Tottenham: Thomas Frank sends clear message as six stars miss out on Champions League squad | OneFootball

Spurs have named a 22-man squad for the league phase

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Tottenham have confirmed their squad for the league phase of this season’s Champions League.

Each had to name at least eight ‘locally-trained’ players in their squad, which fall into two categories.

‘Club-trained players' have been on the club's books for three full seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. There are also 'association-trained players', who were registered to another club in the same association for three full seasons or 36 months between the same ages.

Of the mandatory eight locally-trained players, at least four must be club-trained.

UEFA rules state: “If a club has fewer than eight locally trained players on its List A, the maximum number of players that can be registered on this list is reduced accordingly.”

Spurs, who were facing a tricky task of meeting the ‘locally-trained’ quota, have omitted midfielder Yves Bissouma, forward Mathys Tel, and defender Radu Dragusin.

James Maddison also does not make the list, and nor does Swedish international Dejan Kulusevski. New signing Kota Takai is also left out.

Bissouma was left out of Spurs’ squad for their UEFA Super Cup loss by Paris Saint-Germain last month due to persistent lateness, and he was not involved in the matchday squad in the 1-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.

The Malian had been heavily linked with a move away from north London with Galatasaray rumoured to be interested, but an exit did not materialise.

Dragusin, Maddison, and Kulusevski are longer-term absentees with injuries, with both Maddison and Kulusevski nursing severe knee problems.

Dragusin is on the comeback trial from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, although it appears that Frank has decided the Champions League league phase would come too early for him.

Takai has been sidelined since pre-season with an ankle niggle.

Recent recruits Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani are included, as too are earlier summer arrivals Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha.

Tottenham kick-off their Champions League campaign at home to Villarreal before back-to-back away games against Bodo/Glimt and Monaco.

Copenhagen then visit north London at the start of November. Arguably the standout fixture of the league phase for Spurs is away at PSG on November 26. After that, Frank’s side host Slavia Prague and Borussia Dortmund and then round things off with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham’s full Champions League squad: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin; Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso; Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur; Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani.