Tottenham will not have Lucas Bergvall available as they kick off 2026 against Brentford in the Premier League tonight.
Bergvall came off just past the hour mark during Spurs’ 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend with a muscular injury, but head coach Thomas Frank had been confident he will be ready for their trip to the Gtech Community Stadium.
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"Lucas is okay. I'm quite positive he will be available,” the Dane said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“Of course, there's a small doubt, but it's quite possible that he will be available.”
Despite that confidence, the Swede will miss the match and Joao Palhinha comes back into the team against Brentford.
The Portuguese midfielder impressed off the bench as the north Londoners held on for a precious victory away at Palace.
Brennan Johnson is expected to leave Spurs after the club agreed a £35million deal with Palace on Tuesday, and unsurprisingly, he is not named in the squad.
Frank also confirmed that Spurs captain Cristian Romero, who missed the win over Palace, would be available again after his dismissal against Liverpool.
Romero, who will likely take the place of Kevin Danso, is the subject of an FA charge and could potentially face a further suspension after allegedly “failing to promptly leave the field of play and/or behaving in a confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the match referee after being sent off”.
Frank, though, said he believed a decision on Romero’s charge would not be taken until early January.
"He's ready for the game (against Brentford),” said Frank on Tuesday. “As far as I know, it's something that will be decided in early January.”
He lines up alongside Micky van de Ven in central defence.
Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin were both named in a matchday squad for the first time this season at Selhurst Park last weekend, but Takai has not made the side for the trip to west London.
Tottenham starting XI: Vicario; Spence, Van de Ven Porro, Romero, Bentancur, Palhinha, Gray, Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Tel, Davies, Kolo Muani, Scarlett, Olusesi
Injured: Bergvall, Solanke, Maddison, Udogie, Kulusevski
Unavailable: Bissouma, Sarr (AFCON)
Suspended: Simons
Time and date: 8pm GMT on Thursday January 1, 2026
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London
How to watch: Sky Sports
