Tottenham Hotspur have announced their 22-man squad for this season’s UEFA Champions League, with one summer signing left out in a surprise move.
UEFA rules allow teams to register up to 25 players, eight of whom must be homegrown.
But the challenge Thomas Frank faced in naming this squad is a lack of locally-trained players.
That has restricted Tottenham to a squad of just 22, leaving three potential spots unfilled and a couple of tough calls for the new Spurs boss.
Who made the cut for Spurs?
Late summer arrivals Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons have both been registered for the league phase, providing relief for supporters eager to see the pair feature in Europe.
Impactful new additions Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus have also been included as Spurs prepare for a challenging draw.
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But the shock omission from Frank’s squad comes as French forward Mathys Tel has been left out despite joining from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal earlier this summer.
Tel has only managed a mere 19 minutes off the bench in the Premier League so far under Frank and did not feature at all in Spurs’ recent 2-0 win over Manchester City.
His omission could well be a direct consequence of Kolo Muani’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, with limited non-homegrown slots available.
Midfielder Yves Bissouma is another absentee, with reports suggesting he is no longer part of Frank’s plans and is up for sale.
With the Premier League transfer deadline having passed, it seems Bissouma’s only options are a switch either to Turkey or to the greener pastures of Saudi Arabia.
Long-term injury victims James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have also been left out of Frank’s squad.
Maddison and Dragusin are continuing their recovery from anterior cruciate ligament injuries, while The Guardian recently reported that Kulusevski could return to the pitch towards the end of the year.
Spurs open their Champions League campaign at home to Villarreal on September 16.
Their league phase also includes matchups against Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodo/Glimt, Slavia Prague, AS Monaco and FC Copenhagen.
Tottenham Hotspur full Champions League squad: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin, Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani.
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