Spurs predicted lineup shaped by absences and unease
There is a particular kind of tension that settles over a club when selection debates begin to feel existential. For Tottenham Hotspur, Tuesday night against Newcastle United arrives with that familiar edge, a match framed less by tactics than by availability, confidence and creeping anxiety.
Spurs enter the fixture shorn of two defensive pillars. Cristian Romero begins a four game ban following his red card at Old Trafford, while Destiny Udogie faces at least a month out after another hamstring injury. The loss of both, in a season already defined by disruption, forces another reshuffle at the back.
Defensive choices narrow for Frank
With Kevin Danso still sidelined, Radu Dragusin could be handed his first start in over a year. Danso, according to Thomas Frank, remains some distance away. “He met the consultant. It’s going forward, but it’s still weeks before he’s available.”
There is at least some relief elsewhere. Djed Spence is fit again after missing two games with a calf injury, offering Frank a degree of flexibility. Udogie’s injury came midway through the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United, after which Frank confirmed the timescale. He said the left back will miss “four to five weeks”.
Frank attempted to strike a note of reassurance despite the growing list of absentees. “We lose two players but we get Spence back and I think Dragusin looked good when he came back in, so I know we will put a very competitive team out tomorrow as well.”
Formation debate reflects wider uncertainty
With Spence and Brazilian full back Souza available, there is the option of returning to a back three. Yet Souza is yet to start since his January arrival from Santos, making a more conservative approach likely. Spence could operate at left back, with Archie Gray filling in on the right.
That sense of compromise mirrors Spurs’ league position. Six points separate them from the relegation zone and the search for a first league win of 2026 continues. Selection, here, feels symbolic of a broader struggle to regain footing.
Spurs predicted XI and match details
Tottenham predicted XI (4-3-3): Vicario, Gray, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Spence, Gallagher, Palhinha, Sarr, Odobert, Solanke, Simons
Injured: Maddison, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Kudus, Richarlison, Davies, Porro, Bergvall, Danso, Udogie
Suspended: Romero