Tottenham Hotspur will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-final second leg without their captain, Son Heung-min.
Manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Son is the only key player who did not travel to Germany for this important match.
Son, aged 32, played for 80 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Eintracht in the first leg held in London last week.
He also missed Tottenham`s 4-2 defeat to Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.
Postecoglou explained upon arrival in Germany that Son did not travel due to a foot issue he has been experiencing for a couple of weeks.
“Sonny didn`t travel and he`s the only one who hasn`t travelled. He`s been struggling with his foot for a couple of weeks now and has been in pain,” said Postecoglou.
This season, Son has been a significant contributor for Tottenham, scoring seven Premier League goals and providing 10 assists. He has also scored three goals in the Europa League and played 43 games across all competitions.
In the game against Wolves, Mathys Tel, a loanee, replaced Son on the left wing and scored a goal.
Wilson Odobert, another French player, was absent at Wolves but has travelled to Germany.
Tottenham received positive news with the return of Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison from injury for the Sunday match.
Kulusevski, 24, had been sidelined since February 26, following a match against Manchester City. Richarlison had been out since January, last playing in the Carabao Cup semi-final. He marked his return by scoring against Wolves.
Kevin Danso is also available for selection again after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Micky van de Ven was on the bench for the Wolves game, with Ben Davies partnering Cristian Romero in defense.
It is expected that Van de Ven will return to the starting lineup to partner Romero in central defense for the upcoming game in Germany.
Van de Ven expressed confidence in the manager and the team`s approach, stating, “We all still have trust in the gaffer and believe in the way he wants to play. We want to win this game for him but we also want to win for us.”
He also mentioned his desire to play more, “I want to play every game. Football is what you love the most.”
Besides Son, Radu Dragusin remains unavailable for tomorrow`s match due to a long-term injury.
Marcus Bellamy