Interim Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor has confirmed that Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall will be available for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid this week. However, Spurs will be without Joao Palhinha, while Conor Gallagher is a doubt after suffering from a virus.
Captain Romero returns from the concussion he sustained in a collision with Palhinha during the 5-2 first-leg defeat in Madrid. The Portuguese midfielder has not recovered in time for the return fixture. “Romero, he's there. You saw him in training today? He can play. Joao, no, he's a little bit worse, so he'll be available for the next game,” Tudor explained.
Udogie and Bergvall, who have been sidelined with injuries, are back in the squad but are not yet fit to play the full match. “Destiny and Lucas will be on the bench tomorrow. One part of the game, not too much because they have just started training with us, but it's good to see them,” said Tudor.
Gallagher, signed from Atletico in January for £35m, faces a late fitness test due to a virus. Tudor added that the staff “are going to see tomorrow if he is able to go on the bench”. The returns of Bergvall and Udogie provide some relief amid one of the worst injury crises in the Premier League, with Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert all still unavailable.
Spurs trail 3-0 on aggregate after the first-leg collapse in Madrid, needing a historic comeback to progress. Tudor's side will host Atletico looking to overturn the deficit and keep their Champions League hopes alive.
