieve a result in midweek, he’ll have to do it without the services of several players, including Richarlison and Ben Davies, among others.
That is, of course, in addition to the usual, long-standing list of Spurs injury absentees.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 7
Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
Kickoff: Tue Jan 20, 8pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
UCL Standings, Tottenham 11th, 11 pts Borussia Dortmund 10th, 11 pts
Google Result Probability: Tottenham Win 37% Draw 27% Borussia Dortmund Win 36%
Spurs Team News
“Richy, unfortunately, got a hamstring injury, which will keep him out for up to seven weeks,” Frank said of Richarlison on Friday. So you can thus rule the Brazilian forward out until late February. As for Davies, he’s a fresh injury concern (lower leg problem), but not much is known about the specifics, extent or severity of the situation.
Turning to Joao Palhinha, he is said to have an unspecified knock of some sort, so he is a doubt for this one.
However, Pape Matar Sarr could be back in the mix here, having returned from AFCON duty.
Meanwhile the following players remain sidelined as long-term injury absentees: Dejan Kulusevski, Mohamed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.