Spurs handed two more worries in weekend draw
Sidelined: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha
London Standard
Oli Gent
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Tottenham were dealt two further injury headaches in their 2-2 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Pressure piled back onto under-fire manager Thomas Frank after Spurs’ display, and their blushes were spared late on when Cristian Romero stepped up with a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a point.
However, the Argentine was forced off in the dying embers in Lancashire, following Pedro Porro into the visiting changing room for treatment.
It has handed Frank further cause for concern, having already lost Lucas Bergvall in the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Spurs already have a handful of longer-term absentees, including Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
Here is the latest Tottenham injury news and return dates…
Cristian Romero
The saviour for Spurs once more, centre-back Romero was seen crouched over in pain on the touchline after his equalising goal at Turf Moor.
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He was replaced by Radu Dragusin in the fifth minute of stoppage time in yet another injury worry for Spurs fans, but Frank quelled those fears in his press conference afterwards.
“Romero was cramping in the end,” Frank said post-match.
That will come as positive news for the Dane, who has seen his central defender score in Spurs’ last three games in all competitions.
Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
Pedro Porro
Porro was the first concern for Frank in Lancashire, with the Spaniard taken off at half time.
He was replaced by Destiny Udogie, who had to settle for a place on the bench with Djed Spence selected ahead of him.
However, Frank again allayed Spurs fans’ fears, insisting that he was managing the Spain international’s load.
“Pedro was physical, [having] played a lot of minutes,” Frank said afterwards.
“We had more running power with Djed [Spence] to the right and then Destiny in [at left-back].”
Porro had started all of the last 14 games in all competitions, and Spurs have a three huge games coming up, against Frankfurt, Manchester City and Manchester United in the coming weeks.
Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
Joao Palhinha
The Portuguese Palhinha did not feature in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat by West Ham the weekend before last after he suffered a knock in training the day prior.
He also missed the win over Dortmund in midweek, and was again not in the matchday squad for the trip to Turf Moor.
His recovery timeline is still unknown, with Frank saying that it would be “tight” for him to be fit to play against Burnley.
That was ultimately not the case, and the Portuguese will have to wait until next week to return to action.
Potential return date: January 28 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
Lucas Bergvall
The Swede was confirmed to be sidelined for months after he suffered an ankle sprain in Spurs’ Champions League victory.
Bergvall had tried to continue playing after he had picked up the injury, but he was forced off in the second half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank said post-match that the 19-year-old had suffered a “contact injury”, with the timeline on his recovery set to be two or three months.
That will see him miss 14 games for his club, and a potential Champions League quarter-final should Spurs get there.
Potential return date: April 2026
Stretchered off: Ben Davies
Action Images via Reuters
Ben Davies
Left-back Davies will be out for a long spell after he broke his ankle in the defeat by West Ham two weeks ago.
The Welshman was starting just his second game in the Premier League, and was given oxygen and stretchered off the pitch inside 20 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
The club confirmed that he had had surgery on the problem, but there is still no indication when he might return.
Davies’ injury has seen Spurs register an interest in Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, while Brazilian Souza has signed from Santos.
Djed Spence has been fielded at left wing-back in his place, while Destiny Udogie came on as a substitute against Burnley.
There is a fear that Davies could be out for the rest of the season, which could mean that he has played his final game for Tottenham, with his contract expiring after the conclusion of the current campaign.
Potential return date: Unknown
Rodrigo Bentancur
Midfielder Bentancur underwent surgery on his hamstring injury, which will see him out for three months.
The former Juventus man sustained the problem in the defeat by Bournemouth earlier in January.
The surgery he had was successful, Spurs confirmed, but his absence is a huge blow for Frank, who played the Uruguay international in all but one of Tottenham’s Premier League games.
Potential return date: April 2026
Sidelined: Rodrigo Bentancur
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Richarlison
Brazilian Richarlison is out for seven weeks with a hamstring injury.
The former Everton striker suffered the problem in the FA Cup loss to Aston Villa.
He is unlikely to feature again until March at the earliest.
"Richy unfortunately got a hamstring injury that will keep him out for up to seven weeks,” Frank confirmed.
Potential return date: March 2026
Mohammed Kudus
Summer signing Mohammed Kudus is another sore loss for Frank.
The Ghanaian suffered a thigh injury during the draw with Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.
The winger is likely to be out until April, with Frank confirming the case in a previous press conference.
“Mohammed, unfortunately, is a bigger one to the tendon in the quad,” Frank said. “That is one where we expect him back after the March international break.”
It means that Frank is without a natural right winger, having sold Brennan Johnson in January to Crystal Palace.
Potential return date: April 2026
Long spell out: Mohammed Kudus
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Dejan Kulusevski
Sweden international Kulusevski has not featured at all this season as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury.
The winger is out with a patella problem which he has struggled with since April.
When asked about the former Juventus forward, Frank insisted that he would not be rushed back.
“If there is one person who can accelerate that [recovery], it is Dejan. The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. He had an injection to help that ten days ago.
Potential return date: Unknown
James Maddison
The England international went down with the problem in a friendly against Newcastle. He has not played since.
Potential return date: Summer 2026
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