Drăgușin, Davies & Romero: Spurs injury news and expected return dates ahead of Wolves match

Tottenham Hotspur have had some breathtakingly bad luck with injuries in recent weeks, and things don’t seem set to let up ahead of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Wolverhampton Wanderers – no fewer than nine players might miss out on Spurs’ final fixture of 2024.

Ange Postecoglou’s mood also won’t be improved by a fresh worry over the fitness of centre-back Radu Drăgușin, who came off the pitch in the first half of the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. Should he not be able to play this weekend, the situation at centre-half will look very desperate indeed. There was at least some good news from the game at the City Ground, with Destiny Udogie able to get through 80 minutes of action unscathed. We’ve got all the latest news and updates on Spurs’ injured players below, along with their likely return dates when available.

Radu Drăgușin

The Romanian centre-half has been filling in for the injured Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in recent weeks, but now he too may be out of action – he “tweaked his ankle” during the defeat to Nottingham Forest, according to Postecoglou, and was unable to continue, but it remains too early to assess the extent of the damage.

Should he miss the Wolves match, which seems very likely given that he was unable to play through the pain at the City Ground, then Spurs will likely have to play with two out-of-position centre-backs, with a midfielder such as Rodrigo Bentancur most likely to deputise alongside Archie Gray. Youngster Alfie Dorrington is the other option available to Postecoglou.

Ben Davies

To make matters worse, veteran defender Davies has also suffered a setback in training, with Postecoglou telling reporters that the Welshman was “gone” for another “couple of weeks” having already missed the last four league games.

It is presumed that the setback is a continuation of an initial hamstring injury. At best, he could be back in time for the 12 January FA Cup third round trip to Tamworth, although it’s likely that Postecoglou will use a game against non-league opposition to rest his senior players where possible.

Cristian Romero

Of Spurs’ more experienced centre-backs, Romero is believed to be closest to a return having missed the last three matches since picking up a hamstring injury against Chelsea.

Postecoglou has been coy about a precise return date, simply saying that he is “chugging along” as he recovers, but he is expected back at some stage in January – most likely after the FA Cup third round. The 19 January match against Everton looks like a plausible target for a player who is key to Spurs’ defensive plans despite a season which has featured a number of individual errors from the World Cup winner.

Micky van de Ven

Spurs’ other first-choice centre-back is believed to be a slightly further away from a return, although Postecoglou has only confirmed that he will be back in the New Year. The Spurs head coach also suggested that Van de Ven’s latest injury, also sustained in that costly defeat to Chelsea, was not likely to last as long as his last lay-off, which caused the Dutchman to miss five league matches. Expected back by the end of January barring further setbacks.

Richarlison

Some online reports have suggested that the Brazilian forward could be back in time for the match against Newcastle United on 4 January, but Postecoglou’s updates have only implied that he will be back in the New Year, and he has said that the club will be “careful every step of the way” as the former Everton man returns to full fitness. He will certainly not be ready to feature against Wolves.

Mikey Moore

Young winger Moore had made some positive progress after breaking into the first team but hasn’t featured since October thanks to an unspecified virus. Postecoglou confirmed before Christmas that Moore had not yet returned to training as he recovers and while he was “hopefully not too far away” he would be given at least a couple of weeks of light training before playing again. As with Davies, that makes the FA Cup third round the most optimistic possible return date.

Guglielmo Vicario

While Spurs should have their defence back to full strength by the end of January, they won’t be able to call on first-choice goalkeeper Vicario for a little while longer. The most optimistic estimates for his return from a fractured right ankle suggest that the Italian could be back in early March, with Postecoglou describing him as “pushing every boundary” as he goes through the rehabilitation process.

Wilson Odobert

The £25m summer signing from Burnley is facing a long spell on the sidelines courtesy of a “serious” setback in the course of his recovery from a hamstring injury. Spurs have not provided an expected return date and he is not believed to be likely to return to training for some time. It is not yet clear whether he will play again this season.

Djed Spence

While Spence is mercifully not joining the ranks of the injured, the right-back will be absent against Wolves having been sent off against Nottingham Forest for collecting two yellow cards. He will be available again for the Newcastle game.