Tottenham Hotspur officials are concerned that a "real force" in their squad could be missing until next year, alongside winger Wilson Odobert, who recently underwent surgery on his right hamstring.
Odobert tipped for lengthy absence after Spurs surgery
Spurs officially announced that Odobert had a successful procedure on his hamstring last weekend, with the £25 million winger signed from Burnley now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he begins his recovery.
Odobert has endured a pretty unlucky start to his Lilywhites career since making the move from Turf Moor, missing their last seven Premier League games with a combination of hamstring and thigh problems, and he's managed just 272 minutes across all competitions as a result.
The Frenchman is now set to miss even more game time following his surgery, with ex-Spurs scout Bryan King predicting that he could be out until late February at the earliest.
“I can’t see him returning before the end of February,” said King to Tottenham News earlier this week.
“That is quite a serious operation that he has had. For someone to have it at this age, it is very hard on him, he was progressing quite well. Now he has had to undergo surgery which will leave him out for quite some time.”
Odobert's absence, and manager Ange Postecoglou's resulting selection headache, is compounded by mainstay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-game domestic ban, which will result in the Uruguay international missing an array of crucial Premier League games and their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Man United.
Bentancur isn't eligible for a single domestic match until Boxing Day, but he is at least permitted to play European matches during his English ban.
On top of this, Postecoglou is also set to be without striker Richarlison, who has been sidelined with his own hamstring problem. The Brazil international's struggles with injury have resulted in him missing 10 games across all competitions already this term, which is a crying shame for Richarlison after his decision to reject a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer and fight for his place at Spurs (ESPN).
Tottenham worried Richarlison will be out injured until next year
According to GiveMeSport, it gets worse for the £60 million forward. Those within Tottenham are worried that Richarlison will be out injured until next year, and that could significantly affect his market value, as chairman Daniel Levy ponders whether to cut his losses on the ex-Everton star.
Spurs are apparently hoping he makes a swift recovery and returns to form, so Richarlison can tempt interested parties into bidding. The 27-year-old enjoyed a terrific purple patch under Postecoglou midway through 2023/2024, and that kind of run would work wonders to secure him a move away in 2025.
"I’ve never thought in those terms because if you do, you box yourself in," said Postecoglou on Richarlison last season.
“What I want is for Richy to keep improving, and keep developing his football and becoming a real force for us, and we’ll see where that takes us."