Is Pedro Porro injured this weekend? Injury latest on Tottenham Hotspur defender

Tottenham Hotspur will again be without right-back Pedro Porro for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Newcastle United as the Spain international continues to recover from the hamstring problem that has sidelined him since the end of January.

Porro was withdrawn at half-time during the 2-1 win over Burnley on 25 January and has not appeared since. Head coach Frank initially described the decision as a precautionary measure to manage the 24-year-old’s workload, but subsequently confirmed that scans had revealed a hamstring strain.

Speaking ahead of the Europa League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt on 27 January, Frank told reporters: “Pedro hasn’t travelled. Unfortunately, he’s picked up a hamstring injury, so he’ll be out for four weeks.”

That prognosis places Porro’s potential return in late February, making him unavailable for the visit of Newcastle this weekend. Should his rehabilitation remain on schedule, the former Sporting CP man could come back into contention for the North London Derby against Arsenal the following Sunday.

Porro’s absence compounds a growing defensive crisis at Spurs. Cristian Romero will also sit out the Newcastle match after receiving a straight red card against Manchester United, triggering a four-game domestic ban. With Romero unavailable until the middle of March, Porro’s recovery has taken on added importance.

Frank is hopeful of welcoming both Porro and forward Richarlison back before the end of the month, but the pair are the only players expected to return in February. Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are all pencilled in for comebacks between March and the summer.

Tottenham, currently 15th in the table, have been among the Premier League’s most injury-hit clubs this season, and the continued absence of key personnel is heaping pressure on Frank as he attempts to steer the team away from the relegation conversation.