Tottenham are in Champions League action this week as they travel to take on Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their round of 16 clash
Eyes turn to the Champions League for Tottenham Hotspur this week as they aim to take an advantage into the second leg of their round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid.
Spurs travel to Spain on Tuesday night (8pm) as they look to forget their troubles in the Premier League. The second leg takes place just over a week later at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, 18 March.
Tottenham’s last outing saw them fall to a 3-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace on Thursday night, leaving them in serious danger of relegation from the Premier League. The Champions League may be a welcome break from the strains of the fight.
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Spurs have had the full weekend to prepare for the game, as they were not involved in the FA Cup fifth round. All concentration will therefore be on Tuesday night’s game.
Tottenham have been hit with more than their fair share of injury problems throughout the season.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest from the treatment room for both teams ahead of the game.
Tottenham
Igor Tudor faces a nervous wait over the fitness of full-back Djed Spence, who has missed the last two matches due to ‘soreness.’ Ahead of last week’s game against Palace, Igor Tudor was hopeful that he’d be back in time for the clash against Atletico, but it may be a waiting game for the player and club.
There are set to be more players on the injury list, which has failed to let up throughout the campaign. Long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Wilson Odobert are continuing their recoveries from serious knee injuries.
Rodrigo Bentancur is also undergoing rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury. He will be joined on the sidelines by Mohammed Kudus, the forward’s return has been earmarked for after the upcoming international break.
It’s a similar situation with Lucas Bergvall and Ben Davies, who could make their comebacks from an ankle injury after the international break.
Full-back Destiny Udogie will be closing in on a return to action, with a four-to-five-week timeline put on his return in early February. However, the clash against Atletico could come just a bit too early.
There could also be doubts over the fitness of defender Radu Dragusin, who missed the game against Palace because of a minor knock.
The good news for Spurs is that the red card shown to centre-back Micky van de Ven against Palace does not carry over to the Champions League. He will therefore be available to face Atletico.
Atletico Madrid
Things are looking a lot quieter in terms of the treatment room at Atletico Madrid. There are just two players who are doubts for the game.
Midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza was taken off at half time of the 3-2 La Liga win against Real Sociedad on Saturday, having received a heavy knock to his ankle. The club have since confirmed that he has suffered a “moderate ankle sprain”, ruling him out of the clash against Spurs.
Another midfielder, Pablo Barrios, has missed the last nine games in all competitions with a muscle injury. He has, however, returned to training this weekend ahead of the mid-week clash.
It’s still to be seen if the game against Spurs could be the one he makes his comeback in, or if it will come too soon for the 22-year-old.