{"id":266950,"date":"2025-09-30T16:33:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T16:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/266950\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T16:33:13","slug":"tottenham-reject-international-call-up-for-star-after-thomas-frank-called-for-patience-in-his-recovery-from-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/266950\/","title":{"rendered":"Tottenham REJECT international call-up for star – after Thomas Frank called for patience in his recovery from injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

By MATT BARLOW, FOOTBALL WRITER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 09:27 EDT, 30 September 2025 | Updated: 10:06 EDT, 30 September 2025 <\/p>\n

Tottenham<\/a> have rejected Romania’s attempts to call up defensive talisman Radu Dragusin as they try to revive their fading World Cup dream.<\/p>\n

Dragusin, out since January with a cruciate knee ligament injury, is close to fitness once again.<\/p>\n

Spurs head coach Thomas Frank<\/a> said in August that he expected him back in contention within ‘a couple of months’ but also stressed the need for extreme caution on the road back from such a serious injury.<\/p>\n

Dragusin, 23, was named last week by Romania boss Mircea Lucescu on a preliminary list of overseas-based players for the two October internationals, a friendly against Moldova followed three days later by a qualifier at home against Austria, the strongest rivals in Group H.<\/p>\n

Defeat against Austria will end Romania’s hopes of reaching next year’s finals if Bosnia-Herzegovina also beat Cyprus. And Lucescu, 80-year-old legend of Romanian football, wanted his strongest central-half to be involved into the camp as a positive presence.<\/p>\n

Dragusin became Romania’s most expensive player when he snubbed Bayern Munich<\/a> to joined Tottenham from Genoa in a deal worth up to \u00a326million, in January 2024.<\/p>\n

\"Tottenham <\/p>\n

Tottenham have rejected Romania’s attempts to call up defensive talisman Radu Dragusin<\/p>\n

\"Dragusin <\/p>\n

Dragusin has been out injured since January and Frank called for caution in his recovery<\/p>\n

Lucescu envisaged him training with the squad and fuelling morale, perhaps even making a brief cameo appearance from the bench, but only if there was a mutual benefit as part of his recovery programme.<\/p>\n

And there isn’t. Spurs soon dashed any hopes, making it clear they wanted to keep Dragusin focused on his day-to-day rehabilitation plan, training and building his fitness steadily under the scrutiny of their medical team.<\/p>\n

Romania have accepted this and do not intend could force the issue even though FIFA rules entitle them to call-up players.<\/p>\n

‘I spoke with him,’ Lucescu told Fanatik in Romania when asked about Dragusin. ‘He was very happy for the national team comeback but I don’t think I will call him. Tottenham wasn’t so happy to let him come now at the national team.<\/p>\n

‘He needs one more month to play again. Radu wants to come, but others warned us it is better to let him train with Tottenham now.’<\/p>\n

Dragusin has not played since injury in a Europa League tie against Elfsborg in January. He is training regularly but not yet back in the full-contact sessions with the first team. He has not been selected in Tottenham’s Champions League squad.<\/p>\n

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