Tottenham convince national team not to call up defender amid repeat injury worries

3 hours ago 21

Tottenham Hotspur have managed to convince a national team not to call up one of their defenders for the October international fixtures.

Tottenham have been without Radu Dragusin for well over five months now, following the centre-back’s injury back in February during their Europa League tie with Elfsborg.

It was an ACL injury, and his time on the sidelines has been a lengthy one, but Dragusin is now back in training ahead of schedule and edging closer to a long-awaited return.

There is optimism around the club that the 23-year-old could make his way back into first-team action before the year comes to an end, as he continues to work tirelessly towards full fitness.

Tottenham convince Romania to leave Radu Dragusin out of squad

According to a report from The Sun, it is understood Dragusin was named on a preliminary list for Romania’s October international ties.

The Eastern European nation’s World Cup qualifying hopes are on the line, with a friendly tie against Moldova set to follow a crunch clash against Austria.

However, despite the importance of the tie, it is understood that Romania have reached an agreement with Spurs to leave Radu Dragusin out of the proper squad, allowing him to continue his recovery from the serious knee injury that has sidelined him since February.

Should Romania lose to the Austrians while Bosnia-Herzegovina defeats Cyprus, their hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup finals will be over.

Spurs injury concerns remain under Thomas Frank

There is no fixed date for Dragusin’s full return, but his recovery is progressing well, and there is quiet confidence that he could return quicker than initially expected.

He is not the only Tottenham player currently sidelined, with Thomas Frank also missing Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski from his squad.

The end of the October international break could see some of these injured players back in contention, although both Maddison and Kulusevski are set to remain long-term absentees.