LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has been substituted from the starting eleven in favor of Kevin Danso for Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
The announcement was made shortly after the team’s warm-up session in north London, with Micky van de Ven named as the stand-in captain during Romero’s absence.
This season, the Argentina international has played the full 90 minutes in all seven of Spurs’ matches, showcasing strong performances alongside Van de Ven under head coach Thomas Frank.
Romero participated in Argentina’s friendly match against Venezuela during the recent international break but was an unused substitute against Puerto Rico.
Danso, with seven appearances across competitions this season, is set to make his first Premier League start against Villa.
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Djed Spence has replaced Destiny Udogie, the only other adjustment to the Spurs lineup after their victory over Leeds United prior to the international break.
“He [Udogie] returned from international duty with a slight knee issue, but it isn’t serious and he should be back soon,” Frank mentioned in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports.
Ollie Watkins is among the substitutes for the visitors after exiting the England squad prematurely due to a collision with the post at Wembley during England’s match against Wales.
Spurs Starting XI:
Guglielmo Vicario,
Pedro Porro,
Kevin Danso,
Cristian Romero,
Djed Spence,
Rodrigo Bentancur,
João Palhinha,
Mohammed Kudus,
Xavi Simons,
Wilson Odobert,
Mathys Tel
Aston Villa Starting XI:
Emi Martínez,
Lucas Digne,
Pau Torres,
Ezri Konsa,
Matty Cash,
Amadou Onana,
Boubacar Kamara,
John McGinn,
Morgan Rogers,
Evann Guessand,
Donyell Malen