Tottenham Hotspur find themselves dealing with a completely avoidable mess, one that has left Thomas Frank frustrated and short of options at the highest level of European football.
What should have been a routine injury assessment has spiraled into a major setback for the squad, and the blame lies squarely with the medical department’s misjudgment of Dominic Solanke’s ankle problem.
Their overly optimistic diagnosis forced the club into a decision that now looks both reckless and costly, leaving Mathys Tel unavailable for Champions League matches when his presence is needed most.
Back in August, when clubs were required to submit their Champions League squads, Tottenham’s medical team assured Frank that Solanke’s injury was nothing more than a minor issue.
That confidence led to Tel being left out of the 25-man group, as Frank expected Solanke to return quickly and play a full part in Tottenham’s European campaign. Instead, the situation completely unraveled.
Solanke has barely played this season, undergoing surgery in October on the exact same ankle the staff insisted was not serious. A problem dismissed as minor ended up requiring an operation that has kept the striker out for nearly the entire campaign.
This is the same ankle injury that had already stopped Solanke from taking part in Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Luton Town in July. Even then, the issue was downplayed.
The club’s messaging at the time suggested there was nothing to worry about, but the months that followed proved the opposite. Solanke attempted a return to training in September, only for complications to arise, pushing him back onto the treatment table and eventually forcing surgery.
He has managed only 31 minutes of competitive football all season, a number that reflects just how poorly the situation was handled from the beginning.
The consequences of that misjudgment became painfully clear when Tottenham faced PSG in the Champions League and lost 5-3. Tel, who should have been part of the squad, could only watch from the stands. Frank had no access to his speed, energy, and directness qualities that Tel has already shown in limited Premier League appearances.
His passing accuracy, attacking drive, and willingness to take on defenders have all been bright spots whenever he has featured. He has started only three league matches but has consistently looked like a player with the ability to change games. Yet he has been forced out of the European picture because the club trusted an assessment that turned out to be completely wrong.
This is not a minor oversight. It is a serious operational flaw. Tottenham’s medical staff offered inaccurate information that directly affected squad strategy, and now Frank is left with reduced attacking depth at a time when the team needs as many reliable options as possible.
Their Champions League campaign has become more difficult than it needed to be simply because an injury was not properly diagnosed.
There is, however, a small window of hope ahead. After the January transfer window closes, UEFA allows clubs to resubmit their squads for the knockout stages.
That update typically happens in early February, and Spurs will finally be able to include Tel assuming they qualify. It also gives Frank the chance to add Dejan Kulusevski, who is recovering from injury, and any new arrivals the club manages to bring in during January. It is an opportunity to correct a mistake that should never have happened in the first place.
As for Solanke, his situation remains uncertain. Frank has avoided making promises about when the striker might return, and the cautious tone suggests Solanke needs significant time to rehabilitate properly.
Even once he is back on the training pitch, it will take weeks for him to regain match fitness after missing so much football.
Tottenham’s ownership has invested heavily in strengthening the squad, but basic medical errors have undercut those efforts. Frank is left working with fewer tools than he should have, and the team’s Champions League ambitions have been made harder by an avoidable blunder.
A club of Tottenham’s size should not be losing key squad options because of poor injury assessments, yet that is exactly what has happened here, leaving Frank to pick up the pieces.
