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Spurs boss insists he will retain the final say on transfers in new leadership structure

Return: Fabio Paratici is back at Tottenham in a new role as co-sporting director, a title he shares with Johan Lange

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Matt Verri

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Thomas Frank believes that Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange will prove a "perfect match" at Tottenham.

It was announced this week that Paratici had returned to Spurs as sporting director, a job title he shares with Lange.

For the last two years Lange had been technical director , but he has been promoted after the club decided that the broad remit of a sporting director necessitates sharing the role.

Lange is expected to have more responsibility on the academy and scouting side of things, while Paratici will be focused on the transfer window and loans.

Tottenham head coach Frank is confident the new leadership structure will be a success, having had experience of working with two sporting directors while at Brentford.

"Yeah, also positive about it," he said. "Obviously Fabio worked as a consultant for the club so I met him there a few times in the last couple of months.

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“I'm looking forward to getting to know him more. Of course when it's more day-to-day, you'll get to know each other even better.

"I'm looking forward to working together. I'm not in doubt that Fabio, Johan, I and [CEO] Vinai [Venkatesham] will create a very strong team. And together I'm convinced that we can create something very good.

"I'm used to working with two sporting directors. I've done that for nine years in Brentford. First with Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen, then Phil Giles and Lee Dykes.

"I actually think you need two these days to cover everything because it's such a big job. And I think also the two of them complement each other."

Paratici has been working with Tottenham for several months as a consultant, having been managing director of football until he resigned in 2023 amid a ban.

His return to Spurs in an official capacity had been viewed as inevitable, with Paratici advising the club during the summer transfer window and on the search to replace Ange Postecoglou.

"The first time Vinai spoke about it, I was very positive because I think it will work very well," Frank added.

"And I think there is no one that is perfect in this world. The strong abilities both Johan and Fabio have, I think that they complement each other so well. So it's like a perfect match, we cover more together."

Chief executive Venkatesham insisted this week that he has no concerns over disagreements that could arise between Lange and Paratici, particularly on transfer-related decisions.

Asked how his opinion would fit into the new structure, Frank laughed: "I'll always have the final say. You know that. Yeah, of course in the end.

"No, it's teamwork. I'm pretty sure if one of the, I would say three of us, because Vinai is not technical or whatever you call it. Of course he will have an opinion.

"But the three of us need to agree. And if one, let's take an example - it doesn't matter if it's me, Fabio, Johan - is very, very, very strong that we should not [pursue a player], then that's probably not that right. So I'm pretty sure that we will find a good way."

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Spurs have an incredibly poor home record stretching back into Ange Postecoglou's tenure, winning just three of their last 17 matches in the Premier League.

Frank's side beat Burnley at home on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, but otherwise Tottenham have picked up wins in north London over only Manchester United and Southampton since last November.

Ahead of a run of home matches against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester United, Frank called for a closer bond between fans and players at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I think every team, and I can speak for us Tottenham Hotspur, we would like our home to be a fortress," Frank said.

"That is the ultimate aim. Can we make our home an unbelievably difficult place to come to? Then the job is half done in terms of what you like to try to achieve.

"And that is like an unbelievable, how can I say, cohesion between the team and the fans. And that needs to go hand in hand. It cannot only be the team, it cannot only be the fans. It needs to be both.

"We need to bring energy to each other and I think that is absolutely key. And we need to do everything that we can to work unbelievably hard, perform well, try to be positive, all that, but also need a little bit of help.

"Because, you know, football, in every game, goes a little bit up and down. You have good spells, bad spells."

Tottenham were disappointing in defeat to Bournemouth on home soil earlier this season and then needed a stoppage-time strike from Joao Palhinha just to earn a point against Wolves, who sit bottom of the table.

There were boos from the Spurs fans in both of those matches, but Frank wants the supporters to get behind his players when they need it most.

"It's so difficult to compete in. So we need the fans, especially in the tough moments. The better they can be behind the team - not easy, because it's not easy - the better it will be and they will feel more success for the team. So we need that.

"But when our fans are behind the team and the stadium is rocking, I think it's one of the best places in the world."

The Frenchman has made only one appearance for the club since signing on loan on Deadline Day, a brief cameo off the bench against Villarreal.

Kolo Muani has been out since with a dead leg he picked up in training but is he now closing in on a long-awaited return.

The forward played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break against Watford and Thomas Frank was upbeat when discussing him during his press conference on Friday.

"Kolo Muani has trained now for two weeks with the team, so that's good," Frank said.

"He looks better and better, he'll be in contention for the squad for tomorrow, so that's positive."

Dominic Solanke has not yet returned to team training after ankle surgery and remains unavailable, while Yves Bissouma is facing "weeks" out after picking up an ankle injury while on international duty.

Frank must decide how to shape up in attack, with Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert both impressing against Leeds a fortnight ago and then shining for the France Under-21s.

Tel led the line at Elland Road, but Richarlison only played a combined 25 minutes during the international break for Brazil and could come back into the side to face Aston Villa.

Xavi Simons' best performances have come at No10 and Frank must be tempted to keep him in a central role, while the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are all competing to start in midfield.

Italian has a track record of pulling off difficult deals and his know-how could be vital ahead of what looks set to be a huge few transfer windows for Spurs

Transfer king: Fabio Paratici is back at Spurs

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Matt Verri

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Another club statement, another reshuffle of the Tottenham hierarchy.

This one, though, did certainly not have the shock value of the announcement last month that Daniel Levy was leaving the club after almost 25 years.

The return of Fabio Paratici in an official capacity comes as no real surprise. The Italian has been working as a consultant to Spurs for several months, advising on the summer transfer window and on the managerial search that led to Thomas Frank's appointment.

Paratici was even in the stands for the UEFA Super Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain, sitting alongside Johan Lange.

The pair now share a job title, Spurs opting for a new leadership structure with two sporting directors. The club are also planning to appoint a director of football operations.

Paratici has been appointed Spurs sporting director

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Paratici previously spent two years at Spurs as managing director of football before resigning after unsuccessfully appealing a ban for alleged financial mispractice during his time at Juventus.

That 30-month ban ended in July and a plea bargain resulted last month in Paratici receiving an 18-month suspended prison sentence, which involved no admission of guilt.

In an interview with the club's in-house media team, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham alluded to a "really challenging personal last two years" for Paratici, who he said was “delighted to be back at Spurs”.

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Paratici himself spoke of the "love" he had received from Spurs fans around the world and the Italian remains a popular figure among supporters.

During his previous two years at the club, Paratici was involved in bringing the likes of Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie to the club.

It was not all hits - Pierluigi Gollini as a loan signing was very much in the miss column - but Paratici's record overall was impressive.

After a summer in which Spurs could not get moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze over the line, Spurs will be hoping Paratici's official return enables them to be more successful in closing deals.

Levy was for so long the man responsible for the final stages of negotiations but in his absence, there is likely to be increased responsibility on Paratici and that is no bad thing. He has a track record of pulling off difficult deals and Spurs need that efficient operator.

The Italian's focus will be on the transfer market, with Venkatesham referencing Paratici's "fantastic network".

Vinai Venkatesham has hailed Paratici's ‘fantastic network’

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While at first glance having two sporting directors might appear strange, it is a model Frank is familiar with having been in charge at Brentford.

Spurs believe that the remit for a sporting director at a big club is now so vast that sharing the load is the best approach.

“The sporting director role has changed a lot in the last five, ten years,” Paratici said.

“We have a lot of different models and structures in Europe. In every model, maybe the job titles are different but there are at least two to three people driving the football areas.

“We need more people and specialists. We have a lot of departments to manage."

The differing skillsets of Paratici and Lange also suggest they could form an effective partnership.

“Johan will be focused on scouting, performance, football insights, performance analysis and the academy,” Venkatesham explained.

“Fabio will be more focused on players, the transfer window, the loans and pathways department.

"They have different focuses but the reality is they will work together on everything, in particular around squad planning and player recommendations.”

Lange is renowned for his use of data analysis and his relationship with head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, who worked with him at Aston Villa, means it makes sense for him to continue overseeing that side of the recruitment process.

Paratici, meanwhile, brings perhaps a more old-school approach, one built on relationships and an extensive contacts book. Combining both should leave Spurs well-placed in the transfer market.

Paratici was highly-respected by Levy and the former chairman's departure raised some doubts over whether the Italian would make an official return to Spurs.

That the club's new-look hierarchy have decided to appoint him as sporting director points to just how valuable they deem Paratici's experience and transfer know-how to be.

With an increasingly involved ownership to back him, the Paratici sequel could be an even better watch.

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Spurs look to extend their seven-match unbeaten run as the Villans are out to take their run to five wins in a row

Aston Villa visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

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Arthur Ferridge

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Tottenham host the on-form Aston Villa as they return to Premier League action this weekend.

Spurs sit third in the table and come into this match unbeaten in seven, with a battling 2-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road sending them into the international break on a high.

Thomas Frank will hope to have Randal Kolo Muani fit and available for the first time since he played 14 minutes against Villarreal in September.

It could prove an occasion to remember for Spurs, too, as they look to celebrate Fabio Paratici’s return to the club as co-sporting director with three points.

Villa make the trip from Birmingham into London having won four on the spin. They were made to wait for their day in the sun, though, after going winless in their first six outings fo the campaign.

They did not even manage to score until their fifth match of the campaign, where they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford on penalties.

Since clicking into gear last month, Villa have been a force. They have charted commanding wins over Feyenoord and Fulham, but on Saturday will face comfortably the toughest tests of their season so far.

Date, kick-off time and venue

Tottenham vs Aston Villa is scheduled for a 2pm BST kick-off on Sunday, October 19, 2025.

The match will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Where to watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 1pm BST ahead of a 2pm kick-off.

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Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app and website.

Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa team news

Tottenham face a raft of absentees for this match, with Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma, and Dejan Kulusevski all still stuck on the sidelines.

Kolo Muani could return for the clash - and make his full Spurs debut - after appearing in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford during the international break, while Kota Takai could also make a matchday squad for the first time.

Golden Boy nominee Lucas Bergvall will hope to return to the Spurs XI after missing out against Leeds, with Xavi Simons preferred. Djed Spence will also expect to get the nod after making his full England debut against Wales.

First steps: Djed Spence made his full England debut in the October international break

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Unai Emery will be sweating on the fitness of star striker Ollie Watkins this week. He was substituted early in England’s friendly win over Wales after colliding with a goalpost, and was subsequently ruled out of the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Tyrone Mings joins him in the physio’s room, as does Youri Tielemans.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa prediction

Frank’s injury-hit Tottenham will have their work cut out for them as Villa visit north London this weekend.

After a concerningly slow start to the campaign, the Villans have hit superb form, heading into the international break having won four on the trot.

Spurs have all the tools they need to hold their own against the high-flying Villans, though, and with the home crowd at their backs, should have few problems.

Tottenham to win, 2-1

Head to head (h2h) history and results

Aston Villa last tasted victory in N17 in November 2023, when they came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins.

Tottenham wins: 78

Aston Villa wins: 60

Draws: 34

Tottenham vs Aston Villa match odds

Tottenham to win: 10/11

Aston Villa to win: 11/5

Draw: 2/1

Odds via Betfair (subject to change).

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Thomas Franks’s side beat Leeds 2-1 at Elland Road to get back to winning ways after consecutive draws with Bodo/Glimt and Wolves before the international break.

Spurs sit third in the Premier League after a strong start in Frank’s debut term, although they are some way short of a full complement, losing a number of their key players to long-term injuries.

That, however, could be about to change, with a few almost pushing for a return to action.

The England striker has not played for Spurs since their 2-0 win at Manchester City back in August.

That said, he has since returned to team training in the past couple of weeks, but any hope that gave Spurs fans was quickly dashed.

The club confirmed that the former Bournemouth forward would undergo sugery in September, with Frank saying that the procedure “went well”.

It remains to be seen when Solanke will be back leading the line for the north Londoners.

That, unfortunately, has not happened, with the Frenchman hindered by a dead leg that he suffered last month.

However, he has since returned to training over the international break, and could make his return to action against Villa this weekend.

It is understood that Kolo Muani played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford last week, which will give Frank more hope that he can play against Unai Emery’s side.

Bissouma has not played for Spurs at all this season, ever since being left out of Frank’s squad for the UEFA Super Cup defeat by Paris Saint-Germain back in August.

The reasoning for that was disciplinary, but now, he has been struggling with a knee injury that has stunted his mission to play his way back into the new manager’s plans.

The 29-year-old played for Mali over the international break, coming off the bench against Madagascar last weekend, but he did not play in their earlier 2-0 win over Chad.

That said, Bissouma suffered another injury just moments after coming onto the pitch on Sunday, and he was stretched off.

That meant that he would be ruled out for much of 2025, but Frank has allayed those fears slightly with his recent comments.

The Dane said that there was a “good chance” of Kulusevski pulling on a Spurs shirt before the year was out, detailing that the winger’s return was “hopefully not too far away”.

Japanese defender Takai has not played for his new side competitively yet after a plantar fascia injury in his foot that he suffered in pre-season.

Takai, however, has been back in first-team training this month, with Frank saying that he was getting “better and better”.

Romanian defender Dragusin has been back in training since last month as he continues his comeback trail from an ACL injury.

That happened back in January, and he will be slowly eased back into action.

Frank said in late September that there would be “a few weeks” before Dragusin was available for selection once more, but with more weeks of recovery under his belt, he could be one to watch out for in the next couple of matchday squads.

Sport | Football

'Don Fabio is back!' Tottenham announce Fabio Paratici return as part of 'evolution'

Italian returns to Spurs as sporting director to work alongside Johan Lange

Fabio Paratici is back at Spurs

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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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Fabio Paratici has returned to Tottenham as sporting director, two years after leaving the club.

Last month, Paratici received an 18-month suspended prison sentence to settle a false accounting case from during his time at Juventus.

The Italian was managing director of football at Spurs between 2021 and 2023 before he resigned from his position after he lost an appeal against a 30-month ban from Italian football, which FIFA extended "to have worldwide effect".

Paratici has continued to be involved at Spurs as a consultant but his role has now been formalised as part of a new structure leading the men's team.

Paratici was managing director of football at Spurs between 2021 and 2023

Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images

Vinai Venkatesham remains chief executive and the man with responsibility for the day-to-day running of the club.

There will now be two sporting directors, with Johan Lange also promoted to that role having previously been technical director at the club.

Paratici said: “I’m delighted to be returning to a club that I love. I have been working with Johan, Vinai and Thomas as a consultant for a number of months and I now look forward to returning to London and joining the team full-time.

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"I’m convinced that working in partnership with Johan we can build a special future for the Club and our supporters."

Lange arrived at Spurs two years ago, having previously been sporting director at Aston Villa. He will now take up that position in north London.

“I firmly believe we are building something special here at Tottenham Hotspur, and I am looking forward to working with Fabio as part of our new men’s football structure,” Lange said.

“We have a talented group of staff and players here at the club and we can look forward with confidence and positivity.”

There will be a further addition to the Spurs hierarchy, with the club set to start the search for a director of football operations. That role will be to support Paratici and Lange and manage several departments at the club's training centre.

It has been a period of significant change off the pitch at the club, most notably with the removal of Daniel Levy as executive chairman after almost 25 years.

Peter Charrington is now non-executive chairman, but he is not actively involved at Spurs on a day-to-day basis.

The Lewis family, Spurs majority shareholder, wanted to implement a more modern boardroom structure rather than having one central figure effectively running the club.

“This is an important evolution in how we operate," Venkatesham said.

"The remit of a sporting director today is vast, and by uniting two exceptional leaders in Johan and Fabio, we’re setting the foundations for sustained success.

“They are both outstanding football minds, with complementary expertise and strong track records. This structure reflects our ambition and our determination to compete at the very highest level to deliver for our supporters.

“Together, Fabio and Johan will lead with purpose - building not only a competitive men’s squad, but a connected football ecosystem where every detail contributes to our shared ambition: to make our club a benchmark for excellence in world football.”

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Pedro Porro declared he is "very happy and very settled" at Tottenham as he praised the job Thomas Frank has done.

The right-back is now in his third full season in north London and has made himself close to an ever-present in the side.

Porro was given a rare rest against Wolves earlier this season, but has started every other match and captained Spurs against Doncaster in the Carabao Cup.

Speaking to Infobae while on international duty with Spain, Porro said Frank is "doing a magnificent job" in his first few months at the club.

The 26-year-old has a contract through to the summer of 2028 at Spurs and he made it clear that he has no plans to consider his options elsewhere.

“It’s a shame we lost the Super Cup final on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain. After going 2-0 up, you have to win that title, but for me, they’re one of the best clubs in the world. If you’re not focused for the full 90 minutes, that’s what happens.”

Porro registered nine assists last season and has been key to how Spurs attack down the right wing in the new campaign.

However, while the Spaniard is not short of “self-confidence” in attack, he also wants to consistently perform defensively.

“I like reading comments, and several years ago I was very involved defensively, trying to be a little more involved and see what I can do because then in attack, I have that self-confidence that’s also required of a full-back when they reach the deep areas.

“In defence, you have to be consistent, and in attack, you also have that support for your team-mates when they need it.”

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What Randal Kolo Muani will bring to Tottenham attack and how Thomas Frank could use him

On-loan striker closing in on a return to fitness after playing in behind-closed-doors friendly

Spurs will hope Randal Kolo Muani is fit to face Aston Villa on Sunday

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Matt Verri

COMMENTS

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

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A flick through the book of sporting cliches throws up one particularly pertinent quote for Tottenham.

"Availability is the best ability" is unlikely to be pinned up on the walls of the treatment room at Spurs, where injuries have been all too familiar a theme in recent seasons.

It was, though, a tick in the positive column when assessing the decision to sign Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day.

The Frenchman had been unavailable for two matches in the entirety of his club career. He missed one game with an adductor issue while at Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022-23 season, and a year later was ruled out of a PSG match due to illness.

And then he arrived in north London and began life at Spurs. Six weeks later, Kolo Muani has been absent for five matches and featured for just 13 minutes.

Kolo Muani is back in training after a dead leg

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The 26-year-old's solitary appearance came off the bench against Villarreal and he then collided in training with Pape Matar Sarr days later, suffering a dead leg.

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His recovery has rolled on and on, with the bleeding starting again to delay his return further, but Kolo Muani is now back in training and last week played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford.

With another week of training under his belt, Thomas Frank will hope to have Kolo Muani available for Sunday's match at home to Aston Villa.

The forward will still need more time to get up to full speed. That cameo against Villarreal aside, Kolo Muani's last competitive minutes came in the Club World Cup more than three months ago and he had no real pre-season.

Had he been fit, he could well have had a significant role in recent weeks. With Solanke out and Richarlison looking leggy, Kolo Muani would have been an ideal option to bring some fresh legs up front.

Discussing how he will use Kolo Muani, Frank said last month: “He's a good age, in the prime of his career, has good qualities that will suit both us and the Premier League, and gives us a different option in the final third being able to play out wide and through the middle."

Kolo Muani was used primarily as a striker - which he has said is his best position - last season at Juventus. He scored eight goals in 16 Serie A appearances, before netting a brace in the Club World Cup against Al-Ain.

Kolo Muani spent last season on loan at Juventus

Getty Images

The best season of his career also came when playing through the middle at Eintracht Frankfurt, when he registered 15 goals and 11 assists in his first Bundesliga campaign. That clinical run in front of goal earned him a £76.4m move to PSG but it has rarely been seen since.

The potential is there, though, and Frank will believe he can unlock it.

Kolo Muani adds a different striker option to Solanke and Richarlison, with the Frenchman more comfortable running with the ball and taking on defenders.

He appears an ideal option as a second striker should Frank go back to a 3-5-2 formation, but can also lead the line by himself. Frank loves his team putting in crosses and Kolo Muani at 6ft 1in is strong in the air.

Spurs looked much more fluid in attack against Leeds before the international break, when Mathys Tel started up front and the front four interchanged.

Kolo Muani can slot into that, starting as the striker but with the freedom to roam around the final third and rotate with the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. He is more versatile than Solanke and Richarlison and a natural fit if Frank does want a more unpredictable attack.

Kolo Muani also combines well in tight spaces and that could tempt Frank to use him out on the left wing too, even if he has started only 12 matches there in his career.

The Spurs boss has already turned to Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Tel and Simons on the left this season, but the search for a convincing solution goes on. The quartet have all floated in and out of games, a natural consequence of their relative inexperience.

Kolo Muani is only 26 but he has played at the very highest level. The most memorable moment of his career is the one-on-one chance he had to win the 2022 World Cup final, only to be denied by Emi Martinez in the final seconds.

The wait to make an impact at Spurs has been frustrating, but this is a chance he will hope to take and make up for lost time.

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England had a session at Tottenham's training ground before flying out to Riga later on Monday, and Scarlett was called upon to join the Three Lions' squad.

Tuchel is short of a forward after Ollie Watkins picked up an injury against Wales and been ruled out of the trip to Latvia.

In more positive news for England, Harry Kane is fit and available having been left on the bench on Thursday night due to an ankle issue.

Scarlett is one of the few first-team Spurs players to have been at Hotspur Way during the international break.

The 21-year-old featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford last week, along with Brandon Austin and Randal Kolo Muani.

Scarlett has been on the bench for five Spurs matches so far this season but is yet to play a minute under Thomas Frank.

The striker has represented England throughout the age groups from under-15 level onwards. Scarlett made 22 appearances for the U20 side, scoring 10 goals, and has scored twice in four U21 matches.

Having spent the first half of last season on loan at Oxford, Scarlett was recalled by Spurs in January.

He scored his first goal for the club against Elfsborg in the Europa League and made five appearances under former boss Ange Postecoglou, before undergoing groin surgery at the end of the campaign.