Thomas Frank was handed a massive headache ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Aston Villa after Cristian Romero pulled out of the pre-match warm-up due to an injury.
Spurs headed into their encounter with Villa looking to move into second place, but were dealt a setback when Romero dropped out of Frank's team. They were already dealing with the absence of Destiny Udogie, who was joined on the sidelines by his captain.
Romero has made an excellent start to the season under his new manager and had started every game this season. He's appeared seven times in the top-flight, helping his side keep three clean sheets while providing one assist.
Tottenham Suffer Romero & Udogie Injury Blow
Cristian Romero in action for Tottenham Hotspur
Romero was named in Frank's starting lineup, but a knock meant he played no part in the Lilywhites' home encounter with Villa. Injuries were a concern for the Argentina international last season as recurring fitness issues took hold.
Romero handed the captain's armband over to Micky van de Ven, and Frank turned to Kevin Danso to replace him in his backline. The North Londoners will be hoping the 27-year-old hasn't suffered a serious injury amid their participation in the Champions League.
Udogie was ruled out of the Villa game due to a knee injury suffered during the international break, although he didn't feature for Italy in their two games. He started the win over Leeds United on October 4, one of eight appearances he's made this term.
Frank confirmed the 22-year-old's absence to Sky Sports, saying: "He came back from international duty with a minor irritation." But the Dane was enthusiastic that it wouldn't be a long-term problem.
Romero was in action for Argentina during the break, captaining Lionel Scaloni's side to a 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela. He was left on the bench for a 6-0 thrashing of Puerto Rico.
The games come thick and fast for Spurs, who travel to AS Monaco on Wednesday (October 22) in the Champions League before heading to Everton in the league on Sunday (October 26). All eyes will be on Romero's fitness with a London derby against Chelsea on the horizon.
Romero committed his future to the Lilywhites in the summer and signed a new four-year deal. He was linked with Atletico Madrid but opted to stay put and took the club captaincy from Son Heung-min following the South Korean attacker's move to MLS side Los Angeles FC.