Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been dealt another injury worry ahead of his side's looming North London derby clash with Arsenal this weekend.
Spurs travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face their table-topping rivals in what promises to be a pivotal encounter, but Frank faces a mounting injury crisis that threatens to derail his side's chances.
While it is still early doors, The Lilywhites appear to be pushing for a top-four place, and are currently sitting fifth with five wins, three draws, and three losses from 11 Premier League matches. Their form has been inconsistent, especially in a creative sense, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six fixtures, with Frank still yet to get the best out of his squad on a consistent enough basis.
The injury situation ahead of the derby is particularly concerning. Frank confirmed that Cristian Romero should be available after being substituted late on against Man United due to fatigue, with the Dane stating he was "just done physically" after recently returning from injury.
Even more positively, Frank expressed real belief that Mohammed Kudus will be available, saying he is "very confident" despite missing recent matches against FC Copenhagen and Man United with a minor knock. Kudus even elected to stay in London and not represent Ghana in friendlies against Japan and South Korea to focus on his recovery.
However, they still face significant absences elsewhere.
James Maddison's ACL injury may rule him out until summer 2026, while Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma continue rehabilitation from knee and ankle problems respectively. Radu Dragusin took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly over the international break as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, so it's very unlikely he'll be fit enough to take part, and there are numerous other concerns.
Injury-plagued striker Dominic Solanke is also 'unlikely' to feature this weekend, according to reports, as he carries on battling an ankle problem after minor surgery.
Excluding their Carabao Cup win at the Emirates in 2018, Tottenham have won away to Arsenal just twice since the Premier League's inception, with their last one in the top flight coming 14 years ago.
Tottenham's torrid record against Arsenal on enemy turf makes for pretty grim reading as a Spurs supporter, so Frank will be hoping to have as many key players fit for the derby as possible.
Tottenham dealt another injury worry as Pape Sarr picks up 'knock'
On international duty, midfielder Pape Sarr dealt Frank another worry after he was taken off in Senegal's 2-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates.
Initially, Senegal boss Pape Thiaw predicted that it wasn't a 'big deal', but he's since provided another update.
Thiaw has confirmed that Sarr did not travel with the squad to Turkey for their friendly against Kenya, instead remaining in the English capital. The manager explains that Sarr has in fact picked up a 'knock', which prompted them to leave him in London to undergo treatment at N17.
"We left him in London. He took a knock," Thiaw explained.
"So, we felt it would be difficult for him to recover in just two days. Since we were in his home city, we preferred to leave him at the disposal of his club so he could receive treatment there."
The midfielder's potential absence this weekend would represent another significant blow for Frank, who already faces being without numerous key players for the derby. Sarr has already played 16 matches for Tottenham this season, bagging two goals and two assists in the top flight whilst establishing himself as a regular in Frank's setup.
The timing of the injury is far from ideal for Spurs, and it remains unclear whether the 23-year-old will be fit in time for their clash against the Gunners.
Tottenham's medical team will now assess the extent of the knock, with Frank hoping for positive news as he prepares his depleted squad for one of the season's most important fixtures.