Tottenham seeks relief in Champions League against Atletico Madrid in last-16 first leg.
Amid a relegation struggle in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur looks to the Champions League for a much-needed win against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the last-16 in Spain.
Spurs have lost all their matches since Igor Tudor took over as interim manager after Thomas Frank’s departure last month. Their latest defeat was against Crystal Palace last week. A red card for Micky van de Ven changed the game, and with only ten players, Tottenham struggled, losing 3-1 at home.
This loss means Tottenham has not won in their last 11 Premier League games. In contrast, they performed well in the Champions League, finishing fourth in the league phase under former manager Thomas Frank, which earned them a spot in the knockout stage.
Two Tottenham players likely out for Atletico Madrid match
Tottenham is facing an injury crisis again this season. Radu Dragusin missed the Palace match due to a minor injury and is doubtful for the game against Atletico Madrid, along with defender Djed Spence.
However, captain Cristian Romero is available for selection for the first time under Tudor after serving a four-game suspension for a red card against Manchester United in February. Micky van de Ven’s suspension only affects domestic matches, so he can play against Atletico.
According to Football London, Yves Bissouma and Souza will not make the trip to Atletico Madrid. Neither player is registered for the Champions League knockout rounds.
January signing Souza, who started against Palace last week, will remain in London, while Bissouma is ineligible since he was not included in the league phase squad. Due to a shortage of home-grown players and a high number of foreign players, he hasn’t been registered.
Mathys Tel and Radu Dragusin were added to the list with January signing Conor Gallagher, who will visit Wanda Metropolitano Stadium for the first time since leaving Atletico in the winter transfer window. Injured players Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur are no longer eligible for this season’s Champions League.
It remains uncertain if Spence and Dragusin will recover in time for the trip to Spain. Tudor hopes that the injury situation will improve in the coming weeks.