There had been no talk of Tottenham's injury woes worsening ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa.
Thomas Frank's squad had seemingly escaped the October international break unscathed, but it became clear on matchday that the Dane would have to operate without a couple of integral faces.
Before captain Cristian Romero pulled up in the warm up and was subsequently ruled out, the lineup release 75 minutes ahead of kick-off revealed Destiny Udogie's absence. The Italian international had played a key role in our victory at Leeds United before the break, having endured a disrupted start to the campaign due to a knee injury.
Djed Spence replaced Udogie at left-back and performed well individually, but Spurs' rather insipid open-play performance can in part be attributed to Udogie's setback. The bustling full-back helped our left-hand side burst into life two weeks ago at Elland Road, but the connections that brightened up our performance in Yorkshire were nowhere to be seen on Sunday.
Spence is really good at what he does, but Frank's framework, one that doesn't use the centre of the pitch, needs the left-footed Udogie. A long-term setback would be cruel, so what's the latest on Udogie's injury?
When will Destiny Udogie return from injury?
Frank didn't offer too much information regarding Udogie's injury ahead of kick-off on Sunday. He did say that the former Udinese starlet is dealing with a "minor irritation" to his knee, which forced him out of Villa's visit.
The boss suggested that this is no major issue, but Frank isn't the type to offer a bleak outlook from the outset. Thus, his early diagnosis should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Spurs have a quick turnaround after the weekend's disappointment, with Monaco up next in Gameweek 3 of the Champions League. Frank will most likely be without Udogie on Wednesday night, and as many as ten first-team players in total for the league phase clash. I thought we were done with injury crises?
The club will be cautious with Udogie because of his recent injury history. The left-back missed the first couple of games of 2025/26 as a result of a knee issue, having previously undergone thigh surgery in April 2024.
I'm merely speculating, but I suspect Udogie to sit out in midweek and be reevaluated ahead of Sunday's trip to Everton. The games are arriving thick and fast over the next few weeks, so the last thing Frank will want to do is rush him back, even if his presence is imperative.