Tottenham Hotspur has made some big decisions regarding their Europa League squad, and not everyone made the cut.

With UEFA allowing only three new additions for the knockout stages, manager Ange Postecoglou had to make some tough calls.

Surprisingly, one of Spurs’ recent signings, Antonín Kinsky, has been left out in favor of a homegrown player.

The North London club secured their place in the last 16 after finishing fourth in the league phase, meaning they bypassed the play-off round.

As they prepare for the next stage of the competition, their updated squad list will remain in place all the way through to the final in Bilbao on May 21—if they can make it that far.

Big Winter Signings, But Not Everyone Makes the Cut

Tottenham was active in the January transfer window, bringing in three senior players to strengthen their squad.

Naturally, many expected all three to be included in the updated Europa League selection. However, Postecoglou had other plans.

Czech goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky, who joined from Slavia Prague for £12.5 million, has been surprisingly omitted.

The 21-year-old has been a regular feature since his arrival, but with first-choice keeper Guglielmo Vicario expected to return from injury soon, Kinsky found himself on the outside looking in.

Instead, Spurs have chosen to stick with Vicario as their main goalkeeper, with Brandon Austin stepping in as backup.

Austin, who made just his second appearance for the club in the 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, has now secured his spot for the remainder of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the club’s other two winter signings—defender Kevin Danso from RC Lens and forward Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich—have both been included.

Both players made their Tottenham debuts in a night to forget, as Spurs suffered a brutal 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

Homegrown Talent Wins Out Over £12.5 Million Signing

One of the more surprising inclusions in the Europa League squad is Djed Spence.

The full-back, who has struggled for consistent game time at Spurs, has managed to edge out Kinsky for the third and final available slot.

His versatility has proved to be a valuable asset for Postecoglou, especially with the club dealing with a long list of injuries.

Spence’s inclusion comes at the expense of three experienced players—Fraser Forster, Timo Werner, and Radu Dragusin—who have all been dropped from the squad.

Of the three, Dragusin’s omission is perhaps the least shocking, as the defender had the worst average rating of any player in the league phase of the competition, according to Sofascore.

Who Could Tottenham Face Next?

With their squad now finalized, Spurs are waiting to find out their next Europa League opponent.

Their possible last-16 challengers include Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, or Midtjylland—depending on who advances from the play-off round.

The draw is set to take place on February 21, and Postecoglou will be hoping his squad selections pay off as they aim to make a deep run in the competition.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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