Tottenham face another defining European night as Thomas Frank prepares for a crucial Champions League fixture with Eintracht Frankfurt, but his squad is once again stretched to the limit.
It is yet another European encounter for Tottenham Hotspur, who will be glad to be returning to Champions League action, given their poor domestic form.
Spurs have managed just two wins in their last 14 league games and remain winless domestically in 2026.
In Europe, however, it has been a very different story, with Frank’s side suffering just one defeat in their last seven league phase encounters.
As a result, Tottenham sit in the automatic qualification places, leaving them in pole position to reach the round of 16.
With one game remaining in the league phase, Spurs need a victory to guarantee a spot in the top eight and avoid the additional playoff games.
Tottenham set to be without 12 first-team players vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt stands in their way despite already having their own Champions League fate sealed, as they sit in 33rd place in the league table with elimination from the competition guaranteed.
This situation could work in Thomas Frank’s favour as he looks to secure a top-eight finish in his debut Champions League campaign, but his side will need to dig deep if they are to take advantage.
That is because Tottenham are set to be without 12 first-team players for the trip to Germany, with James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall and Joao Palhinha all injured.
While Mathys Tel, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher and Radu Dragusin are not registered in the Champions League squad and are unavailable to Frank.
Frank faces familiar selection problems
This is not the first time the Dane has found himself in such a position, having been without 11 first-team players against Borussia Dortmund last week in the competition.
That, however, did not prevent Spurs from securing a much-needed 2-0 victory, despite Frank being forced to fill his squad with academy talent.
Luca Williams-Barnett, Byfield, Hall, Olusesi, Scarlett, Thompson, Akhamrich and Hardy all made the substitute bench that night, and with pressure still mounting on Frank amid inconsistent results, securing a victory on Wednesday night feels vital given the run of fixtures to come.