Tottenham Hotspur are gearing up for a pivotal UEFA Champions League group stage clash against AS Monaco at Stade Louis II this Wednesday night, but the build-up has been dominated by injury updates and tactical reflections from manager Thomas Frank. The Lilywhites, fresh off a narrow and frustrating 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, are aiming to bounce back and maintain their unbeaten European record, even as a spate of injuries continues to test their depth and resolve.
Frank, who addressed the media alongside defender Kevin Danso at the pre-match press conference, was quick to reassure supporters about the condition of captain Cristian Romero. The Argentine center-back was forced to withdraw from the Villa match after suffering an adductor strain during the warm-up, raising concerns about his availability for the critical European tie. "It’s an adductor strain. We will assess it more this week before we confirm any timeframe," Frank explained. When pressed further about the severity, he added, "No, I don't think so. For me it's an adductor strain. We'll assess him this week and then we'll know more."
Romero's absence is a blow, but the manager’s calm demeanor suggests the injury is not as grave as initially feared. Kevin Danso, who is set to deputize for Romero, acknowledged the responsibility: "Obviously, he's a very important player for us. For me, it's just doing the job, defending first and foremost and try to replace him in that instance as best as I can." Danso also showed his sportsmanship, publicly apologizing to Lucas Digne for an accidental challenge in the Villa match: "I saw the picture of his ankle. I didn't have a chance after the game, but I apologised to him on the pitch. I would like to apologise to him publicly as well. Obviously, there was no malice, nothing behind it. My intention was never to injure anybody."
Destiny Udogie, the Italian full-back, will also be missing against Monaco. Udogie did not travel with the squad due to knee irritation sustained after international duty. Frank provided an update: "The latest is that he got that knee irritation after international duty. We are assessing and working very hard to get on top of it. We'll know more day by day, or in the next week." With both Romero and Udogie sidelined, Tottenham’s defensive options are stretched thin, but there’s optimism that both could return to action soon, possibly as early as the weekend.
The injury list doesn’t end there. Tottenham are currently navigating a minor crisis, with nine senior players unavailable. James Maddison, the England midfielder, is set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury in August. Centre-back Kota Takai and midfielder Yves Bissouma are targeting early November for their returns, while striker Dominic Solanke is reportedly "progressing well" in his recovery. Dejan Kukusevski and Radu Dragusin, another with an ACL injury, are also eyeing a November comeback. Despite these setbacks, the mood in the camp remains upbeat, with Frank emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of his squad.
On the pitch, Tottenham’s European campaign has started on a positive note. The Lilywhites secured a 1-0 home win over Villarreal and battled to a 2-2 draw away to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, leaving them unbeaten as they head into their third group stage fixture. Frank highlighted the team’s strong away form as a key factor: "I think definitely away form has been very good in terms of what we said before. I think we've been extremely good in the foundation in football, in terms of we have a good base in the middle, low block, and also very high. I think it's very important that we probably have the most aggressive teams in the high pressure. That’s a big part of why we also are quite good away from home. We need to continue tomorrow against a very good team, but we're up for that."
Monaco, for their part, present a formidable challenge. The French side has just undergone a managerial change, with Sebastien Pocognoli replacing Adi Hutter. Frank acknowledged the difficulties of preparing for a team under new leadership: "His team at Union did very well, they won the championship in Belgium. So, that's what we do. We look at the last game they played and then a lot of games from Union. We have, I think, a good idea of what they want but also, we know that the very talented players speak for themselves, also under the former manager when they drew 2-2 here against City. So, it's a tough test but we look forward to it. We trust ourselves. We think we're in a good place and we'll do everything we can to win the game tomorrow."
Frank also took time to discuss the integration of summer signing Xavi Simons, who is still adapting to English football. "I think that's a very good question, also a very good comparison with Wirtz, also a very good player, just like Xavi, a very good player coming into a couple of things, a new country, a new club, a new city, just needs to settle in. It is part of it. We're all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the little bit bigger perspective and see it over time. I always look for glimpses and bits and pieces we're working at. So, for example, Xavi, I think there were some good bits that we worked with him and I asked him to be more arriving in the box, which when I looked the game back, he did."
Brennan Johnson, who scored a crucial goal last season, has yet to find the net in this Champions League campaign. Frank remains supportive, explaining, "Brennan is a very important player, a fantastic, important goal last season. Also, the top scorer. He started the season well, scored two good goals so, again, probably a little bit down to how do we put the players out that make it fit. Brennan has trained very well the last couple of weeks, doing what he's doing very well, scoring goals in training, which is important to keep showing that I'm not taking the right decision if he's not in the team."
As for tactics, Frank continues to emphasize guiding principles over rigid systems. "As I've said before, for me, it's not about the system - it's the guiding principles. I think right now the 4-2-3-1 is the go-to depending on types. And as I said, if we had won that game against Villa 1-0, which we easily could have done, they wouldn't everyone have been happy? So, I think the performance were all good, very competitive. I'm happy with that. I'm very aware that we need to add extra layers, which we're working on."
With the Champions League group stage finely poised and Tottenham sitting 10th in the league phase table, the stakes are high as they look to solidify their European credentials. The action at Stade Louis II promises to be intense, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST. Despite the injury challenges, the Spurs camp is exuding quiet confidence, determined to put recent disappointments behind them and continue their continental adventure with a strong showing in Monaco.
