Spurs’ latest injury updates ahead of Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox
Sign up
Thank you for signing up!
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Submitting...
Tottenham Hotspur are faced with as many injury issues as any club in the Premier League at present and will hope to have members of Thomas Frank’s first-team squad back at full fitness ahead of a trip to an in-form Manchester United side on Saturday lunchtime.
Spurs had a quiet transfer deadline day, save for the signing of 18-year-old forward James Wilson from Hearts ahead of rivals Arsenal. While getting one over on their rivals will come as a boost, the one-cap Scotland international is initially set to play for Spurs’ Under-21 side and so is unlikely to aid their current injury crisis at all.
Frank’s side earnt an unlikely 2-2 draw after being two goals down at home to Manchester City on Sunday, as Dominic Solanke struck twice - including a goal of the season contender for his second. The 28-year-old limped off with a knock towards the end, however, and Spurs will hope that he is passed fit for the weekend.
Will Dominic Solanke be fit to face Man United?
Striker Dominic Solanke will aim to be back to face United after both player and manager confirmed at full-time that the injury issue he picked up late on against City was only minor and that his withdrawal was due to long-standing fitness concerns after spending almost five months on the side-lines.
Solanke insisted “I’ll be fine” after “just rolling my ankle”, while Frank told reporters: “Clearly he was struggling to run. We knew before the game again it would be a big push to play 90 [minutes]. He's not there, fitness-wise, where he should be, because he's been out for so long. And we've been, in a way, a little bit forced to play him.”
Spurs’ record signing has scored four goals in four games since his long-awaited return and will hope to be passed fit to start against United on Saturday, despite remaining a doubt for the match at present alongside both of their first-choice centre-backs.
Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero face late fitness tests for Spurs
Spurs were without Micky van de Ven over the weekend, with the Dutchman sitting out both matches in an important week domestically and in Europe with a “minor” injury. Frank is said to be ‘confident’ the 24-year-old will return to face United, as per the Standard.
“Micky is a minor [injury], I fully expect him to be back to face Manchester United,” Frank said. “He just couldn’t make it for this one [against Man City].”
Centre-back partner and captain Cristian Romero will also face a battle to be ready for this weekend, after he was withdrawn at half-time against City with an illness. Frank also hopes the Argentine will be ready to face Michael Carrick’s resurgent Red Devils.
Telling reporters Romero is “okay”, Frank added: "He struggled through the Frankfurt game as well [with an illness]. [He] pushed through that with a fantastic captain's performance, and struggled a little bit, but we hope it's nothing. We are assessing him. Hopefully he's fine."
Frank will also hope to have Djed Spence back for the weekend after the England full-back sat out against City with a “minor calf injury” according to his head coach.
Spurs plagued by extended list of injury absentees
While Frank will be sweating on the fitness of key quartet Solanke, Van de Ven, Romero and Spence to face United, Spurs have also had to contend with several long-term absentees which have left the Dane’s squad very thin at present – with as many as 13 players possibly out of action.
Centre-back Kevin Danso suffered a toe injury against Eintracht Frankfurt and his manager confirmed the Austrian was “unlucky” as a “ligament snapped” while hyperextending. A return date for Danso is currently not known.
Richarlison was ruled out for seven weeks with a hamstring injury and will hope to be back in time for the North London Derby on February 22, while right-back Pedro Porro has been out for two matches with his own hamstring issue and will also hope to be back to face Arsenal.
Spurs then have three players set to be out until at least April. Lucas Bergvall has a reported sprained ankle, while Rodrigo Bentancur has a longer-term hamstring problem and Mohammed Kudus has a thigh injury. The trio will all hope to be back in time for the run-in towards the end of the season.
Veteran defender Ben Davies broke his ankle in the defeat to West Ham two weeks ago and will also be out for an extended period, potentially the season, while Dejan Kulusevski is still not thought to be close to returning to fitness and James Maddison is set to be out for the season with an ACL injury. Neither of the latter two players have featured under Frank all campaign.