Tottenham Vs Crystal Palace: Spence Ruled Out as Tudor Adapts Squad Amid Relegation Fight
Tottenham Vs Crystal Palace will go ahead on Thursday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Djed Spence sidelined, a development that compounds a stretched squad as Spurs try to arrest a slide that leaves them only one point clear of the relegation zone. The absence matters now because it forces manager Igor Tudor to alter his XI in a fixture that comes between a Premier League survival battle and a Champions League Round of 16 first leg next week.
Team selection: Tottenham Vs Crystal Palace
Igor Tudor confirmed that Djed Spence remains out after missing Sunday’s loss at Fulham with soreness. Spence will not be available for Palace’s visit, and Tudor said he is hopeful the defender will return for the first leg of Tottenham’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. That timeline places the expected return within four days of the Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace.
With Spence unavailable, Tudor made multiple changes to his matchday squad. The manager chose a 4-3-3 formation, his third formation change in three games, and left Radu Dragusin out of the squad. The starting XI named for the clash included goalkeeper Vicario and a back four of Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Souza, with Palhinha, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray in midfield and Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel leading the line. Tottenham’s substitutes list featured Kinsky, Brennan Johnson, Xavi Simons, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Conor Gallagher and others.
Crystal Palace made enforced changes of their own: Chadi Riad replaced the suspended Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand came in for Brennan Johnson. Jefferson Lerma, back from nearly a month out injured, was named on Palace’s bench. Palace set up in a 3-4-2-1 with Dean Henderson in goal and a midfield featuring Munoz, Wharton, Kamada and Mitchell supporting Strand Larsen as the central striker.
Igor Tudor and the injury list at Tottenham Hotspur
Tudor was explicit that there was "no other news" on the wider injury picture beyond Spence. The club’s available list shows James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ben Davies remain out. Central defender Cuti Romero is serving the last of a four-game suspension and therefore unavailable for selection.
Those absences have had direct consequences: they have pushed Tudor to reshuffle personnel, experiment with formations and place key players on the bench. The cause—an extensive injury list and a suspension—has the clear effect of limiting options ahead of a crucial sequence of fixtures that includes a Champions League knockout tie and a domestic relegation scrap.
What makes this notable is the timing: Tottenham must manage short-term survival pressures in the Premier League while preparing for high-stakes continental competition, and the current availability crisis compresses recovery and selection windows for the manager.
Relegation odds, financial stakes and short-term implications
Opta places Tottenham’s chance of relegation at 8. 22%, and match-day context underscores the fragility of their position—Spurs sit only one point clear of the relegation zone. Analysts have also flagged the potential financial impact of relegation; a recent assessment put the possible cost at more than £250m, a figure that frames the urgency behind defensive and tactical choices on the field.
The immediate effect of Spence’s absence and the broader injury list is practical: Tudor must field a side with limited continuity and rotated roles, evidenced by his third consecutive change of formation. Longer-term, the compressed schedule—Thursday night’s Premier League game followed by a Champions League first leg on Tuesday—means recovery and selection decisions this week could influence squad fitness and performance across two competitions.
Tudor’s messaging was measured: he confirmed Spence is not ready for the game but expressed hope for his availability before the trip to Atletico Madrid. With both domestic and European fronts demanding attention, Tottenham’s handling of injuries and suspensions will be closely watched as the season moves into a critical phase.
