Thomas Frank has announced Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League squad
Thomas Frank had big decisions to make when selecting his Tottenham Hotspur squad for the UEFA Champions League adventure.
Winning the Europa League last season saw the north Londoners return to the elite European competition, which Thomas Frank and Co. will begin after the international break. The registration of players was an issue as Spurs do not have the required number of club-trained players to meet UEFA rules, which means some big names were always expected to miss out once the squad was finalised.
Tottenham submit their UEFA Champions League squad
Thomas Frank has now submitted his Champions League squad, and as per the list published on the official UEFA website, the Danish tactician has made some tough calls by leaving out six senior players.
Mathys Tel, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai have all been left out of the Tottenham’s Champions League squad for the league phase. Meanwhile, new signings Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons and Kolo Muani have all been included, as Frank looks to enjoy his first European adventure as a coach.
Kulusevski, Maddison and Dragusin are all out injured at the moment. Maddison is set to spend close to seven months on the sidelines following an ACL rupture sustained in the friendly against Newcastle United last month. Kulusevski has been out of action since undergoing patella surgery back in March, and as per the latest update, he is not expected to return until December. Dragusin, meanwhile, is continuing his rehab to recover from an ACL injury sustained in late January.
Bissouma could seal a transfer to Turkey before their September 12 transfer deadline, but leaving out Tel was arguably the toughest call Frank had to make. The decision would certainly have not gone down well with Tel, who is yet to make an impact in the new season. It will be interesting to see how the Frenchman responds to the snub and whether he gets enough opportunities to showcase his talent in the Premier League.
The Champions League draw has already been made, and Tottenham know who their opponents will be during the league phase. A home match against Villarreal kicks things off, before Thomas Frank’s men travel to take on Bodo/Glimt and AS Monaco. Danish champions FC Copenhagen visit north London at the start of November, before the focus shifts to the mouthwatering away game against European champions Paris Saint-Germain.