Tottenham Manager Postecoglou Forced to Use Injured Dragusin Amidst Injury Crisis
Tottenham Hotspur's mounting injury problems have forced manager Ange Postecoglou to field an unfit Radu Dragusin against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, after the Romanian defender was still recovering from an ankle knock. The injury crisis has left Postecoglou with limited options, especially in defense, as several key players are sidelined.
Following a 2-2 draw in the Premier League, Postecoglou outlined the dire situation at Tottenham. The latest casualty is left-back Destiny Udogie, who sustained a muscular injury during the match. Dragusin, who was also injured in Thursday's game against Nottingham Forest, is currently the club's only available center-back, with regular defenders Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Ben Davies all injured and out for weeks.
"Well, we had no choice. If Radu doesn't play, I don't know who plays," said Postecoglou. "He wasn’t 100 percent, but he felt he could get through with his ankle. It's a judgment call; it's not like a muscle injury. It's just a knock on his ankle."
Tottenham’s injury list is extensive, with the club also missing striker Richarlison, winger Wilson Odobert, first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who will miss the upcoming game against Newcastle United due to a suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
The match also saw Udogie forced off in the 50th minute due to what Postecoglou believes is a hamstring issue, further exacerbating the team's troubles. "We've been relying on a core group of players because we haven't had the ability to rotate, and at some point it was going to catch up with us," said the Tottenham manager.
The 2-2 draw means Tottenham has won only once in their last seven Premier League matches and will end the year below seventh place for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Despite a solid comeback with goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson, a late equalizer from Jorgen Strand Larsen denied them a much-needed win.
"It's a disappointing outcome," Postecoglou reflected. "We controlled the game after going a goal down, but it wasn't easy to find openings."
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