Destiny Udogie missed Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa due to a minor irritation
Tottenham Hotspur returned to Premier League duties this weekend as Thomas Frank’s side hosted Aston Villa at N17. It was a much anticipated game for the Lilywhites faithful, given how they have been playing in the English top tier since Thomas Frank took over the reins in the summer.
But many faithful Lilywhites were left with puzzled faces when Spurs dropped their official lineup.
Given that only Ben Davies was reported injured during the international duty, many were expecting a fully fledged side for the clash against the Villans.
Frank explains Destiny Udogie absence
Destiny Udogie missed Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa due to a minor irritation.
Destiny Udogie was not in Tottenham Hotspur squad.
But there was a notable absentee. Destiny Udogie was not among the lineup, with the Dane head coach opting to play with now England international Djed Spence on that left full-back channel as Spurs lost 1-2 to Villa at N17.
And it is now reported that Udogie had suffered with a ‘minor irritation’ in his knee upon his return from international duty. And as the word ‘minor’ suggests, the injury is not significant, and he will be available for the Premier League heavyweights soon. This will be a big relief to a lot of fans and to Thomas Frank, especially given how the games are going to come thick and fast in the coming weeks.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1979889496695988574
Speaking with Sky Sports Premier League, the Dane head coach explained Udogie’s absence. He said:
“He came back from international duties with minor irritation on the knee.”
When asked further, Frank added: “Nothing major.”
TTLB Opinion
Given how Udogie has had his fair share of injury concerns in the past months, it is a relief to see that this is not anything major.
And while Spence has shown he is capable of playing on that left flank and taking on the lead role, he does not bring similar offensive output to that of Udogie.
And what the North Londoners missed by not having Udogie was quite seen in the game. Suddenly you take out someone who has that natural ability to get better of lines with his carries and combinations when it comes to tight pockets (we have seen him get better of structures with these time and again since he signed for Tottenham).
And while with Spence you get that structure and someone who is present in the defensive side of things, Udogie brings unpredictability that is very difficult to replicate.
Do you think the result would have been different if Destiny Udogie had played for Tottenham earlier today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.