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Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus has been ruled out until after the international break in March.

The 25-year-old lasted just 19 minutes of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Sunderland before limping off with a thigh injury.

The Ghana forward is expected to be available for the return of Premier League action on 11 April.

"Mohammed Kudus unfortunately is a bigger injury to the tendon in the quad," said manager Thomas Frank.

"That is one where we expect him back after the March international break."

Kudus signed for £55m from West Ham last summer and has scored twice in the Premier League for Spurs.

Tottenham's 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday night added to the air of frustration surrounding Thomas Frank's team.

The defeat leaves Tottenham in 14th position in the Premier League table with just seven wins from 21 league matches.

The latest loss was against a Bournemouth side that had been a club-record run of 11 top-flight games without a win.

Spurs' labouring attack appears to be causing the most angst to the north London club's fanbase.

Frank's approach can be seen as unnecessarily risk averse and while Tottenham's manager may point to the ongoing absence of key threats such as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, the data supports the suspicion that Spurs simply are not clicking in attack.

Tottenham have played by far the fewest through balls of any Premier League side this season, while they rank in the division's bottom-five sides for shots, expected goals and touches in the opposition box.

The club may add to their squad in the January transfer window but one win in the past six matches in all competitions represents a bleak winter for Spurs so far.

Mansfield Town have signed midfielder Jon Russell from Barnsley and teenage forward Oliver Irow on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Jamaica international Russell, 25, who came through as a youth player at Chelsea, moves to the One Call Stadium as he enters the final six months of his contract with the Tykes.

He has made 113 appearances for Barnsley in the three years since he arrived from Huddersfield, with his last game coming in December's 3-2 defeat by the Stags side he now joins.

For 19-year-old Irow, his loan with the League One club is his first move away from Tottenham where he came through the youth ranks.

The forward, who managed seven goals in 17 appearances this season for Spurs' Under-21 side across Premier League 2, Uefa Youth League and EFL Trophy competitions, says he will bring "energy, excitement and determination" to the Stags.

"The main this is that I love to score goals, and that is what I hope fans get to see," Irow told BBC East Midlands Today.

"I want to make a big impact, I want to come here and show what I am able to do."

Team news - Bergvall, Bentancur, Kudus & Kulusevski

Tottenham v Aston Villa (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank on team news: "Lucas Bergvall is being assessed today. We will know more later today with him.

"Same with Rodrigo Bentancur. Rodri has a hamstring injury - looks like a bigger one, unfortunately. We don’t know the time frame. That we will know later.

"Mohammed Kudus unfortunately is a bigger one to the tendon in the quad. That is one where we expect him back after the March international break.

"The latest on Dejan Kulusevski. We know it is a complicated injury. If there is one person who can accelerate that (recovery) it is Dejan, who is a top pro and has a top mentality.

"The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. He had an injection to help that 10 days ago. We will know in three to four weeks if that has settled. And when it has settled, hopefully, he will be on the grass and from there, we will see what is happening."

Tottenham's troubles in attack

Matthew Hobbs

BBC Sport

Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday night added to the air of frustration surrounding Thomas Frank’s team.

The defeat leaves Tottenham languishing in 14th position in the Premier League table with just seven wins from 21 league matches.

The latest loss came against a Bournemouth side on a club-record run of 11 top-flight games without a win and with the scores level heading into injury time, until Antoine Semenyo’s late winner for the home side.

While losing games late on is bound to attract criticism, Spurs’ labouring attack appears to be causing the most angst to the north London club’s fanbase.

Frank’s approach can be seen as unnecessarily risk averse and while Tottenham’s manager may point to the ongoing absence of key threats like James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, the data supports the suspicion that Spurs simply aren’t clicking in attack.

Tottenham have played by far the fewest through balls of any Premier League side this season, while they rank in the competition’s bottom five sides for shots, expected goals and touches in the opposition box.

The club may yet replenish their squad in the January transfer window but one win in the past six matches in all competitions represents a bleak winter for Spurs so far.

'At times like this it should be other people coming out to speak' - Romero

Tottenham v Aston Villa (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero appeared to take aim at the club's hierarchy after Wednesday's defeat at Bournemouth, accusing them of telling "lies" in a since edited Instagram post.

Spurs have won just one of their past six Premier League games and sit 14th in the table.

Romero stated on Instagram "other people" should be coming out to speak and adding that they "only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies".

Romero, 27, has since deleted that post and uploaded a new - almost identical statement - omitting the part about telling lies but still appearing to criticise senior figures at the club.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero posted.

"We are responsible, there's no doubt about that. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football."

What did Frank say about Cupgate?

Tottenham v Aston Villa (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

"I definitely did not notice it," Frank told the media afterwards.

"It would be completely stupid of me to take it if I knew.

"It's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked about it. I would never do something that stupid.

"I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with a logo of another club."

Frank and the Arsenal cup

Tottenham v Aston Villa (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

The heat is gathering on Thomas Frank, even down to his choice of cup...

Frank drinking a cup of coffee/tea/warm milk - whatever it may have been - gathered all sorts of media attention yesterday evening.

Before kick‑off against Bournemouth, the Spurs boss was photographed strolling around the Vitality Stadium with a coffee cup emblazoned with Arsenal branding - a strange choice if you are the manager of a club that shares a fierce rivalry with the Gunners and current league leaders.

With the Dane already struggling to win over unhappy Spurs supporters since replacing Europa League-winning Ange Postecoglou in the summer, it was an incident that invited ridicule and left him under more scrutiny.

BBC Sport understands Frank was handed his customary coffee on his arrival at the stadium by a staff member in the cup which was brought by Arsenal, who played at Bournemouth only four days earlier.

Neither Frank nor a staff member spotted the Arsenal crest on the cup until it was too late.

Frank's woeful Tottenham record is a cause for concern

Tottenham vs Aston Villa (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Keifer MacDonald

BBC Sport

When it rains, it pours. No, I'm not talking about Storm Goretti, rather Thomas Frank's mounting issues at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dane has endured a torrid time since swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for north London in July.

Frank has mustered only 11 wins from his 30 matches since succeeding Ange Postecoglou - with just seven of those coming in the Premier League.

Spurs are 14th in the table - with a record of seven wins, six draws and eight defeats, and sit just six points ahead of Nottingham Forest in 17th, where they finished last season.

More recently, the former Brentford and Brondby manager has won just three of his last 13 matches across all competitions, with six of those ending in defeat for his side.

It therefore came as no surprise to see sections of Tottenham's travelling support voicing their discontent at Frank and his players after Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.

Tottenham face Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday night - which could offer Spurs a welcome escape from their Premier League struggles.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero appeared to take aim at the club's hierarchy, accusing them of telling "lies" in a since edited Instagram post.

Spurs have won just one of their past six Premier League games and sit 14th after losing 3-2 at Bournemouth on Thursday.

Following the defeat, Romero stated on Instagram "other people" should be coming out to speak and adding that they "only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies".

Romero, 27, has since deleted that post and uploaded a new - almost identical statement - omitting the part about telling lies but still appearing to criticise senior figures at the club.

"Apologies to all fans of you who follow us everywhere, who are always there and will continue to be," Romero posted., external

"We are responsible, there's no doubt about that. But we will keep facing up to it and trying to turn the situation around, for ourselves and for the club.

"At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't - as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well.

"We'll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around. Especially at times like this, keeping quiet, working harder and moving forward all together, is part of football."

Former Scotland captain Rachel Corsie told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast that Tottenham are not fulfilling their potential under boss Thomas Frank after late defeat at Bournemouth:

"I don't think, at either end, they're showing the levels that we know some of those players are capable of.

"Someone like Cristian Romero - we've seen many times the passion he shows, he's a charismatic character but [Antoine] Semenyo gets the ball on the edge of the box and what's he likely to do? He's going to shoot because he's a forward and he's very much on form. There's not enough intensity to identify the danger.

"Those are simple things that, when you've seen Thomas Frank's teams play elsewhere, you know he demands a certain standard of how they press the ball. You see little things like that and it's hard to understand where those little habits come from.

"It's not singling Romero out, it's just an individual example of what I saw [in the Bournemouth game]. But all these little habits, for some reason, seem to be consistent things that linger around Spurs."

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given agreed, recognising the pressure Frank will be experiencing:

"I think he's a really good manager and coach. I said last season that when the big jobs came up, he was never linked with them. Now he's in that position, he's in a big job and at a big club.

"He can't go home, put his head on the pillow and have a good eight hours' sleep. He'll be tossing and turning all night for the next training session and the next game."

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You would have thought things could not have got much worse for Thomas Frank after watching his Tottenham side fall to an agonising 3-2 defeat by Bournemouth.

It was another damaging result in a season that has brought plenty of frustration for the Spurs faithful, with their club now 14th in the Premier League after only two wins in 12 matches.

But then came the image that added to the pressure on Frank.

Before kick‑off on Wednesday night, he was photographed strolling around the Vitality Stadium with a coffee cup emblazoned with Arsenal branding - a strange choice if you are the manager of a club that shares a fierce rivalry with the Gunners and current league leaders.

With the Dane already struggling to win over unhappy Spurs supporters since replacing Europa League-winning Ange Postecoglou in the summer, it was an incident that invited ridicule and left him under more scrutiny.

"I definitely did not notice it," said Frank afterwards. "It would be completely stupid of me to take it if I knew.

"It's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked about it. I would never do something that stupid.

"I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with a logo of another club."

BBC Sport understands Frank was handed his customary coffee on his arrival at the stadium by a staff member in the cup which was brought by Arsenal, who played at Bournemouth only four days earlier.

Neither Frank nor a staff member spotted the Arsenal crest on the cup until it was too late.

But the unfortunate turn of events at Bournemouth was too easy for fans and critics to latch on to after Spurs failed to build on another positive start - just like they did against Sunderland at the weekend where they were held to a 1-1 draw.

Mathys Tel scored inside five minutes to give Frank's side a dream start, but Bournemouth hit back to lead through Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi.

Joao Palhinha made it 2-2 with 12 minutes left, however, it was the Cherries who collected the three points as the departing Antoine Semenyo struck a dramatic winner five minutes into added time.

Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League after 21 games - the exact same position at this stage last season, before Postecoglou seemed to prioritise the Europa League instead.

They were eight points above 17th - the position they ultimately finished - but are only six above Nottingham Forest in that place now.

Only four teams have had fewer shots this season than Spurs, although they have been clinical, with their 30 goals better than eight other teams.

They also rank 16th for touches in the opposition box, but top another unwanted stat - errors leading to shots (25).

And their latest defeat will further hurt Frank, whose future has come into question.

"That is very, very difficult, really painful," he told Sky Sports.

"I think the players put in everything. To concede a goal five minutes into added time is just so painful. It's very, very hard to take."

"Frank looks shattered," former Newcastle and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Bags under his eyes, he looks stressed - that is what management does to these guys.

"He can't go home and put his head on the pillow and get a good eight hours of sleep, he will be tossing and turning all night, thinking of the next training session, the next game."

Tottenham fans have made their frustrations clear on multiple occasions this season.

They chanted "boring, boring Tottenham" during the goalless draw against Frank's former side Brentford last week, while the players were also booed off after the Sunderland draw.

And after the final whistle at Bournemouth, Palhinha and defender Micky van de Ven exchanged words with the travelling Tottenham faithful, following further jeers and comments aimed at the team.

Full-back Pedro Porro also had to be talked into stopping an argument with the supporters by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

"I think the travelling fans were amazing and they supported us throughout the game," said Frank.

"The players are frustrated, I'm frustrated.

"We are all hurt, the fans are hurt. That's absolutely natural. That's why football is emotional. It's just very painful for everyone involved with Tottenham."

Midfielder Palhinha, who is on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich and scored a stunning overhead kick against the Cherries, added: "The fans are showing their frustration and we understand that.

"We are trying to get victories we should deserve in my opinion. It's tough to speak a lot about momentum because when you lose it just sounds like words.

"I just want to say keep supporting because the victories will come. It's frustration as I said. I felt we were the best team on the pitch."

Richarlison hit the woodwork and Van de Ven was denied by a brilliant Djordje Petrovic stop, but the fact is Spurs are generally having fewer shots than ever under Frank.

Their 16 chances against the Cherries took their season average for shots per Premier League game up to 10.2 - but that is still their lowest average than in any season on record from 1997-98.

Despite finishing just outside the relegation zone in the previous campaign, their average was 13.

"We were the only team on the pitch that wanted to win the game," said Palhinha.

"Football is like that. Tomorrow is another day. We need to keep pushing. We have been working hard to get wins.

"Today and tomorrow probably the hangover is going to be really tough, but in football we cannot think too much about what happened."

"To lose in the last minute like they did, they will feel hard done by," former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport.

"There are games Tottenham have lost this season where they've played poorly and deserved to lose. Today was much better, but I don't know what solace that is for the Tottenham supporters at the moment."

It will not get easier for Frank or Spurs, with an FA Cup third-round tie against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday before a home derby against relegation-threatened West Ham in the league on 17 January.

Tottenham supporters chanted "boring, boring Tottenham" during their side's goalless draw against Brentford last week.

At the weekend, they applauded the Spurs players at half-time against Sunderland before booing them off after dropping more points.

It perfectly summed up Thomas Frank's tenure at Spurs, that has been characterised by a lack of consistency, with Spurs showing flashes of brilliance but only to be overshadowed by their overall struggles - particularly in the final third.

It was more of the same from Tottenham at Bournemouth on Wednesday as they fell to a 3-2 defeat - despite taking the lead through Mathys Tel early and levelling the score at 2-2 through Joao Palhinha with only 12 minutes left.

After the final whistle, Palhinha and defender Micky van de Ven were seen talking to the frustrated travelling fans while Pedro Porro was guided away by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after having an argument with a section of the crowd.

Frank would have hoped to escape the south coast with a point when Palhinha scored, having also seen Richarlison hit the woodwork and Van de Ven have a header saved by Djordje Petrovic.

But in the end, they were once again made to pay for their lack of cutting edge - registering just four shots on target in 16 attempts.

Spurs look like a squad in desperate need of investment but with the manager usually the first to be sacrificed, Frank will surely feel the heat.

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