Cristian Romero and Thomas Frank are aligned on who should step in for Son Heung-min, with Tottenham already deciding on the replacement.

Frank dropped a hint about his next major call, while captain Romero made his stance clear. The Argentine and Mohammed Kudus were the only senior regulars left out of the squad for the Carabao Cup third-round clash with Doncaster Rovers.

New signing Xavi Simons, along with Rodrigo Bentancur and Djed Spence, started in what was still a strong Spurs XI. Despite some nervy moments, Tottenham secured progress with goals from Joao Palhinha and Brennan Johnson, plus an own goal forced by Wilson Odobert.

“Happy with the win, happy with the clean sheet and happy we are through to the next round. That was the aim,” Frank said afterwards. “The first half was good — we controlled the game and created the chances we wanted. We could have scored more, with big opportunities for Mathys Tel, Rodri and others. The second half was more disjointed, we gave the ball away too easily. The pressure was not perfect, but credit to Doncaster, they came brave and stretched us well.”

Pedro Porro was the only player to complete 90 minutes in the tie who is also expected to start at the weekend, having been handed the captain’s armband for the cup clash. While Romero has played every minute in the league, Porro has also featured heavily, showing Frank’s growing trust in him. After two-and-a-half years at the club, he is now regarded as one of the senior figures in the dressing room.

Though Frank has yet to confirm his full leadership group, Porro looks set to be included. Romero would likely welcome his presence alongside James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario, filling the void left by the departure of former captain Son Heung-min.