Thomas Frank could be forced to leave out some of his most important players when Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur could be without as many as six players when they face Liverpool later this month. The Lilywhites will host the reigning Premier League champions in north London as they each look to make up ground in the race for European football.
Thomas Frank and Arne Slot enjoyed promising starts to the season, leading their respective teams to the top of the table. But, as the fixtures began to pile up, Spurs and Liverpool lost their grip on the UEFA Champions League qualification places.
They have each had spells in the bottom half of the table, battling for fourth and fifth place against the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton, Sunderland, and Manchester United. The clash in a couple of weeks could prove decisive by the end of the campaign, so Tottenham will be determined to snatch points from Liverpool.
However, Spurs could face the Reds without as many as six players. Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Kevin Danso, and Richarlison have each been shown three yellow cards so far this season.
If either of them is to be booked against Brentford on Saturday and then Nottingham Forest the following weekend, they must serve a suspension. Premier League rules state that players who receive a total of five yellow cards over the first 19 games are given a one-match ban.
Cristian Romero has already been cautioned six times. After missing the 2-1 defeat to Fulham due to suspension, he marked his return with a yellow card inside the opening half an hour on Tuesday night.
If a player is booked 10 times across the first 32 Premier League matches of the season, then they will be suspended for two games. While Tottenham were eliminated from the Carabao Cup back in October, it is worth noting that yellow cards issued in the English top-flight do not carry over to domestic cup competitions.
With so much at stake, it would be a nightmare if Frank were to face Liverpool without either of the six aforementioned players. The Dane knows exactly how important a place in the Champions League means to a club like Spurs.
Speaking to reporters at St. James' Park on Tuesday night, Frank reflected on the dramatic 2-2 draw to Newcastle and its impact. He said: "Yeah, I think it's hugely important.
"I think the PSG performance was good. I think the team gave everything against Fulham. It was just a nightmare game in some ways because you're down 2-0 after six minutes, and then keep going and also get something out of it.
"But that's the only way forward, we know that. If you're a tough runner, there's only one way, and that is to work hard and keep going. And the team did that very well today."
Slot will be under just as much pressure, if not more, to deliver a performance when Liverpool face Tottenham. Before the clash against Sunderland, the Reds had only won two of their previous eight games in the Premier League, losing the other six.