“Could be forced to undergo surgery” Thomas Frank hit with yet more bad news
The final hours of the transfer window are always a tense time, but for Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank, the pressure is mounting from all sides.
Not only is the clock ticking to make any last-minute signings, but a growing injury crisis is threatening to derail the team’s season before it has even properly begun.
The most concerning news revolves around striker Dominic Solanke. Signed with high hopes in the summer, the former Bournemouth star has yet to find his rhythm in a Spurs shirt.
Now, his situation has taken a turn for the worse. Initial reports suggested a minor ankle issue, but it is now feared the problem is more serious than anyone first thought.
Several respected sources are indicating that Solanke could even be forced to undergo surgery before he is able to return to the pitch, which would keep him sidelined for a significant period.
This is a devastating blow for both the player and the club. Just before the recent Bournemouth game, Frank had described it as a “minor issue” that had been “grumbling” since pre-season, expressing hope that the international break would provide enough time for recovery. Unfortunately, the reality appears to be much more severe.
Solanke is far from the only fitness concern plaguing the squad. The midfield has been hit particularly hard. Yves Bissouma, whose proposed move to Turkey recently collapsed after he failed a medical, has now picked up a fresh injury in training.
This new setback ruled him out of the Manchester City fixture and adds another name to the unavailable list.
Of course, the biggest absence remains that of James Maddison. The creative heartbeat of the team is recovering from a devastating ACL injury so serious that the club has been unable to put any public timeline on his return.
In a similar situation, defender Radu Dragusin is also working his way back from his own ACL rupture, with a hopeful return date sometime before Christmas.
This wave of injuries leaves the squad looking dangerously thin in key areas. For a team that endured a miserable 17th-place finish last season, this is not the start anyone envisioned.
The situation puts a enormous burden on the club’s ownership, ENIC, and chairman Daniel Levy. With the window about to close, the question every Spurs fan is asking is whether the hierarchy will provide Thomas Frank with the crucial backing he needs to navigate this crisis, or if the manager will be left to solve these deep problems with an increasingly threadbare squad.