Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank was left with no choice but to drop Mathys Tel for their final two league‑phase Champions League games following Dominic Solanke's return from injury
Tottenham are reportedly pushing UEFA to expand Champions League squad limits after Thomas Frank was forced to omit Mathys Tel.
The £30million summer arrival was omitted from the squad ahead of the 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund to make room for Dominic Solanke's return from injury. He will also miss their final league‑phase clash against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Wednesday night (8pm).
Tel was originally omitted from their Champions League squad in September due to a lack of homegrown players, which meant Frank couldn't fill a 25-man list. A rule change in December opened the door for his return after Solanke's injury.
However, with Solanke now fit again, Tel has been forced out once more as Frank can only select one of them for Spurs' final two games of the league-phase.
According to City AM, Spurs sporting director Johan Lange is said to have raised the issue with Uefa as well as other Premier League clubs in a bid to gain more support.
It's believed that Arsenal and Chelsea have been the 'most receptive' so far.
However, some European rivals are said to oppose the idea, fearing it would further strengthen the advantage afforded by England's financial muscle.
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Speaking about the situation, Frank previously said: "Of course, it’s very tough for Mathys. Just to make it clear, as I understand, my challenge was it could only be him or Dom.
"I couldn't sub another player out. If so, I would have done it. Mathys has done well for us in many, many ways.
"It was him or Dom, and I chose Dom because, as I said, experience. He did, luckily, very well. But that's not the same as [saying] I don't like Mathys at all, he's started four of the last five.
"That's a clear signal that I also trust him and believe that he can do something good for the team and the club."
A win against Frankfurt would send Spurs into the last 16, and Frank would then be permitted to make up to three squad changes before 5 February, though he still cannot exceed the 25‑man A‑list limit for players born before 2004.
Any team with fewer than eight homegrown players must operate with a reduced squad size.