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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

Tottenham: Micky van de Ven facing Champions League suspension risk in Monaco clash

Tightrope: Micky van de Ven - (NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham need Micky van de Ven to be on his best behaviour against Monaco tonight.

The centre-back is likely to wear the captain's armband for the second Champions League match in a row, with Cristian Romero missing the match due to an adductor injury.

Thomas Frank's options in defence are increasingly thin, and Spurs are in danger of suffering another blow at the back.

Players who receive three yellow cards in the Champions League are hit with a one-match ban and Van de Ven is one away from hitting that mark.

The Dutchman has been booked in both of Spurs' league phase matches so far against Villarreal and Bodo/Glimt.

That means a yellow card against Monaco would leave him suspended for Copenhagen's visit to north London on November 4.

If he avoids a booking tonight but is then shown a yellow card against Copenhagen, Van de Ven would miss the trip to face PSG later next month.

Any absence would be one Spurs can ill-afford right now, with uncertainty over how long Romero's injury will keep him on the sidelines.

Ben Davies is also currently out, and both Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai, building up to fitness after injury issues of their own, were left out of Spurs' squad for the league phase of the competition.

As it stands, 16-year-old Jun'ai Byfield is the only centre-back cover unless Archie Gray or Joao Palhinha drop back into defence.

Van de Ven is the only Spurs player with two yellow cards to his name in the Champions League this season.

Xavi Simons, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and Pedro Porro have all been booked once, giving them slightly more breathing room.

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