Spurs have lost a manager and another member of the first team squad over the past 24 hours with the North London derby looming large.
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Tottenham Hotspur are set to host Arsenal in something of a crisis later this month with more bad injury news coming on the same day that the sacking of Thomas Frank is confirmed.
Spurs parted ways with their manager following a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday night and are now on the lookout for a replacement, whether that be an interim boss or a permanent appointment.
It remains to be seen whether the club finalises a deal for a new manager before the club’s next match. That is the North London derby on February 22.
Tottenham Hotspur handed another blow after Newcastle United defeat
Speaking after the loss to the Magpies, Frank once again pointed to the injury crisis at the club as reason for his side’s struggle for form. When asked if he would keep his job for the clash with the Gunners, he said: "1,000 per cent sure. I am also 1,000 per cent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing, but I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.
“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together. That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We only get through this together."
Spurs are lacking creative options with Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski all on the long injury list. Frank had turned to Wilson Odobert on the flank against Newcastle United but the player lasted just 35 minutes.
The player had gone shoulder to shoulder with Harvey Barnes and appeared to land awkwardly on his knee, requiring attention from the medical team on the pitch before hobbling off with a problem that looks worrying for Spurs.
Speaking after the game, when asked for an update, Frank had said: "No, not yet. I hope it's nothing too serious, but I don't know what it can be. I hope it's not a serious injury to a 20-year-old young player."
Wilson Odobert injury update
Now, reports from Le Parisien claim that Odobert has suffered a dreaded ACL tear in his left knee. It remains to be known whether the winger requires surgery but an ACL injury would likely be season ending for the former Burnley man.
Odobert had not been one of the first names on the team sheet under Frank but looked to have an important role to play over the run-in due to the injuries. The 20-year-old had been fit and available for every Premier League game so far this season, featuring in all but two.
The winger has registered just two assists this season but his performances as an impact substitute had earned praise. Following the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in October, in which Odobert grabbed one of those assists, former Premier League winger Theo Walcott said: “Odobert was absolutely outstanding when he came on. A player that has to be able to take risks and play with that freedom with energy, and that is what you have to do as a substitute.
“What I like about him, he likes to put the ball in when you have space. He likes to change his game and not be predictable when you give players who are ball carriers this amount of space.”
In other news, Pedro Porro shares blunt 13-word message after Thomas Frank sacked by Tottenham.