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Tottenham Hotspur have a busy post-Christmas schedule, but player availability is becoming a problem of the club’s own making.
Tottenham Hotspur are currently enjoying an eight-day gap between two of their fixtures, but this is a luxury which will soon disappear.
The gap between an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa and a Premier League meeting with West Ham is the only time in January when Spurs will not be required to fulfil a midweek fixture.
Tottenham already had injury problems and there are further issues in the squad for which the team have no one to blame but themselves.
Cristian Romero will miss the upcoming clash between Spurs and Crystal Palace after the captain was sent off against Liverpool last weekend.
He is not the only player to be punished for his behaviour, with Micky van de Ven having to miss the Champions League showdown against Borussia Dortmund in January due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Tottenham need Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso to step up
Spurs have already been without Romero this season as a result of his adductor injury and Kevin Danso was the man to replace him.
The Austrian has been hit and miss, although on his day, he is a solid defender who is well liked by Thomas Frank for his long throws into the box.
Radu Dragusin, on the other hand, has been sidelined with an ACL injury for the best part of a year, and even before that he was struggling in a Tottenham jersey.
The 23-year-old defended poorly and was dreadful in possession for Spurs, although it was claimed he was not well-suited to Ange Postecoglou’s playing style.
Dragusin could get his chance to play in the Tottenham first team again, and he will be allowed a fresh start. It will be interesting to see if he can show under the management of Frank why he was signed in the first place.
Ben Davies could also be important for Spurs
With Dragusin still only just returning from injury, it would not be surprising to see Ben Davies given the nod in the new year period.
The Welshman has long been known as Mr Reliable at Tottenham, but many were surprised to see him remain at the club last summer.
Davies is a member of Frank’s leadership team, so he could have a very important role to play in the coming weeks. He must show that he still has what it takes to play at the heart of the Spurs defence, otherwise there is no chance he will be in North London come the end of the summer.
READ MORE – Archie Gray reveals what Thomas Frank is telling him to do in Tottenham midfield
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