London Evening Standard

Mohammed Kudus is likely to be unavailable for Tottenham’s trip to Bournemouth on Wednesday after undergoing a scan on a thigh injury sustained against Sunderland.

Kudus went down off the ball, clutching his left thigh, and received treatment on the pitch before being replaced by Randal Kolo Muani in the 19th minute.

Thomas Frank confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the 25-year-old had undergone a scan to determine the severity of the issue and said he was unlikely to travel with the squad to the Vitality Stadium.

“He's going for a scan here, 1 o'clock, to clarify the issue. So unfortunately, I don't have a big update on it,” the Tottenham boss said.

In Kudus’ absence, Spurs will travel to Bournemouth without a natural right winger, and after an impressive cameo against Sunderland, Kolo Muani again looks set to deputise for the Ghanaian.

Mathys Tel also impressed on the left wing, and he could be in line to make just his fifth Premier League start of the season on the south coast.

There are decisions to be made in midfield, with Lucas Bergvall returning from injury against Sunderland.

Frank likes Bergvall, particularly for his ability to stretch the play in behind.

However, with Xavi Simons back from suspension after serving a three-game ban following his sending off against Liverpool, the Swede will likely remain on the bench.

Dominic Solanke remains unavailable despite returning to training last week, but Destiny Udogie might make the matchday squad as he steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury.

“He [Udogie] is training and he's looking better, so that's positive,” Frank said. “No [Solanke won't be involved against Bournemouth]. Positive, going forward."

The England striker will not be available for Wednesday’s trip to Bournemouth, and Spurs boss Frank has urged caution ahead of Solanke’s comeback, insisting that he is still adapting.

“Today you could see in training that he's nice and composed on the ball, good decisions, good touches, and then when we’re a little bit more competitive in the small-sided [games], he is of course lacking [sharpness], and he looked a little rusty, which is completely normal,” Frank said at his pre-match press conference.

“Now he's unfortunately been out for at least six months, right? Yeah, six months, a little bit more than that, so, of course, it will take a little bit of time.

“So, even if he's ready for whatever time in the near future, hopefully [soon], then I think you will be surprised to just see him hit the ground running. Very few players do that.”

Solanke, who provided 16 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, has played just 49 minutes so far this term, with Spurs lacking a consistent focal point up front in his absence.

The 28-year-old won’t play against former club Bournemouth and Frank is wary of the threat that the Cherries’ front four, which includes one-time Tottenham transfer target Antoine Semenyo, will cause his team.

“I think [Andoni] Iraola has done a top job down there,” Frank said. “First and foremost being part of creating an interesting team, with interesting players that have done well and developed them, so they've also gone to on paper play for big clubs.

“They play a very aggressive pressing game, one of the best pressing teams in the league, if not the best. They play with incredible intensity.

“They also play fairly direct, so if you press, boom there's a ball behind, so you need to deal with that. They have a very lively front four, no matter who plays, so that's where we need to be good and compete, but also be smart.”

Spurs, who currently sit 13th in the Premier League table, had always planned to be busy in the January window after a difficult start to the season.

But Kudus’ injury, with the 25-year-old undergoing a scan on Monday to discover the severity of the issue, and the departure of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace mean Frank is now short of options in attack, with Tottenham set to travel to Bournemouth on Wednesday without an out-and-out right winger.

As well as adding attacking depth, Spurs are also in the market for cover at left-back.

The Athletic reported on Sunday that Tottenham had seen an £8million bid rejected for Santos starlet Souza. While it is unclear if they will table a second offer, they remain on the lookout for someone to deputise for Destiny Udogie.

On Spurs’ transfer plans, Frank admitted his side did not have enough options in attack as he ruled out sending Mathys Tel on loan in search of more minutes.

Tel has started just four matches in the league this season, but impressed off the left wing against Sunderland to further his case for more game time.

“I think it's pretty fair to say that we are maybe a little bit short on offensive options,” Frank said in his press conference before the trip to Bournemouth.

“I think also it's fair, there's no one who's really grabbed that shirt on the left-hand side. So I think that's definitely up for grabs.

“I think it was a positive performance from Mathys [against Sunderland]. I think he did some positive things and got into good situations.

“He had actually one [shot] where he bent it to the far corner, where I think he's probably the best finisher from that position. I think he is a little bit disappointed in himself.

“It's fair, he's young. It's not like he played five games in a row. I hoped of course for him and for us that he could do it and we've seen it. So that was good.

“I think he was also taking more care of the ball. I think it's a big thing. We spoke about that against Brentford and Crystal Palace.

“We lost the ball maybe 20-25 times. You should never lose the ball. That's also part of it. You can't break through.

Thomas Frank has revealed that Mohammed Kudus has been sent for a scan on the injury he sustained against Sunderland and is set to miss Tottenham’s clash with Bournemouth.

Kudus was withdrawn after 19 minutes in Spurs’ 1-1 home Premier League draw on Sunday after going down off the ball, clutching his left thigh.

The 25-year-old received treatment on the pitch before being replaced by Randal Kolo Muani and heading straight down the tunnel.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Bournemouth, Frank was unable to confirm the severity of Kudus’ injury as Spurs await the results of a scan.

“He's going for a scan here, 1 o'clock, to clarify the issue. So, unfortunately, I don't have, how can I say, a big update on it,” the Tottenham boss said.

Kudus has settled well at Tottenham since his £55million arrival from rivals West Ham in the summer, providing three goals and six assists across all competitions.

His injury came just days after Spurs sanctioned the departure of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for a fee in the region of £35m.

Kolo Muani impressed in Kudus’ absence against Sunderland, but the French forward is not an out-and-out winger, meaning Spurs will be without a natural right-sided player as they head to the Vitality Stadium.

Frank, who was subjected to more boos from frustrated fans as Spurs were pegged back by Sunderland, also said that striker Dominic Solanke - who has not played since August - was not yet ready to return to action against former club Bournemouth after recently resuming training following ankle surgery.

However, left-back Destiny Udogie is making good progress as he also builds up his fitness at Hotspur Way following a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for more than a month.

“He [Udogie] is training and he's looking better, so that's positive,” Frank said. “No [Solanke won't be involved against Bournemouth]. Positive, going forward."

Long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison remain out for Spurs, while Wilson Odobert suffered a knock to the head before being substituted against Sunderland.

Midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are both still away at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, though Xavi Simons is back in contention after serving a three-game suspension following his red card against Liverpool last month.

Cristian Romero is also available as the Spurs captain awaits the outcome of a Football Association (FA) charge that followed his own sending off in the defeat by Liverpool.

Spurs, though, are keen to bring in a left-back to compete for minutes with Destiny Udogie, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.

In Udogie’s absence, the versatile Djed Spence has stepped in ably as cover, but with Thomas Frank viewing him as a right-back, the Dane is keen to bring in a more natural deputy on the left.

Souza is a Brazilian youth international, regarded as one of the brightest talents to come out of Santos’ famed academy in recent years.

With quick feet and a burst of pace, Souza likes to drive centrally with the ball to open up space for his team-mates.

His style of play draws some similarities to the role Spence plays in possession for Spurs, while his ability to cross early and decisively makes him an unpredictable presence in the final third.

Souza, who Santos are adamant they want to keep in January, would undoubtedly need time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.

Frank has said that Spurs are assessing both short and long-term options in January, and Souza would be unlikely to come straight into the fold, especially with Udogie expected back before the end of the month.

It is unclear whether Spurs will return with a second bid for Souza after reports of their opening offer from The Athletic, but they remain in the market for a left-back and are expected to be busy in the January transfer window.

Spurs badly needed to strengthen their attack even before losing Kudus

Spurs lost Mohammed Kudus to injury against Sunderland

Getty Images

Sam Tabuteau

COMMENTS

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

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The groans of dissent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were far less vociferous than they had been at Brentford as Spurs trudged off the pitch following their 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

This was a performance with notes of promise as Thomas Frank’s new-look attack provided the early incentive, taking a 30th-minute lead through Ben Davies.

As with Spurs, though, one step forward was followed by two steps back as Brian Brobbey’s 80th-minute equaliser compounded a tiring display in which they had already lost Mohammed Kudus to injury.

Kudus, who has been one of the few bright spots for Spurs this season, was replaced by Randal Kolo Muani inside 20 minutes after going down off the ball clutching his left leg.

Kudus was forced off in the first half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland

AFP via Getty Images

Frank could hardly believe his luck. Just two days after sanctioning the departure of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace, Spurs had lost the one man keeping him out of the side.

Frank defended the decision to let Johnson leave, stating that there was a short window in which to execute the deal.

“Decisions are made, and decisions I'm backing in every aspect,” said Frank after the game.

“There's always more bigger picture stuff to some of those decisions, and sometimes they can look like perfect timing, sometimes they look like not so perfect timing.”

Read More

Tottenham injury update: Kudus, Solanke, Udogie latest return dates

Three things we learned from Spurs draw as transfer need clear to see

Frank defends huge transfer call after Spurs hit by fresh injury blow

Sponsored

Why Oxford Street is so much more than a shopping destination

Spurs will be active in the market, as Frank has reiterated over the last few weeks.

But, with Kudus potentially facing a period on the sidelines, they need to act quickly to add reinforcements to their rapidly depleting set of attacking options.

Kolo Muani impressed after coming on against Sunderland, but he is not a natural winger.

The same is also true on the left, where Mathys Tel added energy and directness but has failed to nail down a regular starting spot under Frank.

Wilson Odobert is the only natural wide man Spurs have available right now, yet his best moments against Sunderland came through the middle, as he burst past challenges before looking to spread the play wide.

It is clear Spurs are missing the creative talents of Xavi Simons, who will return from suspension against Bournemouth on Wednesday, and the injured Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

Ultimately, though, with no specific return date in place for Kulusevski and Simons struggling to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, Spurs must act decisively in the transfer window.

During Frank’s time at Brentford, they did not make wholesale changes in January with deals often lined up for the summer. At Spurs, there is immediate pressure for results to improve.

MORE ABOUT

In charge: Thomas Frank

John Walton/PA Wire

Sam Tabuteau

COMMENTS

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

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Tottenham’s struggles at home continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Sunderland.

Ben Davies made Spurs’ early dominance count as he scored his first goal since December 2023 to give the hosts the lead after 30 minutes.

Spurs, though, drifted after the break and were pegged back when Brian Brobbey found space in the box to fire home with 10 minutes left to play.

Here are three things Sam Tabuteau learned from Spurs’ frustrating draw...

Mohammed Kudus was forced off after 18 minutes

AFP via Getty Images

Kudus injury increases need for new faces

Brennan Johnson’s departure for Crystal Palace this week raised a few eyebrows, with Spurs looking short of options in attack in his absence against Brentford.

Johnson had struggled for minutes, with Mohammed Kudus being Frank’s first choice option at right wing, but with the Ghanaian coming off injured inside 20 minutes against Sunderland, Spurs have potentially been left to rue the decision to let Johnson leave so early in the transfer window.

With Johnson completing his £35million move to Crystal Palace on Friday, there is a real lack of attacking options in reserve for Spurs, and they are now without a natural right winger following Kudus’ withdrawal.

Randal Kolo Muani looked lively after he came on for Kudus, but it is clear that he is not an out-and-out winger. A similar problem exists on the left wing, where Tel, despite impressing, is more of a hybrid option on the flanks.

Read More

Tottenham player ratings: Davies back with a bang but Romero struggles

Sunderland fight back to deny Tottenham a much-needed win

Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland: All square in north London - LIVE

Sponsored

Winter escapes and activities to end the year in style

Spurs will be active in the transfer window, seeking both short-term and long-term signings, but they may now be forced to act sooner than they had anticipated.

Frank has typically not made sweeping changes to his team in January, but with Kudus out, they simply have to add attacking reinforcements.

Mathys Tel was a standout performer

REUTERS

Spurs’ new look attack impresses

Tottenham were nothing short of an embarrassment in attack against Brentford.

They took just two shots on target and never looked like getting anywhere close to breaching the Bees’ backline.

Frank had to change something, and in remodelling his frontline - deploying Wilson Odobert in the hole with Mohammed Kudus on the right and Mathys Tel on the left - Spurs looked far more dangerous.

It took the hosts just over a minute to have their first shot on target, as Tel stung the palms of Robin Roefs in the Sunderland net, and they had matched the total they managed against Brentford inside 10 minutes.

Spurs dominated the opening 45 and deservedly took the lead when Ben Davies finished from close range after good work from Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to keep the ball alive from a corner.

There was purpose and intent to Spurs’ play, with Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray driving through the middle and Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani providing the width.

Tel, in particular, shone off the left wing, coming close with a couple of good efforts in the first half.

Spurs were fluid and full of energy, their movement causing issues, and although they were unable to find the crucial second goal, this was a much-improved performance.

Under Frank, Spurs have looked languid, unable to break teams down and struggling to exploit space on the counter. This was a rare and much-needed glimpse of their attacking potential.

Brian Brobbey equalised in the 80th minute

Getty Images

New year, but same old problems at home

Spurs won just four games at home in the Premier League last year, so Sunderland’s equaliser with 10 minutes to play felt somewhat inevitable.

For all their good work in establishing a lead and setting the tempo throughout, Spurs’ soft centre was once again exposed as they failed to hold on for a vital three points.

Spurs let the game drift from their grasp in the second half, and while Sunderland’s goal was only their second effort on target, they had begun to sense an opportunity.

The atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was edgy, but so long as Spurs attacked, they felt in control.

Inevitably, though, their missed chances caught up with them as players tired and nervousness set in.

Frank said he was determined to make the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a fortress, but in letting the game drift, the Dane was left frustrated on the touchline. It feels like he, and Spurs’ weary supporters, have seen this all before.

There were positives to take overall, but those will feel like small consequences at the minute, and the boos at full-time, while arguably not justified, will have filtered through to the players.

This should have been an afternoon where Spurs took a deserved leap forward, but instead Frank is left to wrangle with yet another disappointing result on home soil.

MORE ABOUT

The captain was again guilty of slack defending

Captain not-so-fantastic: Cristian Romero

Action Images via Reuters

Sam Tabuteau

COMMENTS

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

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Brian Brobbey netted an 80th-minute equaliser as Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham took the game to Sunderland early on and opened the scoring after half an hour as Ben Davies scored his first goal since December 2023.

Sunderland, though, grew into the game after the break and equalised late on as Brobbey fired home from inside the area.

Sam Tabuteau was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to rate the Spurs players...

Guglielmo Vicario 6

Had one difficult moment under the high ball, but there was nothing he could do about Brobbey’s equaliser. Was not particularly busy, but remained alert when called into action late in the second half.

Pedro Porro 7

One of the few players who came away from the Brentford game with any credit. He sent some inviting deliveries into the box and got forward well in support of Spurs’ attack. Made some important defensive contributions.

Cristian Romero 4

Did well to keep the ball alive for Spurs’ opener, but nearly gifted Sunderland a goal with a wayward backpass in the second half and lost Brobbey for the equaliser. Another shaky performance from the Spurs captain.

Read More

Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland: All square in north London - LIVE

Sunderland fight back to deny Tottenham a much-needed win

Spurs suffer worrying new injury blow days after key transfer decision

Sponsored

Great gifts, foodie delights and experiences for the festive season

Micky Van de Ven 6

Aggressive in the tackle, it was his shot that Davies followed in. Marshalled the backline well until Sunderland’s equaliser.

Ben Davies 8

Marked his first start of the season with his first goal since December 2023 before producing an excellent clearance to deny Sunderland early in the second half.

Rodrigo Bentancur 8

One of Spurs’ better players. He was integral to keeping the pressure on Sunderland, especially in the first half. No player made more defensive contributions.

Archie Gray 7

Integral to the press, he looked a lot more composed on the ball than he did against Brentford and was a nuisance out of possession. Much improved.

Wilson Odobert 7

Given another opportunity after a disappointing display against Brentford, he was a constant threat and looked comfortable playing through the middle.

Mohammed Kudus 6

Involved early on before having to come off injured in the 18th minute. An injury to the Ghanaian is the last thing Frank will have wanted.

Mathys Tel 8

Handed his first start since October, he impressed off the left wing with a couple of testing efforts in the first half. Spurs’ most prominent attacking threat, his movement caused all sorts of issues.

Richarlison 6

Put himself about, getting on the end of crosses and dropping deep to draw fouls. Needed to show more poise in the final third as Spurs squandered the opportunity to extend their lead.

Subs

Kolo-Muani 7

On in place of Kudus, he quickly got to grips with the tempo of the game as Spurs’ attack looked sharp.

Lucas Bergvall 5

A foul throw in stoppage time just about summed up his contribution. Struggled to get into the game as Sunderland grew in confidence.

Joao Palhinha 6

Made some important interventions. Missed a good chance to head home from Porro’s cross in stoppage time.

Dane Scarlett N/A

Took just three touches as he struggled to assert himself on a rare opportunity off the bench.

Djed Spence N/A

Provided fresh legs for Davies late on, but was unable to make any real impact.

Unsued subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Danso, Williams-Barnet

MORE ABOUT

Tottenham have been sweating over the fitness of Lucas Bergvall ahead of the Premier League clash with Sunderland.

Bergvall missed Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Brentford with a muscular injury after coming off in the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace after Christmas.

With Bergvall a doubt, Frank is likely to stick with the same midfield three he deployed against Brentford.

But he will hope to see more from his midfielders in possession as Spurs struggled to build any momentum on New Year’s Day.

Xavi Simons remains out as he serves the final game of his three-game suspension following his red card against Liverpool.

Frank provided a positive update on Dominic Solanke after the draw with Brentford, stating that the striker could return to fitness by the end of January.

Solanke, who has not played since August, has struggled with a recurring ankle injury, but partially returned to training this week.

Frank, though, has not put a timeframe on the 28-year-old’s return.

Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Destiny Udogie, meanwhile, are long-term injury concerns, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr still away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Spurs were disjointed and struggled to create anything against Brentford, but with Frank short of options he is unlikely to make any drastic changes to his starting line-up.

Wilson Odobert was given a rare chance to impress at the Gtech Community Stadium but his performance lacked intent. He could make way for Randal Kolo Muani, who dropped to the bench against Brentford.

'You don’t plug an electric bus into a 13amp socket' - bus chief says Sadiq Khan plan is impossible by 2030

Bus chief: Sadiq Khan electric bus revolution at risk of being delayed