Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has conceded that Cristian Romero is unlikely to be available for Sunday's Premier League London derby against Fulham.
The Argentine is on the verge of making his comeback from a toe injury but is not expected to be risked for the all-capital clash, where Spurs should be missing no fewer than seven players again.
Mikey Moore (illness), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Richarlison (hamstring) and Wilson Odobert (hamstring) are also out of contention, while Rodrigo Bentancur continues his seven-match domestic ban.
Bentancur's suspension does not impact his availability for continental matches, meaning that he was free to start Thursday's 2-2 Europa League draw with Roma, but Yves Bissouma should now take on midfield anchor duties.
With Romero and Van de Ven both sidelined, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are set to link arms centrally in front of stand-in goalkeeper Fraser Forster, set to make his first Premier League appearance for Tottenham since May 2023.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie remain indispensable in the full-back roles, and James Maddison - scorer of two goals in the 4-0 demolition of Manchester City - should return to his rightful place in the engine room.
Maddison's comeback could spell bad news for Brennan Johnson, who is likely to make way for the Englishman as Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min form the attacking trident.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son
