Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin could be Ange Postecoglou’s answer to Micky van de Ven’s injury after the Dutchman was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring issue in the first half of their Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Manchester City.
The Romanian international has not had much game time since his move to North London in January this year, but could now see his minutes increase, with Van de Ven potentially facing a lengthy setback.
Dragusin made only his fifth start of the season in Spurs’ superb victory on Wednesday night and left a great impression against the defending Premier League champions, recording five clearances, blocking one shot, and maintaining an 82% pass accuracy.
The 22-year-old started the contest alongside Cristian Romero at centre-back and helped limit Man City to just three shots on target, putting Tottenham through to the quarter-finals, where they will face Manchester United.
Dragusin in Line to Replace Van de Ven
The 22-year-old could finally have his chance
Van de Ven’s injury is a major concern for Spurs, who face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, and they are already set to be without forward Wilson Odobert for a sustained period.
Van de Ven was sidelined for two months last season after suffering a hamstring injury at roughly the same point in the campaign, but Spurs have since brought in a central defender in Dragusin to add more depth to their squad.
The Romanian international could soon solve Postecoglou’s headache after Van de Ven’s setback and finally get his chance to nail down a spot in the Australian tactician’s starting XI.
Dragusin has made just five Premier League starts since his January arrival, amassing 523 minutes of league action so far.
The ‘excellent’ central defender played the full 90 minutes for the fourth time this season on Wednesday and showed exactly why Tottenham worked hard to secure his arrival at N17 in January.
He should now be Postecoglou’s number one option to slot in alongside Romero for Sunday, as Spurs aim to return to winning ways after suffering a shock 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace last weekend.
Radu Dragusin’s Tottenham Stats (2024/25 Premier League) | |
Games | 2 |
Pass accuracy % | 84.2 |
Tackles per 90 | 0.91 |
Blocks per 90 | 1.82 |
Clearances per 90 | 2.73 |
Minutes played | 100 |
Ben Davies Remains an Option
After covering for Van de Ven last season
After Van de Ven suffered a hamstring injury at the start of November last year, it was Ben Davies who stepped up for the injured Dutchman, starting in all nine Premier League games the 23-year-old missed.
The ever-reliable Welshman has had limited chances to impress Postecoglou this season and is yet to play a single minute of league football, though he has made five starts in the Carabao Cup and Europa League.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Davies faces an uncertain future in North London, and it remains to be seen if Postecoglou would prioritise him over Dragusin for any of the Premier League games in Van de Ven’s absence.
Statistics courtesy of Fbref and Transfermarkt. Correct as of 3 1 -10-24.