Thomas Frank has been dealt yet another injury blow, with one Tottenham Hotspur star now set to join Dejan Kulusevski and others on the sidelines.
Frank: Tottenham "desperate to win games"
Fresh from Cristian Romero's comments slamming those in charge of transfer decisions in North London, the last thing that both he and Spurs needed was his dismissal. The captain complained about squad depth, but has now dealt Frank yet another avoidable issue to deal with in the next four games.
It's a desperate time for Tottenham, who have simply not progressed since finishing in the depths of the bottom half last season. And not even Frank could hide that desperation, admitting just how much his side need a victory against Newcaste United this week.
The Dane told reporters: "There is no doubt we are desperate to win games. Desperate. And I am focusing on Newcastle tomorrow. That is a great opportunity ahead of us against a good team.
"That is the main thing – can we go out there and get three points tomorrow, that will be very good and climb from there and look forward."
What hasn't helped Spurs this season is the absence of Kulusevski. The Swede was one of the few bright sparks last season, but has been injured since May of last year and could yet miss the rest of the current campaign.
The former Juventus man is, of course, not the only injury worry that Frank has to content with right now. Ahead of Tottenham's crucial clash against Newcastle, Spurs have been dealt even more bad news.
Frank confirms extent of Udogie injury
As a rampant Man United shoved the Lilywhites to one side last time out, it was Destiny Udogie who became the latest to limp off. Now, Frank has confirmed that Udogie will miss the next four games at the very least, given that he'll be sidelined for a month.
This means that, like Romero, Udogie will miss the North London derby on Sunday 22 February, as well as games against Crystal Palace, Fulham and Newcastle.
For Frank, it's not just another injury, it's another important absence. Everyone involved at the club will be well aware of Udogie's quality when he is at his best and praise from the Spurs boss earlier this season reflected that.