Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a boost over a possible replacement for the injured James Maddison.
Spurs confirmed this week that the midfielder is set to undergo surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) . He suffered the injury during the pre-season clash with Newcastle United.
Recovery is set to see Maddison miss the majority of the upcoming campaign in what is a big blow to the player and to Spurs and new head coach Thomas Frank.
There has already been talk over Spurs going into the transfer market for a possible replacement , with the club having just a few weeks left to complete their transfer business.
But there could be a replacement right under their nose. While he has played out wide more often, Manor Solomon can also play in a more central position behind the striker.
The plan was for the 26-year-old to be involved in pre-season with Spurs with the aim of impressing Frank and breaking into the first team. Solomon spent last season on loan with Championship side Leeds United, helping them to lift the second tier title.
Mainly playing on the left, he scored 10 times and provided 12 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for Daniel Farke’s side.
He returned to Tottenham this summer, but his pre-season has been impacted by injury . Solomon himself has now given an update, hinting that a return may not be too far away.
On his Instagram story, the winger has posted a picture of him doing work in the gym. He captioned it with Jewish phrase: “Shabbat Shalom” and included a white heart and football emoji.
If Solomon is able to regain fitness in time for the start of the season, then it could be a big boost to Tottenham. His availability could put less pressure on trying to find a replacement for Maddison with him able to step into the role and possibly saving the club millions on transfer fees.
Despite reported intertest from Leeds in making the move permanent, the fact that no deal has been done and Spurs have decided to wait could turn out to now be a brilliant decision by the club.
Spurs are back in action on Wednesday night when they take on Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. They they return to Premier League action on Saturday when they host newly-promoted Burnley.