Star ruled out of Tottenham clash with 'freak ice hockey-style' injury

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has received some welcome news ahead of Thursday's clash
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has received some welcome news ahead of Thursday's clash (Image credit: Getty Images)

Tottenham have received some availability news of a player who won't be featuring in against them this week in the Europa League.

Ange Postecoglou's side have suffered a dismal Premier League campaign, picking up just 11 wins from 31 outings so far. The Lilywhites did return to winning ways on Saturday beating Southampton 3-1 on home soil.

All focus is now swiftly turning to Thursday's huge European clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, with there now just a potential four games standing between them and the final in Bilbao.

Unusual injury rules player out of Tottenham vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Brennan Johnson scored twice as Spurs beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday

Brennan Johnson scored twice as Spurs beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday (Image credit: Getty Images)

With injuries curtailing any chance at success for Postecoglou this term, a late flurry in Europe is propping up Spurs' quest for silverware as we reach the business end of the season.

Frankfurt, placed 3rd in the Bundesliga, have enjoyed a steady season themselves but will be without a key man for their trip to north London later this week.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou reacts during Spurs' defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in May 2024.

Ange Postecoglou has faced increasing pressure of his job (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to German publication BILD, as relayed by Sport Witness, Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp will play no part in Thursday's contest after suffering a rare injury in recent weeks.

Trapp, who has three clean sheets in Europe this term, has been struggling with a shin injury since colliding with his teammate, Hugo Larsson, at the end of January.

BILD adds how Trapp has a 'partial tear of his muscle', and this hindered his game when he was on the pitch. They add this injury is ‘common in ice hockey but atypical in football'.

“Kevin noticed yesterday, during games on the full-size pitch, that he's still having problems," said manager Dino Toppmoller recently. "Therefore, he's out for the time being in Bremen. Kauã will be back in goal.”

Eintracht Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp gestures

Kevin Trapp has been with Frankfurt since he left PSG in 2019

In FourFourTwo's view, the only way Postecoglou keeps his job is by winning the Europa League this season. Losing out on key revenue by not qualifying for Europe will have a huge detrimental effect on Spurs' summer plans.

Tottenham are next in Premier League action on Sunday as they travel to Molineux to face Wolves.

Matthew Holt

Matthew is a Freelance Journalist and has racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.