Standout Spurs loanee set for international milestone this week

Only the most ardent of Tottenham supporters have been keeping a close eye on Luka Vušković's progress at Hamburg since the young defender completed a loan move to the newly promoted Bundesliga club in the summer.

For the majority of us, the Croat's German adventure has played out through the medium of social media. Despite his position, Vušković has a knack for virality, and the teenager has been at it again during the November international break.

Filth.

While that rondo moment would be the highlight of many players' breaks, for Vušković, a significant milestone for the national team beckons.

Croatia manager confirms first international start for Spurs' Vušković

The 18-year-old became the third-youngest player to represent Croatia in June, with Zlatko Dalić's side now on the cusp of confirming their spot at next summer's World Cup.

They require just a point to do so, and Dalić is ready to entrust the daring Tottenham loanee with his first start for the national team on Friday against the Faroe Islands. Remarkably, Croatia's upcoming opponents, an archipelago boasting a population of just 55,000, still have a shot of qualifying for the tournament themselves.

At the start of break, Dalić confirmed that a switch to a back three will facilitate Vušković's inclusion in his starting XI.

"Our plan is for Luka Vušković to start the match against the Faroe Islands. We have very good players in the back line, top quality," the Croatia boss said (via The Croatian on X). "We’ve done a great job regarding the World Cup preparations. We’ll try a system with three centre-backs."

I cannot say I have tuned into a full 90 minutes of Hamburg this season, but I'm fully aware of the talent Spurs have on their hands. Given what I've seen and heard of Vušković's Bundesliga venture, the teenager is fully deserving of Dalić's trust.

His excellent start to the season continued with a superb showing in Hamburg's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, where his nose for danger once again came to the fore. The kid ranks in the 99th percentile when compared to centre-backs from Europe's top-five leagues with 2.38 blocks per 90 minutes, 9.75 clearances per 90 and 6.13 aerial duels won per 90.

There's no denying that Spurs have a potential superstar in their ranks, but the teenager himself has admitted he "doesn't know when he'll be back." With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven unlikely to move on in 2026, it wouldn't be a surprise if Vušković is out on loan again in 2026/27.

What's the rush?