Tottenham striker Randal Kolo Muani has suffered a fractured jaw, and the injury is reportedly worse than first feared. Journalist Fabrice Hawkins revealed that the French forward has now been forced to withdraw from the France national team ahead of their final World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
The 26-year-old was substituted at half-time during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, and what initially appeared to be a precaution has now turned into a more serious concern.
After being handed his third consecutive Premier League start by Thomas Frank, Kolo Muani’s afternoon ended prematurely, leaving fans worried about his condition.
Following scans on Sunday, it was confirmed that the forward had sustained a fractured jaw, ruling him out of France’s upcoming fixtures and possibly a few crucial club games.
It’s a major setback for Kolo Muani, who has been eager to cement his place at Tottenham after joining on loan from Juventus late in the summer transfer window.
Despite his promising performances, he has yet to score in the Premier League, with his only contribution coming in the Champions League when he assisted in the 4-0 victory over Copenhagen. His determination to make an impact in North London will now have to be put on hold as he begins his recovery.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the French striker, who had hoped that a strong international break could boost his confidence and form. Instead, his absence leaves Thomas Frank with some big decisions to make ahead of Spurs’ next fixtures.
Wilson Odobert, who replaced Kolo Muani against Manchester United, made an instant impact by assisting Richarlison’s goal that looked set to win the game before Matthijs de Ligt’s late equaliser denied the victory.
Richarlison and Mathys Tel are now expected to compete for the central attacking role while Kolo Muani recovers. His injury also means he will miss valuable playing time to prove himself as Tottenham consider making his loan move permanent.
Meanwhile, France have called up former Newcastle United forward Florian Thauvin as Kolo Muani’s replacement. The Spurs striker, who has earned 31 caps for his country, will be disappointed to miss out but will focus on returning stronger.
As things stand, the hope is that the setback won’t have a lasting impact on his bid to represent France at the 2026 World Cup.
