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Spurs news: Ivan Toney 'keen' on Tottenham move as Thomas Frank tipped to begin 'talks'

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Toney 'keen' on Tottenham move as Frank tipped to begin 'talks' - London Evening Standard
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The England striker is currently playing in Saudi Arabia at Al-Ahli, and has made a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign, netting 11 goals in 15 games across all competitions.

Now, former Spurs midfielder Bentley thinks that the forward would be interested in a reunion with his old boss Thomas Frank in north London.

The north Londoners are struggling with injuries in forward areas, with Dominic Solanke’s ankle problem persisting, and Randal Kolo Muani having an injury-ridden start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“For him, to go [and] play at the stadium with Thomas Frank, that’s the perfect destination for him. If he wants to get into the England team, it’s not about money, it’s about playing to get into that World Cup squad.

“The perfect environment is Tottenham. Tottenham could do with him and England as well - if anything happens with [Harry] Kane, we’re struggling a little bit for centre forwards.”

Toney, 29, had been heavily linked with a move to another Premier League club last year before he made the switch to the Saudi Pro League.

“Scoring goals in the Premier League is not easy and the way he plays the game, scores goals... he’s got to go to Tottenham, hasn’t he? Under Thomas Frank, he had a great time with him at Brentford and I’m sure they’re talking.

“I’m sure that’ll be the No1 destination for him to go in at. Tottenham are struggling with centre forwards at the minute, Solanke is out injured and Richarlison is not at the level he needs to be. He could be Tottenham’s new signing on loan in January.”

Spurs news: What do we know about Dominic Solanke injury and when could Tottenhan striker return?

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Spurs news: What do we know about Dominic Solanke injury and when could Tottenhan striker return? - London Evening Standard
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Centre-forward has been missing for months

Sidelined: Dominic Solanke

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Matt Verri

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It is almost four months since Dominic Solanke led the line for Tottenham in their first pre-season match of the summer.

That game against Reading was the first opportunity Thomas Frank got to name a Spurs lineup and one of the very few chances he has had to include Solanke.

The 28-year-old has not started a single competitive match under Frank. His three appearances this season have all come off the bench and he featured for a grand total of 31 minutes in the Premier League.

The most recent of those appearances came in August against Manchester City and the wait for Solanke's first-team return goes on.

What do we know?

Solanke picked up an ankle issue in the summer that meant he missed the majority of pre-season and it is one he never really fully recovered from. He has hardly trained with the first team since July.

He was ruled out of facing his former club Bournemouth in August, but it was hoped that resting over the international break that followed would help resolve the injury.

Frank continued to insist it was "nothing big" in the weeks that followed, though Solanke missed another five matches.

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It was then announced ahead of the clash with Bodo/Glimt at the end of September that the forward would have "minor surgery" on his ankle.

Solanke has been recovering from that in the six weeks since.

Last appearance: Dominic Solanke

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What has Thomas Frank said?

Confirming that Solanke would undergo surgery, Frank said at the time: "I don't expect it to be long."

Updates in the subsequent weeks have followed a similar pattern of Solanke being on track but not yet being close to returning.

The first update after the surgery was that it had gone well, and that Solanke was “progressing and going forward”.

On October 24, Frank said Solanke was "taking steps in the right direction every day, was on the grass again today on his own".

Three days later, the Spurs boss said the striker had made "steps forward" again.

He said: "We're very aware of when we get Dom back, we hope - touch wood - we have him back and no setbacks, so we are very aware of doing it the right way."

Always the optimist: Thomas Frank

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Frank added: "Most likely when he’s back, he will come off the bench and then we will take it from there."

Solanke will be one of the first-team players at Hotspur Way over the international break and Spurs hope the fortnight will prove significant in his progress.

"I think the international break will be the big deciding factor because we have two weeks there to push in the next steps," Frank said on Friday last week.

"As I say, it's going forward."

When will Dominic Solanke be back?

That much remains very much up in the air.

Spurs are planning on playing a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, with Radu Dragusin in line to feature for his first minutes since suffering an ACL injury in January.

However, Solanke is not expected to be ready to take part in that match.

The striker is not yet back in team training and so a return against Arsenal straight after the international break on November 23 looks unlikely.

Frank was asked last week whether fans could expect to see Solanke back on the pitch before the end of 2025 and the response was not entirely convincing.

“I do hope so," he said. "I would say let’s see what happens after the international break.

“We are still [making] steps forward. It’s on track so far.”

The ankle issue is evidently one that Solanke is still managing and the minor surgery has not proved to be a quick fix.

When he does return, Spurs want it to be for good. How far away that comeback is remains unclear.

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Spurs news: Tottenham injury boost confirmed as Arsenal derby showdown looms

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New Tottenham injury boost revealed as Arsenal derby showdown looms - London Evening Standard
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Graham Potter has revealed that Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall is not yet able to head a ball following a concussion, but will take part in Sweden training this week.

Bergvall has been sidelined since going off with a head injury during the opening minutes of Spurs’ Premier League defeat by Chelsea 10 days ago.

The teenager pleaded with Tottenham’s medical staff to let him back on the pitch but head coach Thomas Frank made the final decision for him to be replaced. Protocols then ruled Bergvall out of matches against FC Copenhagen and Manchester United.

Potter opted to call Bergvall up to his first Sweden squad and has now provided an update on the midfielder’s recovery.

"He will train with the team [on Tuesday], but there will be no heading for him,” Potter said.

“He is not here yet and I will talk to him and the doctors, but as I understand it he will be able to be there.”

Sweden sit bottom of their qualifying group but will have a final chance to reach the World Cup through the play-offs as they won their Nations League group.

Bergvall will hope to impress the new Sweden boss in these final two qualifiers, with the Spurs star expected to be back in full training ahead of Saturday’s match against Switzerland. Sweden also host Slovenia on Tuesday.

Asked when Bergvall would be ready to train without any restrictions, Potter said: “Around Thursday, I would think.

“But like I said, I'll probably get in trouble if I don't double-check with the doctors first. The most important thing for Lucas is that they give the go-ahead.

“But as I understand it, it will be at the end of the week.”

Should Bergvall come through the two Sweden matches without any further issues, he will be available for selection for Spurs in their north London derby clash against Arsenal on November 23.

Randal Kolo Muani injury could force Tottenham to get creative for Arsenal clash

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Kolo Muani injury could force Spurs to get creative for Arsenal clash - London Evening Standard
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On-loan striker has made an impact in recent weeks and his injury leaves Thomas Frank with a problem ahead of a key run of games

Randal Kolo Muani suffered a jaw injury against Manchester United

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Matt Verri

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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Thomas Frank had been fairly coy when speaking about Randal Kolo Muani after Tottenham's draw with Manchester United.

The striker started in the 2-2 draw but was replaced at half-time. Early in the first half, Kolo Muani had collided awkwardly with Harry Maguire and went down holding his face, though he was able to continue.

"He actually struggled a little bit, but nothing big," Frank offered as an explanation after the match.

However, Kolo Muani has since pulled out of the France squad with a jaw problem. The fact that he will not require surgery on his fractured jaw is positive news, but his injury is yet another injury blow for Spurs.

The 26-year-old has only made four starts for Spurs but there has already been enough evidence to believe that any sort of lengthy absence would be a significant blow.

Kolo Muani could be out for a couple of months

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After a frustratingly persistent dead leg kept him on the sidelines for more than a month, Kolo Muani has made an impact in recent weeks.

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He is a more physical athletic presence up front than Richarlison, holding the ball up well and also offering a threat in behind.

Kolo Muani produced a sublime touch to bring the ball out of the air against Copenhagen and provide the assist for Wilson Odobert.

The striker should have scored twice in the first half, wasting both opportunities in front of goal, but it was promising that he was getting in those positions.

Both those chances were set up by Xavi Simons and the pair were forming a better relationship, one which must now be parked.

With Dominic Solanke still out after ankle surgery and a return seemingly not imminent, Frank's forward options are limited.

Richarlison is set to lead the line while Kolo Muani is out

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Richarlison started the season impressively but has tailed off badly and it is tough to argue he deserves a run leading the line. The Brazilian's goal against Saturday helped put some gloss on what had otherwise been a really poor performance.

Mathys Tel has been more lively and produced a sharp finish off the bench against United. He could yet be called up into the Champions League squad if Kolo Muani is ruled out for 60 days.

Against Leeds before the last international break, Tel started with Simons, Odobert and Mohammed Kudus behind him and it was a fluid attack that worked nicely with plenty of rotation.

The problem is more physicality up front is going to be needed up front when Spurs face Arsenal and then Paris Saint-Germain in their next two matches.

Those are games where Frank would desperately hope to have the likes of Kolo Muani and Solanke available but he must do without.

The Spurs boss might have to get creative. He used a back three against PSG in August and it was effective.

Kudus could shift centrally as one of the two strikers, with the winger probably now Spurs' best option for holding the ball up and bringing others into play.

Frank has struggled all season to find consistency in attack and settle on combinations that work.

Kolo Muani leading the line appeared to have helped solve at least one dilemma, but Frank is now back searching for answers again.

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Spurs news: Tottenham get Cristian Romero injury update ahead of Arsenal clash after Thomas Frank admission

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Tottenham have been handed a fitness boost ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal after the international break.

Spurs will go into that showdown at the Emirates Stadium, a week on Sunday, on the back of a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United.

Tottenham looked to be on their way to recording just a second victory at home in the league this season when Mathys Tel and Richarlison struck late on to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half header.

However, a towering Matthijs de Ligt header in the 96th minute resuced a point for a Man Utd side that were down to ten men at the time after Ruben Amorim had used up all of his substititions before Benjamin Sesko limped off injured.

Watching the late drama unfold from the sidelines was Cristian Romero as the Spurs captain was replaced by Kevin Danso with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining.

Frank said: "Yeah, he was just done physically. He just came back from that injury. He's fine."

The Spurs head coach also added that he expected Romero to be fit for international duty with Argentina and that is the case with the defender pictured linking up with the squad in Spain on Monday.

Lionel Scaloni’s squad only have international friendly scheduled during the break as they face Angola on Friday.

Spurs news: Tottenham wonderkid Luca Williams-Barnett shines as England book U17 World Cup knockout place

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Spurs wonderkid shines as England reach U17 World Cup knockout stage - London Evening Standard
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Tottenham teenager Luca Williams-Barnett shone again as England booked their place in the knockout stages of the U17 World Cup.

The 17-year-old started in the 3-0 win over Egypt and provided a brilliant assist for Reigan Heskey's second goal of the match.

Williams-Barnett collected the ball on the edge of his own box from a free-kick, flicked it past a defender and drove into the space that opened up for him.

He then played a great pass through to Heskey, who ran in on goal and cooly slotted past the goalkeeper for his second of the match.

Seven minutes later, Williams-Barnett was played in behind after a clever one-two and was brought down, winning a penalty for the Young Lions.

However, Heskey was unable to complete his hat-trick as he missed from the spot.

Williams-Barnett was on the bench for England's tournament opener against Venezuela, when they fell to a 3-0 defeat.

The Spurs youngster came into the starting lineup for the 8-1 win over Haiti and scored twice.

After opening the scoring inside a minute, Williams-Barnett added his second later in the match with some sublime footwork, skipping past the challenges in the box and finishing well.

He will hope he has done enough to keep his place in the side heading into the knockout stages.

England have qualified for the round-of-32 after finishing second in Group E behind Venezuela.

The top two in each of the 12 groups go through along with the eight best third-placed teams.

At the end of the group stage, the 32 teams to progress are seeded depending on how they qualified, with it intended that the group winner with the best record faces the easiest opponent.

That will be the eight best third-placed team, with the second best group winner taking on the seventh best third-placed team and so on.

Spurs news: Mohammed Kudus skips Ghana duty to focus on facing Arsenal

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Spurs news: Mohammed Kudus skips Ghana duty to focus on facing Arsenal - London Evening Standard
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Mohammed Kudus will remain at Tottenham during the international break rather than joining up with Ghana.

The winger has missed Spurs' last two matches with a knock having previously started every Premier League game this season.

Thomas Frank said that Kudus was "touch and go" for the clash against Manchester United on Saturday, but he was not deemed fit enough to make the squad.

Kudus now has two weeks to recover from that issue after it was decided he should not feature for Ghana in upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

The 25-year-old will instead be at Hotspur Way over the next fortnight, with Spurs hoping to have him back fully fit for the north London derby against Arsenal on November 23.

"Very confident that he should be available for the next one," Frank said on Saturday.

Kudus has been Spurs' most reliable attacking threat for much of the season. No player has bettered his tally of four assists Premier League.

While Kudus' injury is not viewed as a serious one, Spurs are waiting to learn how long Randal Kolo Muani will be out for.

The striker suffered a jaw injury against United after colliding with Harry Maguire and has pulled out of the France squad.

Spurs are expected to have Lucas Bergvall available for the trip to Arsenal after the midfielder missed the last two matches due to concussion protocols.

Bergvall has been included in Sweden's squad, but Graham Potter has suggested the teenager will be available to face Switzerland on Saturday.

Radu Dragusin could also soon be available for his first minutes since suffering an ACL injury in January.

Spurs news: Tottenham can replace Randal Kolo Muani in Champions League squad after rule change

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Spurs can replace Kolo Muani after major Champions League rule change - London Evening Standard
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Tottenham could have the option to replace Randal Kolo Muani in their Champions League squad after a change to UEFA rules.

Kolo Muani was replaced at half-time during Saturday's 1-1 draw to Manchester United and has since pulled out of the France squad with a jaw injury.

The striker collided heavily with Harry Maguire early in the match and, although he was able to play on for the rest of the half, reports in France claim he has suffered a fractured jaw.

There has been no official confirmation of that or a potential timeframe for his return, but it has been suggested that Kolo Muani could face up to two months on the sidelines.

Should that be the case, Spurs could decide to make a change to their squad for their remaining league-phase fixtures in the Champions League.

UEFA rules this season state that clubs can replace an outfield player in their squad if they have suffered a long-term injury.

That is defined as one that “lasts at least 60 days as of the day the injury or illness occurred”.

Medical evidence must be provided to UEFA, who also have the right to require further medical examination by an expert of their choosing.

Clubs have the option to make the change to their squad up until matchday six, which for Spurs is on December 9 at home to Slavia Prague.

If the injured player recovers ahead of schedule, he is still ineligible until at least the end of the 60-day period.

After that point, the player can return to the squad if at least 24 hours notice is given before the next match, with the replacement dropping out.

That would mean that should Spurs now deem it necessary to replace Kolo Muani in their squad, he could potentially come back in for the matches against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in January.

If Kolo Muani's injury does prove to be a serious one, Mathys Tel would be the most likely player to be brought into the Champions League squad.

He was left out of the initial list by Thomas Frank but his availability would provide a much-needed boost. Dominic Solanke is not ready to return and Spurs are short of options up front.

Frank could also technically turn to Radu Dragusin, who is hoping to be back in first-team contention after the international break, if he wanted to strengthen in defence.

Dejan Kulusevski is also an option to come in, however he is unlikely to return until December at the earliest and will need to time to get up to speed.

Tel is therefore expected to be the one to benefit if it comes to that, though it remains to be seen how long Kolo Muani is ruled out for.

Spurs news: 'Quality' Tottenham starlet sends Thomas Frank reminder as loan sparks into life

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The 18-year-old moved to Glasgow in the summer on loan from Spurs and had a tough start to life at Ibrox, struggling for form under former boss Russell Martin.

Moore has been one of those to benefit most from the recent change of manager and has impressed under Rohl in the last few weeks.

He scored his first goal for Rangers in the 3-0 win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, finishing brilliantly from the edge of the box, and was named player of the match.

"Mikey again showed his quality on the ball," Rohl said afterwards. "He is always available, a lot of good movements. I think this is great."

Moore could have had a second goal too, but that one was ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build-up.

The teenager has been used in a more central role under Rohl and spoke of how he is relishing the "freedom" that he has been given by the German.

"It just fell and as soon as it come I just thought I'm going to shoot because I need to score. I was buzzing when it went in.

"When you haven't scored in a while you're thinking about it when you get in front of goal. But once you start scoring, I think they come and I'm just buzzing I scored.

"Since the manager's come in I've shown a bit more what I can do. I think I've been given a bit more freedom. The whole team is building and we just need to keep it going, try and pick up some more wins."