Why did Cristian Romero & Djed Spence miss Tottenham vs Sydney FC pre-season friendly?

The only contest between these clubs ended in favour of the Spurs.

The English Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur, is in Australia preparing for their upcoming season. For their second club friendly ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, they will go head-to-head against Sydney FC. This will be an interesting clash to watch, taking place at the Allianz Stadium.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men secured an easy 2-0 victory against the A-League champions, Auckland FC, in their previous contest. Many of the new and young faces were on the field for the Spurs. Manor Solomon of Israel was the standout performer. He came up with multiple chances on the right flank.

Even though he did not score a goal or get an assist, Solomon surely troubled the opponent’s defence and will be keen to do so once again. Dane Scarlett and Richarlison scored a goal each to help Tottenham Hotspur secure a win.

Being away from home will only make things tougher for the Premier League club, but with a quality squad, they are going to have the slight edge over Sydney FC. The Lillywhites have now unveiled the list of players competing in the game and some notable names are missing.

Also Read: Top 10 most expensive signings in Premier League history ft. Elliot Anderson & Sandro Tonali

Why did Cristian Romero and Djed Spence miss out?

Both Cristian Romero and Djed Spence were part of their respective national teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026. They have not travelled with the rest of Tottenham Hotspur‘s teammates to Australia.

Romero reached the grand finale with Argentina and Spence secured third place with England at the grandest stage of them all. As per recent reports, Cristian Romero is set to leave the club and is linked with this transfer to Inter Milan.

Other notable names such as Dominik Solanke, Xavi Simons, Matues Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke are also absent from the squad. Solanke and Fernandes were a part of the previous clash against Auckland FC, but are not named in the squad this time around.

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