Football London

The Tottenham Hotspur boss has made it clear what his intentions are at the north London club and given some more injury news

Thomas Frank has made it clear that he did not join Tottenham Hotspur to finish anywhere other than on top of the Premier League eventually.

The Dane has found life tough at Spurs since leaving Brentford with just two wins in his past 12 Premier League matches and an injury list that has stirred echoes of the problems his predecessor Ange Postecoglou had to tackle last winter. On top of that, the north London club sold last season's top scorer Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35million only to lose the player who had been keeping him out of the line-up, Mohammed Kudus, until April with a quad injury.

Tottenham sit 14th in the table and after last season's 17th-place finish, Frank made it very clear that he has no intention of accepting mediocrity in the Premier League.

"That’s impossible at Tottenham. I didn't just come to this club to finish 14th, 10th, eighth, sixth, fourth, third, second. We want to build something that can be very successful all the time," said the 52-year-old. "I’m very aware where we are at the moment. I think it’s fair to say that not many are.

"I know where we want to go and then we need to be judged at the end of the season."

The Spurs boss explained that he speaks to club owners the Lewis family "on text or we talk sometimes" but there had been no planned meeting with them for a "couple of weeks" with CEO Vinai Venkatesham his main port of call at the club, speaking to the former Arsenal supremo every other day.

Frank is waiting to be able to use key players and long-term absentees Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski. While the England international is finally back in training after struggling with an ankle problem since the summer, the Swede is yet to return after patella surgery in his right knee in May last year.

At first it was assumed that Kulusevski would miss the start of the season and then Frank said he hoped to have him available by the end of last year and now it could be another month until the 25-year-old is ready to try again after feeling discomfort in his knee when he initially returned to training on the grass.

"It was not going forward as quickly as we thought but it's an injury we haven’t seen that much in football history," admitted Frank. "It's a complicated injury, where it’s important to make sure there’s no pain in the knee. That’s why he got an injection and it hopefully will help. So in three to four weeks’ time, he’ll be on the grass pain-free."

Spurs go into their FA Cup clash with high-flying Aston Villa on Saturday without Kudus, Kulusevski, Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and potentially Destiny Udogie, although the Italian is back in training. Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma have been away at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Senegal and Mali facing each other last night and Bissouma sent off.

With the Lilywhites missing central midfielders galore and football.london having previously reported that Frank wanted another midfielder, the Dane was asked if that was now a priority position.

"We’re looking in every position. We also have a few away at the Africa Cup of Nations," he said. "I think, when you want to improve the squad, of course there are some positions that are maybe more obvious than others, but we are out there. If we can improve the squad, we’ll improve the squad."

Frank will also be without captain Cristian Romero, who has received a one-game ban and a £50,000 fine following an FA charge for failing to leave the pitch promptly and behaving in a confrontational manner towards the referee after his red card against Liverpool last month.

Romero accepted the charge and Tottenham will not appeal the decision, meaning the Argentine will serve his third one-game suspension of the season so far. The World Cup winner has also racked up seven yellow cards in the Premier League which means if he gets three more in the next 11 matches he will face a two-game ban to continue his disciplinary issues.

Even with the absences, Frank is looking for an FA Cup run to do something similar for his team as the Europa League triumph did for Postecoglou's side last season.

"I’m very, very aware that a cup run will be fantastic. The FA Cup is the biggest cup and most historic cup tournament, not only in the UK and England, but also in the world," he said. "So we will do everything we can to win that game tomorrow and then progress to the next round and to install belief. That’s the only thing we’re thinking about.

"We'll be going full strength. Yeah, all in, because we want to win it. Both the game and the tournament if possible, but it’s one game at a time. We’re facing a very good Villa team. We know that, but we’ll go all in to try to win that game."

Tottenham Hotspur are set to bag themselves a Brazilian gem in the transfer market according to an expert on the South American game

Tottenham are set to sign Santos' highly-rated left-back Souza and South American football expert Tim Vickery believes the teenager has all the attributes to shine in the Premier League and is on the radar of Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Spurs have agreed a £13million deal with Santos for the 19-year-old defender with Souza set to undergo his medical in the coming days after a season in which he made 29 senior appearances for the Brazilian outfit, starting most games and playing alongside Neymar as they battled against relegation.

As Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has been indicating in recent weeks, the defender is set to be one for the now and future - long term solutions being short term ones. The Brazilian teenager will compete with Destiny Udogie on the left and eventually allow Djed Spence to compete with Pedro Porro on the right.

"Terrific business. I like him very much. He's a good left-back. Physically strong, skilful, a good footballer. He can defend, he can attack," Vickery said on talkSPORT.

"He's come through his first season which has been really difficult because Santos were fighting against relegation and it's a tough ask at Santos, because you've got all of that history and tradition of Pele but it's a club that represents a relatively small city in Brazil. They're really up against it but you've got all the demands, so it's a tough support base to play in front of and he's done really, really well.

"He obviously wants the move and Tottenham came in with eight million (initially), not nearly enough. Santos were relishing a little bit of an auction for him to push the price up. It seems he wants Tottenham and I would be very happy to see him come in. Maybe not immediately straight away but he's on Ancelotti's radar as a left-back for Brazil so I think he's very, very promising indeed."

Vickery also spoke to Sky Sports about Souza and emphasised the player's ability to remain out wide or operate in the more cluttered areas of the pitch.

"He’s very, very impressive. He’s only 19, left-back, physically strong, great footballer, versatile, attacks well. Can go on the outside, can cut inside as well," he said.

“Santos only avoided relegation in the last few days. The fans are so demanding and to have come through in his debut season, in a demanding environment, fighting against relegation and still doing very, very well indeed, that speaks volumes for him."

Tottenham are set to welcome back Yves Bissouma back into the squad during a period where the team have struggled through injury

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma is set to return to the club in the near future, as his nation Mali have been knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations. The 29-year-old captained the side for four of their five matches in the competition, registering draws against hosts Morocco and Comoros, before a penalty shootout win over Tunisia in the round of 16.

Mali then faced off with Senegal in the quarter-finals of AFCON, looking to reach the final four of the competition, only to be halted. An Iliman Ndiaye goal in the 27th minute was enough to hand his side passage to the semi-finals, as Spurs star Pape Matar Sarr remained an unused substitute in the match.

It was despair for Bissouma and Mali, made even worse by the Tottenham man's red card in the first half. He was booked in the 23rd minute for a foul, before picking up a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time, reducing the team to just ten men.

He is now set to fly back to Hotspur Way for the second-half of the campaign, but it remains to be seen if he is part of Thomas Frank's plans moving forward. Bissouma is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League so far this season, with injuries plaguing him under the new manager.

A mixture of ankle and knee problems have kept him sidelined, even ensuring he missed the first group stage match of AFCON. There have been doubts over his place under the Danish head coach, however, after he was dropped from the Uefa Super Cup game against Paris St-Germain in August due to lateness.

With the January transfer window open, it could be a moment for Bissouma, who Transfermarkt rate at £13m, to pick a new path in his career. The midfielder was signed back in 2023 from Brighton for £30m, which appeared to be a bargain, considering the quality he had shown.

While there have been a few moments of quality, Bissouma has struggled to make the midfield position his own in exactly 100 appearances for the club. It's unclear whether those struggles, and his latest red card for Mali, will put teams off making a move for him, however, which could put any exit at jeopardy.

Tottenham are in a position where they need to balance a squad turnover at the same time as dealing with the injury problems within the squad. An exit for Brennan Johnson has already been secured, as the forward made his way to Crystal Palace in a deal worth £35m.

Kota Takai and Jamie Donley have both made loan moves, while focus may well be on who could be brought in to strengthen the squad. Brazilian left-back Souza is being lined up for a potential switch to Hotspur Way, with the 19-year-old impressing in his time at Santos.

More emphasis may need to be placed on the midfield and forward ranks, however, to help fix the problems that Tottenham are facing. Spurs have struggled to progress the ball through central midfield, while there is a balance required to have those who can be physical in the middle of the park too.

In the forward areas, injuries to the likes of Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski among those injured, the side looking lightweight and unable to cause much threat to the opposition goal. With Johnson, last season's top-scorer, now gone, it may be that another attacker is brought in.

"We're working very, very, very hard to see if we can improve the squad," Frank told the media about the transfer window before the weekend's cup match with Aston Villa.

"Johan [Lange], Fabio [Paratici], Vinai [Venkatesham], everyone in and around the club, recruitment department is doing that. January is a very, very, very difficult window.

"It's very important to get short-term success and long-term success. Everything is linked. So players we are bringing in, it's because we think they can improve the squad and the team."

Tottenham have agreed a £13million deal to sign Santos full-back Souza. The player's medical is set to take place in the coming days.

Souza's arrival comes as Spurs look to reinvigorate their entire left side this month. football.londonunderstands a left-winger had been deemed a priority and a left-back was wanted.

The teenage star is also said to have drawn interest from AC Milan and Newcastle before Tottenham's decisive move. Souza is described as 'fast, quick and very offensive'.

Souza made 29 appearances for Santos last term and produced a goal and two assists in that period. The defender missed around four months with an ankle injury before establishing himself as a regular starter for the Brazilian club.

The Lilywhites continue an active start to the transfer window, having already sold Brennan Johnson for £35m to Crystal Palace.

Jamie Donley has also gone out of the exit door to join Oxford United on loan. The Championship club have a buy-option in that deal.

Tottenham attacker Yang Min-hyeok is set to join Coventry City on loan for the second half of the season, after the young South Korean international struggled for regular minutes while on loan at Portsmouth.

Alfie Dorrington has also been recalled from his loan at Aberdeen and Damola Ajayi is back at Tottenham following a spell with Doncaster Rovers. Dorrington is expected to go back out on loan.

Japanese defender Kota Takai has switched to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach following his summer arrival from Kawasaki Frontale. Forgotten winger Manor Solomon has joined Fiorentina on an initial loan, with Italian club holding an option to buy.

Souza is set to mark Spurs' first new incoming arrival. Boss Thomas Frank has made it clear he wants new singings that can aid his team.

"We will be in the market," Frank said. "We are definitely interested in, if we can, strengthening the squad.

"We will do that. I've said it a few times before that things are important.

"Of course, different types you can add to a squad, but the main bit is the ones we add need to be ones that we really think can improve the team.

"And then, like normal, there can be outgoings if you want to try to make a share of the squad."

Cristian Romero has been hit with a one-match ban following an incident with the referee towards the end of Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last month. Upon receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time, the Lilywhites captain was adjudged to have 'acted improperly' towards John Brooks.

He served a one-match suspension, as a result of the dismissal, at the end of December, missing Spurs' 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Romero has now been punished for his behaviour towards the referee, ruling him out of Saturday afternoon's clash against Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.

An official statement from a spokesperson at the FA reads: "Cristian Romero has been sanctioned in relation to the Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on Saturday 20 December 2025.

"It was alleged that he acted improperly around the 93rd minute by failing to leave the field of play promptly and/or behaving in a confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the referee.

"The defender subsequently admitted the charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission has now imposed a one-match suspension and £50,000 fine after a hearing. The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course."

Earlier this week, Romero raised eyebrows when he appeared to take a dig at Tottenham officials. The Argentina international apologised to supporters on Instagram following a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.

Romero wrote: "Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be. We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that.

"I am the first but we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club. At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t — as has been happening for several years now.

"They only show up when things are going well. We’ll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football.

"All together, it will be easier @spursofficial [white heart emoji]."

Speaking to reporters on Thursday ahead of this weekend's clash against Aston Villa, Frank offered his thoughts on the cryptic post. The Dane said: "I think after Cuti became the captain, he's done a lot of good things right.

"I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch, I'm happy with."

Frank added: "But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally. Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally."

On his relationship with Romero, the Tottenham boss said: "I have a very good relationship with Cuti and he has done well, but long-term success, everyone is aligned. Me, players, captain, leadership, which we are."

And on whether he should be concerned that Romero isn't aligned with key figure at the club, Frank said: "I think as I say, that I can’t and you probably need to ask him.

"It is not that often he does do the press, so you need to wait until you speak to him, but what I know he is has been here for five years, that’s one thing and what I know is I look at where I have been here for seven months and I see a very aligned club, so it’s just up to us to prove that."

It's time to check in on the club's large group of players out on loan across the UK, Europe and South America after another busy week

Tottenham's group of loan players continues to change as the club sends first team and U21 starlets out across the leagues or recalls them from various clubs.

Before the transfer window, the club had 14 players out on loan at clubs at different levels across the English game as well as in Scotland, Germany, Spain and South America. Now various players have been recalled in order to be sent out again, with some awaiting their next move such as Alfie Dorrington after his spell at Aberdeen, George Abbott back from Wycombe Wanderers and Damola Ajayi from Doncaster Rovers.

Oliver Irow was sent out on Thursday to League One side Mansfield Town for the remainder of the campaign and will be looking to make his mark.

Alejo Veliz is between seasons right now with Rosario Central in Argentina with the new campaign beginning later this month.

Spurs' Head of Loans and Pathways Andy Scoulding will be keeping a close eye on all them as well as the new loans agreed in the past week.

Here's how every single one of Tottenham's large group of loan players got on across the world this week.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

The 21-year-old Japan international is hoping to finally get his football back up and running after his move to the Bundesliga and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Takai was on the bench for Spurs for the first time in the win at Crystal Palace in December after returning from a couple of injury issues that dogged him after arriving in the summer.

The centre-back will be hoping to be involved this weekend as the Bundesliga returns from its winter break as his new side host Augsburg on Sunday.

Takai has already stepped out in Monchengladbach colours though during a training camp in Turkey which included him playing for the first half in a back three in a friendly against Hannover. Two different line-ups were used in either half with Hannover winning 3-0 but only one of those goals came in the final moments of the opening 45 minutes with Takai not at fault.

"I’m happy to be here, and I feel good and fit,” said Takai during the four-day training camp.

"Our goal is to integrate Kota into the team as quickly as possible and get him up to speed with our tactics," explained head coach Eugen Polanski.

Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Luka Vuskovic has been working hard both before and during the Bundesliga's winter break.

The 18-year-old revealed in an interview with Croatian newspaper 24sata that he has been working with athletic coach Josko Vlasic for some time to improve his athletic abilities and explosiveness.

Vlasic, who is a former Croatian decathlete, is the father of Torino midfielder Nikola Vlasic and high jump legend and former Olympic silver medallist Blanka Vlasic.

One of the few weaknesses spotted in Vuskovic's game in Germany has been his speed and acceleration and the teenager appears to have made a clever move in taking steps to remedy that.

Hamburg return to action with a game at Freiburg tomorrow afternoon and Vuskovic will be looking to build on his 15 appearances and 1,380 minutes so far for the Bundesliga outfit.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Mikey Moore had a weekend to remember with his first Old Firm Derby goal before coming off at half-time in the midweek win against Aberdeen with Rangers 2-0 up. The teenager had picked up a knock against Celtic and was struggling with his running at Aberdeen, but the good news is that problem is believed to only be bruising.

The 18-year-old had netted with a fine finish away at Celtic Park on Saturday to spark wild scenes among the away fans who had travelled the short distance across the city.

"That was the best feeling I’ve had in football," Moore told Sky Sports. "I think you can see from the celebration and the celebrations of the team after the game. It was a bit of a head-loss moment for me personally, but it was a great feeling.

"As soon as the ball hit the back of their net, I was just off. I was running straight. I just wanted to celebrate with the fans because it means so much to them. I was just straight off to them, gave a few people a big cuddle and got back to the halfway line."

He added: "When you come up here, scoring in that game is what people say to you straight away. Imagine scoring against Celtic away at their ground. I’m happy to be able to score in a game like that. It’s one that will stay with me for the rest of my career."

Moore is loving life at Rangers both on and off the pitch and when it comes to his immediate future, the teenager appears to have no interest in cutting short his loan in Scotland.

"I’m loving it. It’s been unbelievable," he said. "I couldn’t speak highly enough of the club itself, of the city, of the people. I’ve settled in nicely. It’s going better than what I thought it would at this point, and I think there’s more to come.

"It’s hard not to fall in love with a place like this. Some of the experiences on the weekend, they don’t come around very often. My whole family have built a bit of a connection just because I’m playing here and they support me.

"My mum, my best mate’s girlfriend and my girlfriend were all back home sending me videos after the game. They were buzzing. I saw a few videos of them dancing around the living room."

Moore is loving the pressure of playing for the Glasgow giants, with 25 appearances under his belt so far: "That’s what you want. You don’t want it to be like, we lose and it’s like, who cares? You need to care. You need to go back and think, what could I have done better today? What could the team have done better today?"

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon has made two substitute appearances so far for Fiorentina after returning from his loan at Villarreal.

The 26-year-old Israel international came back from the ill-fitting loan to Spain and was immediately sent off to Italy to the Serie A side looking to bring Spurs' sporting director Fabio Paratici as well.

Solomon has joined the Italian side with an option for them to buy him and he played his part immediately with a role in Fiorentina's late winner against Cremonese last weekend. The winger's 91st minute cross caused chaos at the back post before Moise Kean tapped home the loose ball from close range.

Solomon came off the bench for 24 minutes in that match and got another 22 minutes in the 2-2 draw at Lazio as Fiorentina start to climb away from the Serie A basement.

Alfie Devine (Preston North End)

Alfie Devine is going from strength to strength at Preston and scored his fifth goal of the season on Sunday in the 2-0 win at Bristol City.

The 21-year-old has been developing superbly in the Championship this season with 25 league appearances, those five goals and two assists from midfield with another two appearances in the Carabao Cup, plus an assist, making it 1,754 minutes in total so far halfway through the season.

His goal on Sunday came after a good run into the box and he improvised after a challenge knocked the ball out of his path initially to rifle a low right-footed finish into the bottom left corner of the net.

Devine returns to the FA Cup tonight, the competition in which he became Spurs' youngest ever goalscorer with his strike at Marine as a 16-year-old in 2021. Preston host Wigan in the third round this evening.

Will Lankshear & Jamie Donley (Oxford United)

Will Lankshear was not able to follow up his New Year's Day goal at Ipswich as Oxford's match at Sheffield United last week was postponed due to a partially frozen pitch.

That postponement did give Lankshear's new (and old) team-mate Jamie Donley more time to prepare himself for his Oxford debut which he will be hoping comes in the FA Cup at MK Dons this evening and it also gave more time for the club to find a new manager. Former Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield is in talks about the job.

Donley has his own experience of FA Cup joy with his performance against Manchester City last season for Leyton Orient, complete with a goal from the halfway line that was given as an own goal for City keeper Stefan Ortega.

Speaking after completing the move to Oxford, Donley said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me and one I’m determined to make the most of. I want to influence games and be decisive in the final third, but that all starts with hard work. I take real pride in working for the team and doing the basics right.

“My loan experiences have taught me a lot. I’ve had big highs and challenging moments but those are what shape you as a player. I feel ready to come here, compete, and show what I can bring. First and foremost, I’m here to fight for the badge. When I get on the ball, I want to be positive, take responsibility and create moments that help the team win.”

Oxford's Head of Football Operations, Ed Waldron, added: “Jamie is an excellent signing for the club and someone we’ve been tracking for some time. He was one of the standout performers in League One last season, consistently demonstrating his quality as both a scorer and a creator.

“He has the attitude and personality we look for. For his age, he shows real maturity, presence and has an outstanding work ethic. Our aim for this window is to add players who can raise the ceiling of the group, and Jamie fits that profile perfectly. With his quality and experience at both club and international level, we are confident he can make an immediate impact."

Donley has joined Oxford with an option for the Championship strugglers to make his move permanent although it is believed that the fee, around the £4.5million-£5million mark, would be difficult for United to trigger, particularly if they were to be relegated.

Yang Min-hyeok (Coventry)

Yang Min-hyeok has jumped up the Championship by leaving Portsmouth for table-topping Coventry.

The 19-year-old winger made 16 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring three goals and laying on one assist, and now he will be looking to impress for Frank Lampard's Premier League-chasing side.

After signing for the Sky Blues, Yang said: "I’m very happy and excited to join a club with such strong traditions and history. When I played against Coventry, I really felt the positive atmosphere within the team, and that made me even more excited about becoming part of this club.

"The head coach explained very clearly how he plans to use me and how I could fit into the team, which gave me a lot of confidence that this is the right place for me. I want to help the team achieve its goal and to do that, I need to adapt as quickly as possible, show my qualities on the pitch, and prove why I am here."

Yang will get his first experience of FA Cup football on Saturday with a third round trip to Stoke City, where he will come up against a fellow Spurs player.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips will have to deal with Yang if both play in the FA Cup tie and the 20-year-old centre-back is a regular fixture nowadays in the Stoke defence.

He made it back-to-back clean sheets with the 2-0 win at Norwich on Sunday and that made it 23 appearances this season for Phillips with 1,814 minutes to his name.

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall has faced a little spell without action after Notts County's League Two game at Oldham was postponed last weekend and with County out of the FA Cup, they will not play again until January 17 and their trip to Crawley Town.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been in fine form on his first loan with six goals and two assists across 1,306 minutes in 22 appearances since heading out of Tottenham and there have been some suggestions that he might be recalled by the Lilywhites with interest from clubs two levels up in the Championship.

Calum Logan (Braintree Town)

Nineteen-year-old left-back Calum Logan has been enjoying his first spell away from the north London club with a youth loan at National League side Braintree Town.

The defender has played seven times for the Essex side but came off during Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Yeovil Town with an injury.

We asked our Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to name the starting line-up they reckon Thomas Frank could go for

Spurs are back in action in the FA Cup third round on Saturday with the visit of Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The north London outfit fell to a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night thanks to a last gasp Antoine Semenyo goal. Thomas Frank's side had opportunities to win the game themselves before the hosts' late winner and the Spurs boss will be hoping to take the slightly improved attacking performance at least into the clash with Villa.

Unai Emery's side sit third in the Premier League and will pose a difficult test for Tottenham, especially with their form over the past year in N17.

We asked our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to name the starting line-ups they reckon Frank could select.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent

Frank's injury update on Thursday brought bad news for the supporters with Mohammed Kudus out until April with a quad injury, Rodrigo Bentancur set to miss a prolonged period with a hamstring problem and Lucas Bergvall due to be assessed for what appeared to be a reoccurrence of his injury against Crystal Palace.

That leaves Frank with Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha as his only fit central midfielders. At the back, the Spurs boss had a couple of potential changes to make with either or both of Kevin Danso or Ben Davies potentially coming in.

In attack, the Dane needs to leave something on the bench to be able to bring into the game and after a disappointing display at the Vitality Stadium, Randal Kolo Muani could be the man who finds himself relegated among the substitutes.

Gold's XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Palhinha, Gray; Tel, Xavi, Odobert; Richarlison.

Ryan Taylor - Sports reporter

Thomas Frank needs to go strong this weekend as it’s clear he’s on thin ice with Tottenham supporters.

Perhaps another trophy is the only thing that can currently save their season. For that reason, I think Vicario starts ahead of Kinsky between the sticks.

Van de Ven needs a rest or he’s going to get injured so I’d pick a back-four of Porro, Danso, Romero and Spence.

In midfield, Gray starts with Palhinha while in attack, I’d go for Tel, Xavi and Odobert behind Richarlison. Randal Kolo Muani will be key from the bench as Spurs’ squad is seriously depleted at the minute.

I’d also be keen to have Luca Williams-Barnett on the bench and I would not be scared to use him.

The Tottenham Hotspur head coach has been speaking about the centre-back after his explosive social media post this week

Thomas Frank has made it clear that Cristian Romero will remain Tottenham's captain and not be fined despite calling out key figures at the club on social media.

The Argentine took out his frustration after Spurs' 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth in an Instagram post that took aim at those inside the club who he believes "tell a few lies", before later deleting those four words but still leaving a powerful message that was liked and replied to by a number of his team-mates.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," the 27-year-old had said to his 5.1 million followers. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies. We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

It's not the first time Romero has taken aim at the Tottenham hierarchy. In June, after Ange Postecoglou's sacking and an hour after Frank's appointment, he posted a message to the Australian which included the line "from day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist."

Frank and Spurs' technical director Johan Lange spoke with Romero on Thursday morning about the post and the head coach confirmed the skipper would remain in his post.

"He is our captain, he’s not been fined. It's an internal thing, but we haven’t done that," said the Dane. "I think there are a lot of ways to deal with different situations. We’ve chosen to have a good conversation with him, understand where he stands, handle it internally and that’s everything I have to say."

Following a match which saw Micky van de Ven have an altercation with a travelling Spurs fan after the final whistle and in a season with some disciplinary issues among the squad, Frank was asked whether there was a stage in which he would draw a line and say "no more".

"Yes, of course. I’ve done that before with people being late, there was the [Yves] Bissouma situation," he said. "You talk about having to draw a line, I think if it’s the exact, same situation that they do. You can make a mistake, but don't make the same mistake twice."

Here's every word Thomas Frank said on Thursday afternoon ahead of the FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa on Saturday

Thomas Frank dished out plenty of injury news and the latest on Cristian Romero at his press conference ahead of Tottenham's FA Cup third round clash with Aston Villa.

The Spurs boss was speaking the day after Spurs' 3-2 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday night in the Premier League. Mathys Tel and Joao Palhinha strikes were futile as Evanilson, Junior Kroupi and Antoine Semenyo brought the Cherries' run of 11 matches without a win to an end.

There were further problems after the game with Micky van de Ven having an altercation with one of the away supporters, captain Cristian Romero blasting people within Tottenham in an Instagram post and a photo of Frank drinking coffee from an Arsenal cup going viral.

There' was also bad injury news to come from Frank on Thursday regarding Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way

Do you have injury updates on Bergvall, Bentancur, Kudus and Kulusevski?

Yeah, Lucas is being assessed today, we know more later today with him. Same with Rodri, Rodri's hamstring injury looks like a bigger one, unfortunately, we don't know the timeframe of that, we also will know later. Kudus is unfortunately a bigger one to the tendon in the quad, so that's one where we expect him back after the March international break. And then the latest on Dejan Kulusevski is that we know it's a complicated injury, if there's one person that can accelerate that, it is Dejan, he's a top pro and got a top mentality.

The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. Got an injection to help that 10 days ago, we know in three to four weeks if it's settled, and when it's settled hopefully he'll be on the grass and from there we'll see what's happening.

How tough is it to turn around the tide after the fall out from Bournemouth result?

I think it's, as I said last night, I think our away fans were very good throughout the game, they were backing us, singing, supporting, exactly as they should do and we hope they would do. Everyone will be happy when we win more games, it's as simple as that.

What did you make of Cristian Romero's Instagram post?

I think after Cuti became the captain, he's done a lot of good things right. I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch, I'm happy with.

I'm actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking up at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally. Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally.

Was it along the lines that a message like that doesn't help?

No of course, I think we all know that, so we had a good conversation about things.

To turn things around, do you need to bring players in? If I were to say to you that the squad will remain unchanged between now and February 2, is that acceptable?

I think there's a couple of things in it. I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

And if you get that from those games, it's different. So that's what we're focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It's no problem, I can face all the questions, I'll take all the blame, I'll take all that.

Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that. So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it's almost the perfect storm.

In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it.

In terms of bringing in players though, is that not imperative?

Oh, I forgot to answer that. Oh. I will repeat my answer. We're working very, very, very hard to see if we can improve the squad. Johan, Fabio, Vinai, everyone in and around the club, recruitment department is doing that. January is a very, very, very difficult window.

It's very important to get short-term success and long-term success. Everything is linked. So players we are bringing in, it's because we think they can improve the squad and the team.

Is there any positive injury news you've got on the horizon, like maybe Destiny or Dom close to being back for you?

Yeah, both of them trained. Both of them are getting closer, definitely. Dest is a bit closer than Dom, obviously, because he's only been out for five weeks-ish. So that's, of course, less than six months. But both of them are positive and improving.

When you're trying to attract players in the transfer window, Is it unhelpful for the image of the club to see the captain talking out against or about the club as it creates a bit of a sideshow when you're trying to get people through the door?

I think, especially in football, the most important thing is to keep the noise out. Then you can see there's this situation with the post from Cuti. There could be others where it's maybe not that positive or a lot of people speaking.

When we want to attract players, we need to tell our, as close to possible, unbiased story and a good story about this fantastic, beautiful club and why you should come to the club. I'm pretty sure that clever players and agents can look through if there's a little bit of noise.

I think it's very important to stress that even though there's noise, the club is very aligned. Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned. Ownership is very aligned. We know it's a tough spell that we need to get through.

Do you feel like Romero was trying to protect you in a way by saying other people should be speaking?

Yeah, could be. Could be. I have a very good relationship with Cuti and he has done well, but long-term success, everyone is aligned. Me, players, captain, leadership, which we are.

It seems from Romero’s post that he is not aligned with certain key figures, saying it is the same people not speaking, is that fair to say and is that a worry?

I think as I say, that I can’t and you probably need to ask him. It is not that often he does do the press, so you need to wait until you speak to him, but what I know he is has been here for five years, that’s one thing and what I know is I look at where I have been here for seven months and I see a very aligned club, so it’s just up to us to prove that.

You've been here seven months and only won 11 of your 30 matches, 14th in the table after 21 games, which is the exact same position after 21 games last season, do you feel like you have shown enough to get more time and do you think you will get more time?

No doubt about that. Put it this way, would we love to be higher in the table and have more points? 100 per cent. We are working very hard every single day to make sure we perform well and we land in the best possible position at the end of the season. The thing we need to look at is the game on Saturday. FA Cup, good opportunity against Villa. A very good team who is flying at this moment of time but a good opportunity to progress in the FA Cup, a tournament that is very important for the club and the fans. We’ve won it eight times in our history and I am working hard with the staff, with the players, with the leadership and this is just a tough spell. We will get through this."

You say you are working hard and you obviously are, but have we seen enough in 30 games from an attacking point of view to justify you getting the time you want?

Erm, we definitely want to do more. I think we have scored not enough (goals) but an acceptable amount of goals.

Is the style of football entertaining enough? You’re right, you have scored goals but is it in the dominant and attacking flair way that has always been in Tottenham's history?

That is absolutely right and also is a fair question, also we spoke about that. That frustration of course I share. I know the ethos of the club, it’s something we’re working very hard on and I see myself as above average, intelligent, so I am very aware of that. My teams have always produced chances and scored goals. This team will do the same. I think it is fair to say we may be lacking a little bit of the top free-floating attacking players we had in the last season. That is part of the challenge and then part of other bits that we need to work hard on every day to improve is another area.

Thomas Frank has had his say on Cristian Romero's comments on social media after the 3-2 loss to Bournemouth

Thomas Frank has revealed he and Johan Lange have had a "good conversation" with Cristian Romero following the Tottenham captain's outburst on social media after the defeat to Bournemouth.

Romero took to social media after the match and questioned why “other people” at the club are not speaking, but claimed that “has been happening for several years”. He said: "Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero wrote in a post on Instagram to his 5.1 million followers. "We are responsible, there’s no doubt about that. I am the first. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well. We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football. All together, it will be easier."

However, a portion of the post has been edited. It originally read: "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies."

Now, Frank has revealed he and sporting director Lange had a chat with Romero about his comments on Thursday morning. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Frank said: "I think after Cuti became the captain he's done a lot of good things right. I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's tried a lot, he's still a young leader. And I think a lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch I'm happy with.

"I'm actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. Speaking at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things. But also when you're a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it's good to keep it internally.

"Johan and I had a good conversation with him this morning about everything, which we of course keep internally."

He added: "I think there's a couple of things in it. I think the last five games we played, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth, I think it's been consistent, good competitive performance through the roof? No, but good competitive, consistent performances and that's what you need in a long season. Those five games should have given us more than the five points we got, probably eight, nine, 10 points.

"And if you get that from those games, it's different. So that's what we're focusing on. Can we produce performances like that last night? Overall, like the performance, it's my job to deal with all the scrutiny. It's no problem, I can face all the questions, I'll take all the blame, I'll take all that.

"Also, my job is to look through everything and look through the defeat last night. Of course, it was very emotional and tough to take for everyone, but I think it was in many ways good and we deserve more from that. So we just need to keep doing that, especially the last two games, it's a minimum of four points we should have, if not more. So we just need to keep doing that. And the next thing is, it's almost the perfect storm.

"In a storm, some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it."