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Thomas Frank drops selection hint ahead of Carabao Cup clash; first XI ace set to be benched

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 11:17 AM ET

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Antonin Kinsky will start in goal against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup

Tottenham Hotspur host Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday evening, and the tie will give Thomas Frank a chance to rotate his squad.

Spurs will be eyeing a return to winning ways after being held to a 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium last weekend. They bounced back from 2-0 down to draw the game and pinch a valuable point, great character and grit shown by Thomas Frank’s side.

The Tottenham gaffer is likely to ring some changes from the team that played against Brighton away on Saturday, which will provide some rotation players with an opportunity to impress. It will also give the Dane a chance to test his bench strength against a League One opponent, who travel to north London to cause a major upset in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Thomas Frank confirms Antonin Kinsky will start vs Doncaster Rovers

Thomas Frank gave an update on Tottenham’s injury situation ahead of the League Cup clash. He also confirmed Antonin Kinsky will start in goal in midweek.

“Antonin will start tomorrow. I’m very happy with him as a goalkeeper. I think he’s a very good goalkeeper with very good potential,” Frank told the club media.

“For any player not starting, they’re not happy. Some probably understand it a bit more. How can I say… outfielders, sometimes, you’re young, you’re trying to get your way into it, but at some stage you always want to play. Same for goalkeepers.

“The easy thing for Antonin would have been to stay at his former club. Now it’s a bigger stage, a bigger challenge. He has a great future here at Tottenham, I like what I see from him, he just has to keep training well and doing well.”

Opportunity for Kinsky to impress

It will be Kinsky’s first appearance of the 2025/26 campaign, having been acting as a back-up to No.1 Guglielmo Vicario. The goalkeeper’s last outing in a Spurs shirt came against Aston Villa in May.

The Czech Republic international arrived at Tottenham from Slavia Prague in January and produced a Man of the Match display in his debut outing in the first leg of Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool. He has a chance to prove himself under the new boss and showcase his potential.

Doncaster, managed by Grant McCann, will head to Spurs with a plan in place. They will try to test the home side physically and perhaps target Kinsky from set-plays, especially with the glovesman set to play his first game this season. So, Kinsky has to be well-equipped to deal with the League One side’s challenges. A clean sheet in midweek would do wonders for his confidence.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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