Thomas Frank sees a lengthy Tottenham Hotspur injury list get even longer over the international break.
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be spending the international break working out how to get the better of in-form Arsenal in his first North London derby ahead of the return of Premier League football.
Spurs make the very short trip across the capital to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday night and look to make the most of any potential confidence loss following the hosts’ draw against Sunderland last time out.
Frank isn’t helped by a long list of injury concerns, which has worsened over the international break amid updates on midfielder Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr.
Tottenham Hotspur injury update
Lucas Bergvall
Thomas Frank will have hoped that Lucas Bergvall’s recovery from a concussion sustained against Chelsea would be as simple as following the stipulated protocols. However, the midfielder has had a setback on international duty.
The 19-year-old had to serve an obligatory 12 days away from action but was still called up as part of the Sweden squad over the international break. Sweden manager Graham Potter had hoped that the player would be able to train with his international teammates last Thursday despite being unable to head the ball, as per The Standard. However, he has now left the camp due to ongoing concerns over the concussion.
In a statement, the Swedish national team said: "Lucas Bergvall will not be available to play in the men's national team's next two matches due to the consequences of the concussion he suffered in connection with Tottenham's league match against Chelsea on November 1."
Swedish FA executive Stefan Pettersson told Sport Bladet: "We had agreed with Tottenham's doctor to do some tests during the week and then run at full speed so that Lucas would feel it properly. When there was a reaction, there was no hesitation. We don't want to take any risks."
Expected return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.
Pape Matar Sarr
The other fresh worry for Tottenham Hotspur comes in a problem for midfielder Pape Matar Sarr. The 23-year-old was forced off when in action for Senegal on Saturday.
That’s a concern for Frank with Sarr having started the last two Premier League games against Chelsea and Manchester United. Sarr came off in the first half against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking after the match, Senegal manager Pape Thiaw said: “He got hit and then he didn’t feel well, so as a precaution he preferred to come off, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Expected return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.
Randal Kolo Muani
Spurs striker Randal Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time against Manchester United after a toothless first 45 minutes. Given his performance, it had been thought that decision was tactical.
However, after the game, Frank did confirm an injury. The Tottenham Hotspur boss said it was ‘nothing big’ but Muani then withdrew from France international duty due to the jaw problem.
The French Football Federation said: “Randal Kolo Muani will miss the international break which begins this Monday. The Tottenham Hotspur striker suffered a lower jaw injury on Saturday against Manchester United.
“After consulting with Dr Franck Le Gall, who had previously spoken with his Tottenham counterpart, Didier Deschamps confirmed Randal Kolo Muani's withdrawal."
Expected return date - Unknown.
Thomas Frank hopes for Kudus boost against Arsenal
Mohammed Kudus
Thomas Frank is ‘very confident’ that Mohammed Kudus can return from his injury against Arsenal on Sunday, having missed out against Manchester United and Copenhagen prior to the international break due to a knock.
Expected return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.
Radu Dragusin
Radu Dragusin is yet to play for Tottenham Hotspur this season after picking up an ACL injury in January. The 23-year-old has now returned to full team training, which suggests that he could be available for selection in the very near future.
Frank said: “He's fully integrated into training now. Because an ACL is such a... it's not tricky but it's such a big injury, because you're out for nine months so you need to build strength in the knee and so on.
"Then because we don't train that much, the big area stuff is not that much so we need to give him some of the bigger area stuff. But he is definitely getting closer to being involved."
Expected return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.
Ben Davies
Thomas Frank is yet to hand Ben Davies minutes this season with the veteran having to settle for a role on the bench - although he hasn’t made a Premier League squad since the 2-1 win over Leeds United on October 4.
That’s partly due to a hamstring problem picked up when on international duty with Wales against Belgium on October 13. However, Davies has been deemed fit again to play for his nation over the coming international break. His return to the Spurs squad seems more based on selection rather than fitness.
Expected return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.
Dominic Solanke
Dominic Solanke picked up an ankle injury in pre-season and hasn’t been able to shake that off this term. He last featured for Tottenham Hotspur on August 23.
Frank is determined not to rush the player back but has hinted to a return before the end of 2025. Prior to taking on Manchester United, he said: "I do hope [to see him this year]. I would say let’s see what happens after the international break. We are still going steps forward. It’s on track so far.
"The international break will be the big deciding factor because we have two weeks there to push in the next steps. As I say, it's going forward. Just to take it instead of the questions every single time because it was clearly that he was not ready before the international break."
Expected return date - December.
Kota Takai
Tottenham Hotspur paid £5 million to sign Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale this summer. The 21-year-old is yet to feature this season due to a quad problem but is due back in training ‘soon’.
Expected return date - December.
Archie Gray
Archie Gray has been absent from the matchday squad for the past four fixtures in all competitions. The versatile midfielder and defender picked up a calf injury in training ahead of facing Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.
Gray has struggled for minutes under Frank but the Spurs boss confirmed that he was set to be handed a start against the Magpies before that problem. It is expected that he will miss out on eight weeks of action in total.
Expected return date - Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday December 28.
Yves Bissouma
It’s been a torrid season so far for Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma. The 29-year-old has not featured since the UEFA Super Cup.
Initially, that was due to disciplinary reasons but the player then picked up an injury which was aggravated when playing for Mali over the last international break in October. Bissouma needed surgery on what Frank confirmed was a ligament injury, which leaves his return date up in the air.
Expected return date - Unknown.
Dejan Kulusevski
Another Tottenham Hotspur star yet to feature this season, Dejan Kulusevski’s last minutes came in the Europa League semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt at the start of May. The 25-year-old underwent surgery on his patella this summer.
The Sweden international is yet to return to outdoor training. There’s hope he could be in action before the New Year but a return still feels a little way off.
Expected return date - December.
James Maddison
James Maddison suffered an ACL injury in pre-season. The midfielder is determined to play again before the end of the season but his recovery will have to be without setbacks to achieve that.
Maddison said: “I've already looked [at the average time out]. If it's eight months, six months isn't a question. The stage I'm at now, this needs to be right now.
“I'm 28, I'm going to be 29 when I return, I'm in my prime, really. These are my peak years ahead of me. I need to come back and I need to stay fit. So actually I'm not going to be pushing to say 'oh why are you taking so long', sort of thing. But if it gets to eight months and we're flying or whatever, if I'm in the right frame, that will allow me to play this season won't it, towards the end.”
Expected return date - December.
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