Romero, Solanke & Kulusevski: Recent injury updates for Tottenham and anticipated return dates ahead of the Newcastle fixture.
Tottenham Hotspur have made a strong start to their Premier League campaign and will aim to carry that form into the EFL Cup when they visit holders Newcastle United on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).
Last season, Spurs reached the semi-finals of the competition, defeating both Manchester clubs before losing 4-1 on aggregate to runners-up Liverpool. With the team ending their long trophy drought by winning the Europa League in May, they will hope for another deep cup run this year.
Manager Thomas Frank has had to manage several injury setbacks early in his tenure, though the club bolstered their squad in the summer to deal with long-term absences. A number of key players are edging closer to full fitness, giving Frank reason for optimism, although up to nine players could miss Wednesday’s clash.
Cristian Romero
Romero has been sidelined since sustaining an adductor injury in the warm-up before Spurs’ home defeat to Aston Villa on October 19. The captain has missed three matches and is targeting an early November return.
“Cuti just walked out on the grass running with some of the performance guys,” said Frank at the weekend. “Positive progress, no timeframe, but I don’t expect it to be long.”
Other Injury Updates
Destiny Udogie (knee) and Dominic Solanke (ankle) are also working their way back to fitness but are unlikely to feature against Newcastle. Both are aiming to return in time for the visit of Manchester United on November 8. Solanke’s future remains uncertain should he struggle to reclaim his place in the team.
Yves Bissouma, who underwent ankle surgery after picking up an injury while on international duty with Mali, is yet to feature this season but hopes to return soon.
Wilson Odobert, who picked up a knock during the Champions League game against Monaco, was fit enough for the bench against Everton and is expected to be available for the Newcastle match.
Dejan Kulusevski
The Swedish playmaker has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in May, ruling him out of the Europa League final. He is close to a return, with Frank suggesting there is a “good chance” of him being back before the end of the year, with December seen as a realistic target.
Other Absentees
James Maddison remains out for the season with an ACL injury, while Radu Dragusin, recovering from a similar issue sustained early in the year, is eyeing a post-November international break return. Ben Davies is also sidelined with a thigh problem picked up on international duty and is expected to be out for several weeks. Meanwhile, young defender Kota Takai has resumed training after a foot injury and could make his Spurs debut soon.
