Who could step up for Tottenham Hotspur with Mohammed Kudus out injured until April? Will Thomas Frank's side have to dip into transfer market?

Mohammed Kudus is set to be out until April with a quad injury, Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank said on Thursday. Following the sale of Brennan Johnson - Kudus' natural deputy - to Crystal Palace, Frank finds himself scrambling for options to combat the absence of the Ghana international. Might the north London club dip into the January transfer market, or find in-house solutions?

If Wednesday's last-gasp 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth was not bleak enough for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, Thomas Frank's injury updates in Thursday's press conference did not make matters any easier.

In a huge blow to Spurs' hopes of salvaging their season, came the news that summer signing Mohammed Kudus is not expected to be back in action until April, after he sustained a quad injury in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on January 4.

"Kudus is unfortunately a bigger one to the tendon in the quad," Frank said ahead of Saturday's FA Cup third-round match against Aston Villa - live on TNT Sports and discovery+. "So that's one where we expect him back after the March international break."

Spurs' 17th-placed Premier League finish under Ange Postecoglou last season could, in part, be attributed to their relentless injury woes. And judging by the 2025/26 season so far, Frank's fortunes are much the same - as he also offered updates on the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur.

He continued: "And then the latest on Dejan Kulusevski is that we know it's a complicated injury, if there's one person that can accelerate that, it is Dejan, he's a top pro and got a top mentality.

"The most important thing is to remove the pain in the knee. Got an injection to help that 10 days ago, we know in three to four weeks if it's settled, and when it's settled hopefully he'll be on the grass and from there we'll see what's happening."

"Yeah, Lucas is being assessed today, we know more later today with him. Same with Rodri.

"Rodri's hamstring injury looks like a bigger one, unfortunately. We don't know the timeframe of that, we also will know later."

Long-term injuries to Dominic Solanke and James Maddison have also hampered Spurs' season, while Frank has been without Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr in recent weeks due to their Africa Cup of Nations participation.

Kudus had featured in all but one Premier League match prior to him being absent at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday, so who might step up in the next three months?

Randal Kolo Muani

Particularly in the opening weeks of the Premier League season, Kudus was the main creative drive for Frank's side.

While he had not managed to chalk up a goal contribution since December 9 - the Ghana international holding width and willingly running in behind for Spurs down the right gave him a unique attribute among Spurs' forward options, and one they will struggle to replicate in his absence.

Will record-breaking Thiago make Brazil World Cup squad?

Frank explains Arsenal cup blunder

Randal Kolo Muani replaced Kudus on the right when coming on in his place against Sunderland. With previous experience playing across the front line, he represents an option for Frank, albeit his failure to impact the 1-1 draw may cast some doubts.

Brennan Johnson would originally have been the natural replacement for Kudus when he hobbled off after 19 minutes. Alas, just two days earlier, Crystal Palace had completed a club-record deal to sign the Wales international.

Xavi Simons

Mathys Tel, who has largely been reduced to substitute appearances since signing from Bayern Munich last season, provided a timely reminder of his promise with an excellent opener against Bournemouth - cutting in from the left to fire a low effort past Djordje Petrovic.

And it raises a strong case for the France Under-21 international to get a regular run of games in that position - potentially freeing up Xavi Simons to figure on the right.

Simons returned from a three-match suspension in the Bournemouth defeat, and provided a lovely assist for Tel's opener with a back-heel flick.

He has figured across Spurs' attack this season - mostly from the left or behind the striker - but showed great proficiency from the right during his prior spells with PSV and RB Leipzig.

The Netherlands international has shown flashes of great quality during his time in north London, but struggled to consistently sustain those performances. Might this new role offer a chance to really kickstart his Spurs career?

Wilson Odobert

Wilson Odobert is another who is clearly most comfortable on the left, but certainly has the capabilities to fill the void left by Kudus.

Odobert's injury-ravaged 2024/25 campaign featured one clear highlight - his brace in the 3-1 victory against AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League round-of-16.

The 21-year-old played off the right during that match, perhaps as a more traditional winger than Kudus, but his ability on that side was there for all to see.

Odobert playing on the right was also fruitful when he netted in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United in May, and despite most regularly featuring on the left under Frank, his experience cannot be ignored as the Dane must creatively search for an able Kudus deputy.

New signing?

Some reports, including by the Daily Mail, have suggested Spurs have accelerated their pursuit of an attacking January addition after learning the severity of Kudus' injury.

Due to not having an obvious like-for-like replacement for Kudus - who is expected to return shortly before the end of the season - might Spurs bring plans forward to acquire one of their targets this month?

Monaco's right-winger Maghnes Akliouche has been mentioned among Spurs' reported targets, and would provide immediate relief to their current conundrum, having impressed this season with three goals and five assists in 23 appearances.

Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz is also said to be admired by Spurs, but the north London club would have to fight off several other suitors in order to secure the Turkey international's signature from Juventus.

- - -

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+