Dominic Solanke has been sidelined with an ankle injury since August and the Tottenham striker has opened up about his frustration at being out of action for so long
Dominic Solanke has confessed that his spell on the sidelines has been "difficult", but he remains optimistic about Tottenham's potential to achieve "big things" upon his return.
After a record-breaking £65million transfer from Bournemouth in August 2024, Solanke's start to the 2025/26 season under new manager Thomas Frank has been marred by frustration. An ankle injury has limited the 28-year-old's appearances for Spurs this season to just three, with his last match being the 2-0 victory over Man City on August 23.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea player's pre-season was disrupted by the reoccurring ankle problem, leading to him undergoing "minor surgery" at the end of September to address the issue. As he nears his comeback, Solanke has opened up about the challenges of the past three months, reports Football London.
"It's been very difficult," Solanke admitted to The Athletic. "At first, I didn't think I would be out for too long but we didn't really understand the extent of the injury.
"I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn't happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back.
"I'm not putting a timeline on it because I've been telling everyone 'I'm going to be back soon' for the last few months. I'm taking it day by day but hopefully I won't be much longer."
Solanke is not expected to return for Sunday's North London Derby against Tottenham, nor the midweek Champions League clash with PSG. He has been back in the gym building up his strength in recent weeks and has also seen external specialists about the injury.
The striker is looking forward to working with Frank, who joined from Brentford in the summer and has already made a number of changes to how the club operates. "I haven't had the chance to work with (Frank) too much but he is a great man manager," Solanke said.
"All the players are loving having him around. He speaks with us all and has meetings every day. Even with the coaching staff he has brought in, everyone gets on so well. It's a great environment.
"We have had a good start to the season. When a few of us come back (from injury) and strengthen the squad, hopefully we can do some big things."
Elsewhere on the injury front, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray and Ben Davies remain sidelined.
There's also fitness concerns over Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr going into the North London Derby.