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tottenham hotspur was handed over to the poor Dominic Solanke The injury update comes as a new potential timeline for his return to action emerges.
Dominic Solanke misses Spurs frontcourt due to injury
Solanke has been mired in a frustrating saga in his second season at Tottenham, with persistent ankle problems limiting his performances Club signing record Only made three substitute appearances in just 49 minutes.
The Englishman has not played since a 12-minute cameo against Manchester City in August, with recurring ankle problems that initially disrupted pre-season and now agonizingly out for more than four months.
What Thomas Frank Initially described as a minor ankle problem requiring “minor surgery” Late September has mysteriously evolved into one of Premier LeagueThe most confusing injury situation.
Solanke underwent what was thought to be a simple operation in October, sparking optimism that his return would be imminent.
However, more than two months later, the England international appears no closer to rejoining Frank’s depleted squad, despite scattered reports suggesting he is “still a few weeks away” or “making progress” in training.
The striker’s prolonged absence triggered UEFA rules, allowing Tottenham to temporarily replace his place in the Champions League squad with summer signing Matthijs Telle, who was initially left out of the 22-man squad for the league phase.
Frank admits he would have chosen Tell if he had anticipated Solanke’s prolonged recovery, but supporters are increasingly demanding more clarity on the striker’s actual condition.
Questions surround why a seemingly minor surgery turned into such a lengthy recovery process.
The striker himself refused to set a firm timetable for his return during the tournament. recent interviewsadmitted his frustration while expressing a desire to work under Frank.
“It’s very difficult,” Solanke told The Athletic in November.
“At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long, but we didn’t really know the extent of the injury. I tried to recover as quickly as possible, but it didn’t work out, so I had to have surgery. I’ve been working hard on my recovery ever since.
“I’m not going to set a timetable because I’ve been telling everyone for the last few months ‘I’ll be back soon’. I’m taking it day by day, but hopefully it won’t be too long.”
Solanke’s absence puts huge pressure on PSG’s on-loan Randel Kolo Mouani and Richarlison, who were out injured for much of last season, with Thiel and younger players serving as inexperienced replacements.
This leads to the following recommendations: Tottenham could sign a new centre-forward in JanuaryFrank said last week that Solanke was “nowhere near rejoining the squad”.
Nonetheless, he did play down concerns that the striker would be out for a long period of time when he answered a question about why he was replaced by Matthijs Terre in the Champions League squad during his post-match press conference on Tuesday.
Asked if Solanke had suffered a setback, Frank insisted: “No, it’s just an opportunity to get Tel in and it’s great to have that opportunity. We can change it back if we want to.”
Tottenham Hotspur announce Dominic Solanke injury update
Despite Frank’s words, reliable Whites insider Paul O’Keefe says the 28-year-old could be out until February, with Spurs giving a rather grim estimate of his return potential.
This means Solanke could miss key games against the likes of Liverpool, Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City and Manchester United – depending on how far away February is.
The England international has 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions and is Tottenham’s second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson with 24/25.
Nine of those goals came in the Premier League, including a brace at home against Aston Villa and a goal away at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
Crucially, Solanke played key moments in Tottenham’s Europa League victory – including a no-brainer penalty in the quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, and scoring the opening goal in the semi-final victory over Bodo/Glimt.
His energy, physicality and ability to take the lead will all be sorely missed for Frank in what has been a distinct lack of a reliable focal point this season.
The Lilywhites will need him back for domestic and European competition after the New Year, with Kolo Mouani and Richarlison set to shoulder a huge responsibility unless Spurs decide to enter the transfer market.
