Hey. You remember that time you felt hope? Tottenham Hotspur are here to put that right!
It’s flown largely under the radar, but Spurs actually have a rather large injury list; one that has continued to grow in recent weeks. The likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Radu Dragusin all went into the season in recovery from severe injuries, while Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Destiny Udogie, and Cristian Romero soon found themselves on the treatment table over the last couple of months.
Well, it’s time to add one more to that list: Archie Gray.
Rumors started to leak out yesterday via various social media channels that perhaps Gray had picked up some sort of knock, and Matt Verri confirmed that earlier today in the London Evening Standard. Though details are still patchy, it seems Gray picked up a calf strain in training and could be out anywhere from 1-2 months.
Welp.
It’s poor timing for both club and player. As far as the club are concerned, fixtures have started to pile up, with there now being a regular rotation of two matches per week. Even without the fixture congestion, Spurs are extremely short now at the back, with a sizable proportion of their injuries affecting the defense and the likes of Pedro Porro having already played significant minutes this season. There will also be fears as to the durability of Micky van de Ven, with his hamstrings not having the best track record of staying intact when he is overworked.
As for Gray, he had shown some real signs of form in his limited appearances of late, and was starting to present himself as a real option in midfield to play alongside the likes of Joao Palhinha. His versatility was an added bonus, with his ability to deputize in defense key while the aforementioned players continue treatment. Note the ‘was’ in that sentence.
I’m sure more details will emerge with regards to the extent of the injury, but even a smaller knock is a cruel blow during a vital period in Spurs’ season and Gray’s development. Hopefully he can be back up and running sooner rather than later, and Spurs’ injury list starts to shorten.