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Tottenham Hotspur have managed to convince a national team not to call up one of their defenders for the October international fixtures.

Tottenham have been without Radu Dragusin for well over five months now, following the centre-back’s injury back in February during their Europa League tie with Elfsborg.

It was an ACL injury, and his time on the sidelines has been a lengthy one, but Dragusin is now back in training ahead of schedule and edging closer to a long-awaited return.

There is optimism around the club that the 23-year-old could make his way back into first-team action before the year comes to an end, as he continues to work tirelessly towards full fitness.

Tottenham convince Romania to leave Radu Dragusin out of squad

According to a report from The Sun, it is understood Dragusin was named on a preliminary list for Romania’s October international ties.

The Eastern European nation’s World Cup qualifying hopes are on the line, with a friendly tie against Moldova set to follow a crunch clash against Austria.

However, despite the importance of the tie, it is understood that Romania have reached an agreement with Spurs to leave Radu Dragusin out of the proper squad, allowing him to continue his recovery from the serious knee injury that has sidelined him since February.

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Should Romania lose to the Austrians while Bosnia-Herzegovina defeats Cyprus, their hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup finals will be over.

Spurs injury concerns remain under Thomas Frank

There is no fixed date for Dragusin’s full return, but his recovery is progressing well, and there is quiet confidence that he could return quicker than initially expected.

He is not the only Tottenham player currently sidelined, with Thomas Frank also missing Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski from his squad.

A Tottenham Hotspur player was recorded as the fastest player in the first week of the Champions League, and surprisingly, it was not Micky van de Ven.

No player clocked a higher top speed in the Premier League than Micky van de Ven, with the Dutchman being clocked at 37.12km/h in his first season in North London.

The only Spurs player who has even come close was Wilson Odobert, who was clocked at a top speed of 36.36km/h last season.

However, it is a different Tottenham Hotspur player who has registered the highest speed in the first week of the Champions League this term.

Tottenham defender is the quickest in the Champions League this season

According to TBR Football, Djed Spence recorded the highest top speed in the first week of this season’s Champions League. The Tottenham full-back was clocked at 33.4km/h during Spurs’ 1-0 win at home against Villarreal.

That was enough to just about beat Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who was just 0.2km/h slower than Spence.

This may not come as a surprise to anyone at Spurs, as Mikey Moore said a few months ago that Spence is just as quick as Van de Ven.

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Is the Djed Spence at left-back experiment working?

Like Ange Postecoglou, it appears that Thomas Frank has settled on left-back as the former Middlesbrough man’s best position.

The 25-year-old has been unbelievably solid defensively, and such is his confidence that Spence is even openly challenging wingers to beat him in one-v-one situations.

However, the England international is not able to offer much going forward when he is playing on the wrong side, as he is always having to cut inside every time.

That appears to be limiting Spurs down the left, particularly when Frank starts a right-footer like Wilson Odobert or Xavi Simons at left-wing, who also prefer to cut inside.

Thomas Frank has revealed what Tottenham were trying to do in the first half against Bodo/Glimt, and he believes that it worked relatively well, even though the home side were on top.

Bodo/Glimt were the far superior side in the first period at the Aspmyra Stadion, with the game bearing very little resemblance to the last time the two sides met at the venue almost five months ago.

Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to go into the interval with the scores level, with the home side failing to convert a spot-kick and missing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities.

The Lilywhites did well to salvage a point after conceding twice in the first 20 minutes of the second period, but the Spurs boss has made a curious claim about his side’s first-half display.

Thomas Frank reveals what Tottenham’s game plan was in the first-half against Bodo/Glimt

The Tottenham head coach has now admitted that he wanted Spurs to absorb pressure and hit Bodo/Glimt on the counter in the first period while also occasionally using the high press to win the ball up the pitch.

However, he confessed that his side did not make the most of the opportunities they had to break on their home side.

When asked if Tottenham’s plan was to sit back and play on the break in the first period, Frank said (via Football.London): “I think that was what we wanted. Hopefully, you also saw that we went high pressure sometimes. It was not that we never went high-pressure.

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“So the plan was both to go into the high-pressure situations, which we did on several occasions, and also succeed with those situations, and then there were times when we were a little bit more banked in.

“You know, exactly what we were four months ago, because they’re very, very good at what they’re doing. And then I think the counters should have been a little bit better. But I think the main bit was that when we were on the ball, we threw the ball away too quickly.”

Frank reveals if he was surprised by Bodo/Glimt

We know that the Danish coach is meticulous in opposition research, and he admitted that Bodo/Glimt’s play in the first half did not come as a surprise to him and his coaching staff.

However, Frank admitted that the Norwegian side did make a midfield tweak, and he was critical of the way his side defended Bodo’s first goal.

When asked about the home side’s dominance in the first period and if he was surprised by how they approached the game, the former Brentford boss responded: “I think they did exactly what I expected them to do in terms of how they wanted to play out, what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to put our pressure.

“I think the only little tweak was they were a little bit more flexible in the midfield rotation and a little bit more with the wingers coming inside. So that was a little bit more flexible compared to, let’s say, last game. So that was a tweak that maybe created a few problems in the first half, I think a little less in the second half.

“Even that they scored the goals, there were various reasons. Because actually the way we wanted to press, we just decided not to do at the 1-0 goal, even if it’s a fantastic finish from Hogh”

Tottenham Hotspur made the long trip to Norway, hoping to secure another three points in the Champions League, but their performance was simply not good enough.

Concerns were raised when Tottenham Hotspur had to face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final last season. However, Ange Postecoglou’s team played their best football across the two legs and stormed to a 5-1 win on aggregate.

With this in mind, Spurs were expected to triumph once again against the Champions of Norway. Despite this, it was another frustrating match for Thomas Frank and his players, who required yet another late goal to secure a draw.

There is little to be positive about after Tuesday’s game, but we will try and find something while looking at the three winners and losers of Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham.

Mohammed Kudus has nothing to worry about at Spurs

The only thing Mohammed Kudus can be criticised for so far this season is the fact that he is yet to score a goal. Other than that, the winger has been highly impressive since making the switch from West Ham.

He was brought on after an hour when Spurs trailed 1-0 and still managed to complete more dribbles than any other player on the pitch.

Kudus’ performance last night was nothing special, but he will be fancying his chances of comfortably remaining as Tottenham’s first-choice right winger. Wilson Odobert had one or two promising moments, but there are clear limitations to his game, while Brennan Johnson did not offer much in the attack.

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Micky van de Ven wore the captain’s armband

Micky van de Ven is only 24 years old, but he was given the opportunity to captain his team for the first time.

Better still, the defender scored the goal, which got Tottenham back in the game and helped them rescue a point. Fotmob rated van de Ven as the best player in the Spurs team.

However, it was his foul which caused a Tottenham goal to be disallowed and moments later, he received a yellow card after he took his frustration out on an opposition player. Hopefully, the night will have been a good learning experience for van de Ven.

Joao Palhinha will benefit from Tottenham’s midfield display

None of the Spurs midfielders had a great game against Bodo/Glimt, and that could help cement Joao Palhinha’s position in the first-team.

Some have criticised Frank for playing Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, and if only one could be chosen, it would surely be the Portuguese loanee. Bentancur made plenty of defensive contributions on Tuesday, but he gave away a penalty and offered little in attack.

Palhinha scored his second goal of the season to secure a point against Wolves and has impressed with his defensive displays. Tottenham travel to Leeds on Saturday, and it seems inevitable that Palhinha will be named in their starting lineup.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham…

Pedro Porro had a defensive disasterclass

Pedro Porro usually helps increase Tottenham’s creativity, and he certainly did more than Johnson last night. He even got the assist for van de Ven’s goal, which saw Spurs begin their comeback.

However, the 26-year-old’s defensive display brought to mind his struggles during the first half of last season. He lost five of his nine ground duels and was dribbled past four times against Bodo/Glimt.

Porro has been one of Tottenham’s best players during the current calendar year, but he was miles off it in Norway.

Richarlison was invisible for Spurs

Some might say it was Richarlison who applied the pressure to cause Jostein Gundersen’s own goal, but this was his only contribution on the night.

Richarlison played the full 90 minutes and yet managed just 10 touches. He missed one big chance and was barely involved in the game.

Now is the time for the Brazilian to show he is good enough to be Tottenham’s primary centre forward option, but he did not make the most of this opportunity. Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani will both be relishing the chance to put Richarlison back on the bench when they return from their injuries.

Guglielmo Vicario should be dropped by Tottenham

Hugo Lloris was not always consistent during his Tottenham days, but on his day he was world class. Guglielmo Vicario has had some standout moments since joining Spurs, but they are far less common than the Frenchman’s were.

Vicario conceded two goals and made two saves and his goals prevented figure was -0.79, highlighting a poor performance.

The Italian does not need to be benched permanently, but any player performing at his current level should be made to feel some pressure. Antonin Kinsky should be given an opportunity to start in a game which holds importance because Vicario is failing to show he is a reliable shot-stopper.

Micky van de Ven was handed the captain’s armband for the first time under Thomas Frank in Tottenham’s Champions League clash against Bodo/Glimt, and the Dutch defender has now opened up on what it meant to lead the side.

Tottenham Hotspur were staring down the face of a second defeat under new boss Thomas Frank when they travelled to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League.

Spurs found themselves two goals down in the second half after an abysmal first-half showing, where they defended deep and invited wave after wave of pressure from the Norwegian outfit.

Glimt had the best chance of the tie in the first half after they were awarded a penalty following a lazy challenge from Rodrigo Bentancur, but their blushes were spared when Hogh fired over from the spot.

Micky van de Ven opens up on being Tottenham captain in the Champions League

Frank named a new captain for the Champions League tie, with Micky van de Ven taking the armband for the first time this season, leading Tottenham out under the European lights.

It was the Dutchman who pulled one back for Frank’s men when they needed it most, and he has now spoken about what the moment meant to him and his family, reflecting on the pride of captaining the side for the first time.

Speaking to the club’s official channel, Van de Ven said it was a moment of huge personal pride: “Yeah really proud moment happy to help the team as well today and I was hoping for a better performance for our team but I am happy with the point and I am really proud of myself and my family members.”

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When asked if wearing the armband brought added responsibilities, he insisted it did not change his approach: “No no no I just did what I always needed to do that is it yeah.”

The Spurs defence had plenty to do for most of the game. While they battled bravely in the opening forty-five minutes, Glimt’s constant pressure eventually broke through, leaving Tottenham to chase the game before Van de Ven’s crucial response.

Spurs still on course for qualification

Last campaign in the Champions League, four home wins and four away draws were enough for a top-eight finish, with 20 points from eight games proving sufficient.

So far this season, Tottenham have managed one win and a draw away from home; however, if they are to secure automatic qualification to the round of 16, they will need to be ruthless and efficient at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while also picking up one or two more wins on their travels.

In the meantime, though, attention will now turn to the Premier League, where Tottenham are set to face newly promoted Leeds United.

Tottenham secured a 2-2 draw away from home in the Arctic Circle against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night in matchday two of the Champions League.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt:

Spurs show fight but lack consistency

Tottenham Hotspur could not make it two victories from two in the Champions League, as they managed to snatch a 2-2 draw after staring down the barrel of defeat.

It was a poor, dismal and abysmal performance from Thomas Frank’s men in the first half, and they were lucky not to have found themselves behind at the break had Hogh scored his penalty.

One would have expected a response from Frank’s side, but it was more of the same from the Lilywhites, who quickly found themselves two goals down.

However, as we have seen in three of the last four games, Spurs under the Dane do have a way of clawing back a point from these situations, and today was very much similar.

The Lilywhites refused to be beaten even when they went two goals down, showing great fighting spirit to claw their way back.

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But every Tottenham fan would tell you they would rather a solid and consistent performance across both halves, which has been lacking in recent weeks, as we saw against Wolves, Brighton and now Glimt. Still, the positive for Frank is that his players are willing to fight until the death.

Richarlison struggles with just 10 touches for Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham were poor and lacked any real invention in their attacking play tonight, and this lack of attacking intent was summed up in Richarlison’s performance.

Spurs were so ineffective that they struggled to find their number nine, with the Brazil international limited to just 10 touches of the ball all game against Bodo/Glimt.

One of those touches did lead to the equaliser, and ironically, it was a touch that the forward knew little about as Archie Gray’s cross was parried against him before the ball found its way into the back of the net.

Where are Tottenham in the Champions League table?

We are now two games down with six more to go in the league phase of the Champions League. No doubt, for Frank and his men, the ideal scenario would be to qualify automatically by finishing in the top eight, in order to avoid any extra play-off games.

At the moment, with a win and a draw, Spurs find themselves on four points and are currently sat fourth in the Champions League table, although several teams are yet to play their second game.

However, there is no need for panic yet, as last season four home wins and four away draws were enough for a top-eight place. At the moment, Spurs are on course for that, having beaten Villarreal at home and drawn at the Arctic Circle.

Spurs defence shaky as they allow 17 shots on goal

Spurs have been defensively resolute under Thomas Frank in all competitions this season, but today’s outing was anything but that, as they gave up 17 shots on their own goal.

It was a lacklustre performance that saw the Lilywhites drop off, particularly in the first half, inviting Bodo/Glimt to attack, with little pressure put on the ball.

At this level, if they continue to allow that many chances against stronger sides, fighting spirit might count for very little, as a good team could very well be out of sight before Tottenham have the chance to respond.

It is always better to defend by being on the front foot and keeping your opponent as far away from your goal as possible, but that was far from the case tonight, and it was little surprise that Tottenham found themselves two goals down.

Tottenham lack creativity as Xavi Simons left out of number ten role

Yes, it is early days, and there are injuries for Frank to deal with, but the lack of creativity is becoming increasingly glaring with each passing game.

The forwards are simply not scoring enough goals for a side that is supposed to be playing on the front foot.

It seems Tottenham’s best chance of grabbing a goal these days comes from a set piece or a wonder strike, and that is not sustainable.

Spurs need to create clearer chances if they are to score consistently. Bodo/Glimt’s 2.57 xG compared to Tottenham’s 1.46 tells you all you need to know about the type of chances Spurs are creating.

Tottenham do have a number ten in their squad and Frank needs to give Xavi Simons a chance in that role so the Dutchman can quickly acclimatise. All these brief cameos and spells on the left wing are doing little to help.

If Frank keeps reverting to Simons in the ten role when chasing a game, then why is he not starting the 22-year-old there in the first place?

The full-time whistle has blown between Tottenham Hotspur and Bodo/Glimt in matchday two of the league phase of the Champions League, and the player ratings are in.

Tottenham player ratings vs Bodo/Glimt

Guglielmo Vicario – After a few good stops in the first half, Vicario was finally beaten twice by a Bodo/Glimt side that picked up from where they left off with the constant attacking. 5.

Pedro Porro – Allowed Hauge to drift inside far too easily for the opener, punished as the wide man finished superbly. Tried to make amends with a dangerous dead-ball delivery that struck the upright. Again found himself caught out defensively for the second, beaten far too simply. He did provide an assist with a cross for Van de Ven’s goal, but overall, it was a poor defensive display. 4.

Micky van de Ven – Among Tottenham’s better players before the break, reading the game well and cutting out danger. However, his line was breached twice in the second half, and he was penalised for shirt-pulling in the build-up to a disallowed goal. Redeemed himself by scoring Spurs’ first of the night. 7

Kevin Danso – Solid in the first half but less assured after the interval, with two Bodo/Glimt goals coming down his and Porro’s flank. 5.

Djed Spence – Even with Tottenham chasing the game, he was reluctant to push on and rarely offered an outlet going forward. As cautious as he had been in the first half. 5.

Rodrigo Bentancur – Reckless in conceding a first-half penalty with a lazy challenge, although Hogh spared him by missing. Thought he had equalised shortly after Spurs went behind in the second half, only for his goal to be ruled out. 4.

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Pape Matar Sarr – Struggled badly. Offered next to nothing with or without the ball, barely involved before being withdrawn for Joao Palhinha. 3.

Lucas Bergvall – Replaced on the hour as Frank turned to Simons. His first-half outside-of-the-boot cross was his most telling contribution, and he faded thereafter. 4.5.

Brennan Johnson – Culpable alongside Porro for tracking the same overlapping run that helped open up space for Hauge to cut inside. Thought he had created a goal when his shot was diverted in by Bentancur, but that was chalked off. Substituted in the second half as Frank brought on Kudus. 3.

Richarlison – Isolated for long spells, starved of service and struggled to hold the ball up effectively. Still, he delivered the key moment by grabbing Tottenham’s equaliser when Khaikin spilt Gray’s cross. 6.

Wilson Odobert – Showed flashes of intent with direct running but failed to deliver any real end product. Did not build on his first-half promise and, after a quiet second period, came closest with a diving header that rattled the crossbar. 4.

Substitutes

Xavi Simons – Introduced for Johnson to add guile, but failed to influence the contest. Gave away possession cheaply from a corner, leading to Bodo/Glimt’s second goal. 4.

Mohammed Kudus – Lively after coming on for Bergvall, carrying the ball with purpose and delivering a fine cross that led to Odobert’s header against the bar. 6.

Joao Palhinha – Sent on for Sarr to anchor midfield and add presence at set pieces. Kept things steady but no more. 5.

Destiny Udogie – Came on for Djed Spence for the final ten minutes of the clash, and looked to offer more width in attack with his overlapping runs. N/A.

The half-time whistle has blown between Tottenham Hotspur and Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League, and the player ratings are in.

Tottenham Hotspur are level at the break in their Champions League tie against Bodo/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadion.

Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Bodo/Glimt

Guglielmo Vicario – Forced into an early save after Berg struck from distance, but he was equal to it, tipping over the crossbar. Went the wrong way for the penalty, but it mattered little with Hogh firing over the crossbar. 7.

Pedro Porro – Got in the way of Hogh’s effort inside the area after Bodo/Glimt cranked up the pressure. Tried to influence matters from deep with his crossing whenever the chance arose, though his impact was limited. 6.

Micky van de Ven – The Dutchman had his hands full as Bodo/Glimt enjoyed long spells of possession, but he stood up well. Made several important interceptions, shutting down danger before it could develop. 7.

Kevin Danso – Stepped in for Cristian Romero, who did not travel to Norway, and looked assured. He was a calm presence at the back and produced a vital intervention to cut out a threatening Bodo/Glimt attack. 7.

Djed Spence – Disciplined in his defensive duties and measured with his forward runs. On occasions, he was caught out of position when Bodo/Glimt looked to break after some of his attacking forays. 6.

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Rodrigo Bentancur – More defensive-minded on the night, frequently dropping into the backline to help form a three in possession. Unfortunately, he has given that possession away far too many times and conceded a penalty with a rash challenge in the box – thankfully for Tottenham, Bodo failed to punish him. 3.

Pape Matar Sarr – Restored to the starting eleven but offered little of his usual drive into the penalty area. A quiet display in midfield. 5.

Lucas Bergvall – Full of energy and once again entrusted with the number ten role. Nearly provided the opener with a sublime outside-of-the-boot cross for Richarlison, who could not finish. Always willing to probe, but struggled to hold on to the ball. 5.5.

Brennan Johnson – Picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box after a corner but blazed over. Has offered very little on the ball and hasn’t got Spurs up the pitch enough. 4.

Richarlison – Should have put Tottenham ahead when Bergvall picked him out brilliantly, but his touch let him down at the key moment. 4.

Thomas Frank has selected his Tottenham Hotspur team for the Champions League match against Bodo/Glimt.

Tottenham are looking to maintain their unbeaten start to their European campaign, having beaten Villarreal 1-0 in North London earlier this month.

Thomas Frank will be looking for a substantially better performance from his side from the one which saw Spurs draw 1-1 with Wolves at the weekend, with Joao Palhinha’s injury-time equaliser saving their blushes.

Bodo/Glimt have enjoyed a good season domestically, with 22 games already being played and currently sit in second place in the Eliteserien table.

What is the Tottenham team vs Bodo/Glimt?

Thomas Frank confirmed at Monday’s press conference that Dominic Solanke will have minor surgery on an ankle issue that has been bothering him in recent weeks.

Fellow striker Randal Kolo Muani remains out with a dead leg which has sidelined the loanee for the previous three fixtures, while club captain Cristian Romero has remained back in London as a precautionary measure.

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Yves Bissouma is back in training, but was not registered for the Champions League squad along with Mathys Tel. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin remain sidelined.

This is the Tottenham team which takes to the field in the Arctic Circle this evening:

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Danso, Spence; Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Richarlison, Odobert

Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Palhinha, Simons, Udogie, Gray, Kudus, Davies, Scarlett, Olusesi, Hardy

Tottenham need to use their previous experience to their advantage

The two clubs last faced off just 145 days ago in the Europa League semi-finals, where Spurs secured a comfortable 2-0 victory in Norway under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham have won three of their last four away games in major European competitions and Frank needs to ensure that he gets his team set up correctly after there were obvious issues aganst Wolves.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to add Nathan Collins to their squad in January and Brentford have now given the North London club a clear response.

According to reports, Tottenham explored a move for Nathan Collins in the summer, but the Republic of Ireland international stayed put at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The 24-year-old has been handed the armband by Keith Andrews following the departure of Christian Norgaard to Arsenal in the summer.

However, over recent days, it has emerged that Spurs are expected to try again to land Collins in January, with Frank keen to reunite with the centre-back at N17.

Brentford’s stance on Tottenham target Nathan Collins revealed

TEAMtalk have now said that the Bees have given a strong ‘hands-off’ message to Tottenham Hotspur about their captain.

The West London club have made it clear to Spurs that they will not entertain any offers for Collins in January.

Having already lost Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa in the summer, Brentford are keen to ensure that no other key player leaves the club mid-season.

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The report says that Brentford’s hardline stance may force Tottenham to look at other options to strengthen their defence in January.

What Brentford have told Keith Andrews about Collins

In fact, TEAMtalk allege that in light of Tottenham’s interest, the Bees have already assured Andrews that the Irish defender will not be leaving the club in January.

The 45-year-old manager has the backing of the Brentford top brass as he hopes to build on last weekend’s win over Man United and steer the club clear of the relegation spots.

The outlet adds that the Gtech Community Stadium hierarchy see Collins as being vital to their chances of retaining their top-flight status.