Tottenham’s ongoing defensive woes persist, but the club remain ‘delighted’ following the confirmation of a new appointment.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to remain without three key defenders for their Champions League clash against Monaco, though the club have announced a new appointment that has been met with great satisfaction behind the scenes.
Spurs lined up with Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, and Djed Spence in defence during their recent Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. However, the match ended in disappointment as the visitors inflicted Tottenham’s second league defeat of the season, scoring twice in the process. It marked the third occasion this campaign that the North London side have conceded more than once in a single match — a statistic that underlines their current defensive struggles.
Those issues could worsen ahead of Wednesday’s trip to France, with Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Ben Davies all expected to remain sidelined. None of the trio participated in training in the lead-up to the European encounter, and all three were also absent from the squad that lost to Villa.
Romero withdrew during the warm-up for that game, while Udogie is believed to be nursing a minor muscle problem. Although neither injury is considered serious, their absence from training casts doubt on their availability. When asked about Romero’s chances of featuring against Monaco, manager Thomas Frank admitted uncertainty, saying:
> “I don’t know. He could be, he couldn’t. I just don’t know. Right now, if I’m honest, I had one focus — I went into the changing room, spoke to the players, and prepared for the questions I’d be asked. I’ll think about the players tomorrow.”
Despite the growing list of absentees, Tottenham received a boost off the pitch with the appointment of Dan Lewindon as the club’s new performance director. Lewindon joins from the City Football Group, where he held a senior performance role.
Sporting director Johan Lange expressed his delight at the addition, stating:
> “We are delighted that Dan will be joining us as performance director. He was the standout candidate and brings a wealth of experience across a wide range of team and individual sports, having worked in high-performance environments with elite athletes.
> “Dan also has a strong academic background, and his expertise will be hugely beneficial as we continue to drive innovation in this area of the club. We look forward to him starting his role.”
While Frank continues to navigate defensive challenges on the pitch, Tottenham’s latest appointment reflects the club’s commitment to strengthening its infrastructure and long-term performance strategy.
