Tottenham Confirms Huge Injury Setback Ahead of Liverpool Second Leg With Surgery Needed
Radu Dragusin is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, dealing a significant blow to Tottenham’s Carabao Cup ambitions as they prepare to face Liverpool at Anfield for the semi-final second leg this week.
The Tottenham defender suffered an ACL injury during last week’s Europa League clash against Elfborg, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.
The 23-year-old was substituted in the second half of Spurs’ 3-0 victory, and subsequent scans have confirmed the club’s worst fears. Ange Postecoglou’s squad will now head to Anfield later this week for their crucial Carabao Cup fixture.
A club statement said: “We can confirm that Radu Dragusin will undergo surgery for an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury to his right knee. Radu will be assessed by our medical team to determine when he can return to training.”
Tottenham has struggled with injuries this season, especially in defence, with key centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both sidelined for extended periods.
While Spurs anticipate the return of several players in February, manager Ange Postecoglou has hinted that this week’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield may come too soon for them.
“They are all kind of around the same time — around 10 days’ time,” Postecoglou said on January 31 when asked about when his injured players could return.
“We are talking about [Guglielmo] Vicario, [Brennan] Johnson, Destiny [Udogie], Wilson [Odobert], Timo [Werner]. [James Maddison] is around the same time as well. Romero is a bit of a tricky one.
“We are not really sure yet. There is still some work he needs to do. Certainly all those guys, I think of the long-term ones apart from Dom (Solanke) who is probably a week behind them, the rest of them are slated to be back in the next week to 10 days to be available.”
On Romero’s recovery, Postecoglou added: “It’s just a slower healer with him and it is one we are looking at on a week to week basis. Again, he has been out for quite a while. As with all the other long-term ones, we are just taking our time.”
In other news, Liverpool Player Claims His Substitution was the Turning Point Against Bournemouth
