Thomas Frank has been handed yet another Tottenham Hotspur injury to deal with ahead of facing Arsenal.
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Tottenham Hotspur winger Wilson Odobert lasted just 35 minutes in the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night with Thomas Frank handed yet another injury concern.
Spurs slipped to just five points above the relegation zone with their latest home defeat, coming to a Magpies side who have been woeful on the road this season. Frank continues to struggle on without 11 first team players and looks to now have a fresh concern.
Odobert, who arrived at Spurs from Burnley for £25 million in August 2024, had only been a bit-part player this term but has been handed minutes in all but two Premier League fixtures so far this season. He’s one of the few first team players who had been yet to miss a match through injury this term.
Wilson Odobert picks up injury against Newcastle United
The player had gone shoulder to shoulder with Harvey Barnes and appeared to land awkwardly on his knee, requiring attention from the medical team on the pitch before hobbling off with a problem that looks worrying for Spurs.
The winger will join fellow wide man Mohammed Kudus on the treatment table in North London. Frank is also without James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski also unable to provide creativity from midfield.
Spurs being without another option comes as a potential boost to upcoming opponents. Arsenal travel to their North London rivals on Sunday, February 22 with Fulham hosting Spurs at the start of March. It remains to be seen whether Frank will be able to call on the influence of Odobert for either of those fixtures.
Odobert has been on the receiving end of praise from Frank in recent weeks for improvements made on the pitch as he continues to look to cement a role in the starting XI. Following a 27 minute cameo from the bench against Crystal Palace at the end of December, the Spurs boss said: “I think take the positive away from the Crystal Palace substitution role, where he was so lively and they couldn’t catch him and should have scored at least a goal. And then last night, I think there was still some very positive glimpses.
“I think he is in the situation where he takes a little bit better decision when there’s, let’s say, three times the touch, because even if he’s taken it, that will just get him in a top position as soon as it’s turned and we’re three vs three, instead of it’s a bad touch and then we go the other way, for example.
“So just keep learning that. That’s just a normal part of football. Unfortunately, there’s a little bit of extra focus in the Premier League, but hey, that’s part of it.
“Wilson, I’ve said it many times, is a very promising player that I believe a lot in. He looked so lively against Crystal Palace, but also natural with a young player, [that] he was a little bit up and down yesterday. I’m convinced he’ll be very good for us.”
Wilson Odobert on ‘good relationship’ with Thomas Frank
Odobert himself has spoken positively about his relationship with Frank. The Spurs boss has tasked the winger with boosting his goal and assist output.
The player said: "We have a good relationship. He trusts me and I feel that trust. It's by having that close, trustable relationship that I'm able to feel freer out on the pitch and do things I'm capable of. We work a lot with the coach, we have a lot of videos, we all try to focus on our improvement and we work as much as we can to make things change.
"I think I have to keep improving, both as a player and as a person. It's true that in football we talk a lot about statistics at the moment, so I'm trying to improve those stats but, more than anything, to help the team and be someone who contributes to this team as much as possible.”
In other news, Next Tottenham manager odds: Spurs legend favourite alongside ex-Barcelona, Leeds United and Man United men.