Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has offered an update on the injury to captain Cristian Romero ahead of his side’s Champions League match against AS Monaco on Wednesday.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Frank emphasised that he is not concerned about Romero – who was forced to withdraw from the loss against Aston Villa due to an injury suffered in the warm-up – though he did not know the timeframe for the Argentina defender’s return.
“It’s an adductor strain. We will assess it more this week before we confirm any timeframe,” explained the Dane.
“No I don't think so, it's a strain,” he replied when asked if fans should be concerned.
The Spurs boss also issued an update on Italian full-back Destiny Udogie, who has not travelled to Monaco ahead of the game.
“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,” added Frank.
Spurs are in the middle of navigating a minor injury crisis, with nine senior players currently sidelined after that injury to Romero.
James Maddison is the player who’ll likely be out for the longest, with the England midfielder having suffered an ACL injury in August. While he will be out until the end of the season, the rest of the injured players should be making returns soon, with Romero and Udogie potentially back in the squad at the weekend.
Centre-back Kota Takai and midfielder Yves Bissouma could make their returns in early November, while key striker Dominic Solanke is reportedly “progressing well” in his recovery. Dejan Kukusevski and Radu Dragusin – who suffered an ACL injury of his own – are also targeting a November return.
Spurs face Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Wednesday, with kick-off set for 8pm BST. The match is the third in Spurs’ league phase campaign, with the Lilywhites starting the week in 10th in the league phase table after a win against Villarreal and a draw against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.