Tottenham XI vs Borussia Dortmund: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest for Champions League | OneFootball

Frank short of options for Spurs’ penultimate league phase match

Thomas Frank will be without a number of senior Tottenham players against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Internal talks have taken place, with Frank meeting with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange, and Nick Beucher, who is part of the ownership, to discuss, among other things, the future of the club.

For now, though, Frank remains at the helm, with the club’s injury crisis very much still his concern.

Spurs have just 11 senior outfield players to pick from on Tuesday according to Frank, with Ben Davies set to undergo an operation on the broken ankle he suffered against West Ham. He joins long-term absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Richarlison on the sidelines.

Xavi Simons is fit and will play through pain against Dortmund after taking a heavy tackle on his ankle from Jarrod Bowen at the weekend.

Archie Gray was another doubt, but unlike Simons took part in training, and will also be available.

Doubtful: Xavi Simons

John Walton/PA Wire

Fellow midfielder Joao Palhinha is, however, out injured after missing the defeat to West Ham with a knock sustained in training.

Frank has plenty of decisions to make ahead of Tuesday night, but he has already made perhaps his hardest choice by choosing to omit Mathys Tel from Spurs’ Champions League squad in place of Dominic Solanke.

Tel originally replaced Solanke, with the England striker struggling to work his way back from a recurring ankle injury.

Back to fitness now, though, Frank has made a "tough decision" to bring Solanke back into the squad in place of Tel, who has been linked with a move away from the club this month.

To add to Frank’s woes, Micky van de Ven is suspended after accumulating three yellow cards in six Champions League games. New signing Conor Gallagher is ineligible, as are Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma.

Pape Matar Sarr is also unavailable having been taken ill after helping Senegal lift the Africa Cup of Nations. Sarr was an unused substitute against Morocco in Sunday’s final, but was rushed to hospital alongside team-mates Krepin Diatta and Ousseynou Niang.

It is unclear if Sarr will join the rest of the Senegal team for their trophy parade in Dakar on Tuesday.

Tottenham predicted XI: Vicario, Porro, Danso, Romero Spence; Gray, Bergvall, Xavi; Odobert, Solanke, Kolo Muani

Injured: Maddison, Kulusevski, Davies, Bentancur, Kudus, Palhinha, Richarlison

Ineligible: Dragusin, Gallagher, Bissouma, Tel

Suspended: Van de Ven

Unavailable: Sarr (AFCON/illness)

Time and date: 8pm GMT on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium