Tottenham Hotspur will be without left-back Destiny Udogie for the remainder of the year after the Italy international sustained a hamstring injury in last week’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. Manager Thomas Frank confirmed on Monday that the defender is not expected to return until January, ruling him out of Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague.
Udogie also missed Tottenham’s 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford, and his absence comes at a time when Spurs are looking to strengthen their position in the European league phase. The North London club are unbeaten in their last 22 home matches in European competition, but currently sit 16th, needing a win to boost their prospects of finishing inside the top eight.
"Destiny picked up a hamstring injury at the end of the Newcastle game, so he’s out until January unfortunately," Frank stated.
Despite inconsistent league form—Saturday’s victory was only their second home win of the domestic season—Tottenham head into the Slavia Prague clash with renewed confidence. Their visitors sit 31st in the standings, while Spurs’ only defeat in five Champions League fixtures came away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Frank emphasised the importance of sustaining momentum as his side look to convert recent improvements into long-term consistency.
"It’s always positive to build momentum and raise the level of performance," he said. "We’ve analysed Slavia thoroughly—they are well-organised and difficult to break down—but this match is about us maintaining the directness and sharp attacking play we showed against Brentford."
A win on Tuesday would position Tottenham strongly for at least a playoff berth in the knockout qualification round. Frank acknowledged the significance of the fixture as his side look to protect their perfect home record in Europe.
"Three points would be a massive step toward the playoff round," he noted. "If, and hopefully when, we reach that target, then we can start looking further ahead."
Tottenham will conclude the league-phase campaign with back-to-back fixtures against Borussia Dortmund at home and Eintracht Frankfurt away.
