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Dominic Solanke has delivered a personal message to Tottenham fans, sharing an update on his recovery after a difficult start to the new season.

It is only the second season for Dominic Solanke at Tottenham Hotspur, and while he enjoyed a decent first year, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions, his second campaign has not begun smoothly.

The Tottenham number nine has been managing an ankle problem that has sidelined him since pre-season. Although he has featured sparingly, having played just 49 minutes of football so far this term.

Thomas Frank has maintained a positive outlook on the forward’s situation, yet Solanke is still waiting for his first start of the season and has not been included in the matchday squad since the second gameweek.

Solanke has now taken to social media to break his silence on his recovery and reassure Tottenham supporters after what has been a frustrating few weeks.

In a post, the striker admitted that the process has been mentally challenging and revealed that despite his efforts to manage the issue, surgery was the only way forward.

He explained, via his official Instagram account: “Hi everyone, quick update about my current situation. The last few months have been very frustrating as I have tried everything possible to try and push through my ankle issue before taking the option of surgery.

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“None of this managed to solve the problem, so we had to go ahead with minor surgery which I underwent this morning. It was all successful so hopefully I will be back on the pitch in the very near future! Thank you for all your love and messages.”

Spurs are missing Solanke’s presence up front

Thomas Frank has had to cope with Solanke’s absence by relying on Richarlison, who has so far managed to stay fit this season despite his poor injury record in previous campaigns.

The Brazil international has enjoyed a solid start, registering four goals in all competitions, but there is little doubt that Solanke’s hold-up play and physical presence would have offered the side another dimension in attack.

Luka Vuskovic’s Hamburg teammates are in awe of the young Tottenham defender on the back of his latest performance against Union Berlin.

If Vuskovic’s special talents were not already clear from the rave reviews that he got during his loan spell in Belgium last term, they were certainly clear for all to see during pre-season.

The 18-year-old impressed in Tottenham’s friendlies, and it turns out that Thomas Frank wanted to keep Vuskovic at the club, but the defender preferred to leave in search of regular game time.

Many at Spurs expect big things from Vuskovic, and if one needs any more evidence of why the teenager is a one-of-a-kind talent, one needs to look no further than what his Hamburg teammates are saying about him.

Hamburg players in awe of Tottenham’s ‘monster’ Luka Vuskovic

Vuskovic broke a new record in Hamburg’s 0-0 draw with Union Berlin on Sunday, winning more aerial duals than any player has in a single game across Europe’s top-five leagues over the last five seasons.

His teammates are in disbelief at the dominance that the teenager is showing, and have showered praise on him after that performance.

Hamburg left-back Miro Muheim told Hamburger Morgenpost about the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur man: “He’s a monster, for sure. I don’t think he lost a single header. He’s doing a great job. The boy is a superb footballer and is helping us tremendously.

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HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes said: “When you see Luka, how he always went for headers as a flexible player. That was something you need in games like this. This aerial dominance he has, this presence. It’s simply something that’s good for us.”

Opposition coach admits Vuskovic was the difference

It is not just people from the Hamburg camp who were singing the Tottenham man’s praises after Sunday’s game.

Even Union Berlin assistant manager Sebastian Bonig identified the Croat’s aerial dominance as the reason for his side’s struggles to create chances.

Bonig said after the 0-0 draw: “Vuskovic simply won a lot of headers. That also meant we couldn’t get into our game.”

Now that the date of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup fourth round fixture has been confirmed, Thomas Frank will dread the nightmare schedule his side have been handed in late October and early November.

Following their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last week, Tottenham were drawn away at Newcastle in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

On Monday morning, Spurs found out that their trip to St James Park will be on October 29, with kick-off at 8 pm.

Beating the Magpies in St James Park for a place in the quarterfinal is no easy ask, and what makes it even more challenging for the Lilywhites is that the fixture is sandwiched in a busy period.

Why Thomas Frank will be dreading Tottenham’s schedule in October

Tottenham now know that their Carabao Cup clash will be sandwiched between two tough Premier League fixtures.

The game comes just three days after Spurs make their first-ever trip to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on Everton on October 26.

To make matters worse, the Lilywhites then have a London derby against Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 1, three days after their trip to the North East.

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Things do not get any easier for Frank’s men after that as they play a Champions League fixture against Copenhagen on November 4 before hosting Man United in the Premier League on November 8.

That means that the North London club will have five matches across just 14 days, with their squad set to be seriously tested.

Thomas Frank may have no choice but to de-prioritise the Newcastle clash

Frank has been more than happy to rotate his midfield and forward options, but the big question is which of these matches he will rotate his centre-back pairing in.

There is no chance that Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will both play all five games across those 14 days.

The Carabao Cup clash against Newcastle might be the tie to rest the pair, which will make progression to the quarterfinal even harder.

However, Newcastle are in a similar boat to Spurs, and one would expect Eddie Howe to also ring the changes for the clash.

French media are reporting that Randal Kolo Muani has had an interesting discussion with Thomas Frank, and have revealed what the striker is thinking about his Tottenham role following those talks.

The 26-year-old has made just one substitute appearance since his move to Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day and is still waiting for his Premier League debut.

Kolo Muani remains sidelined due to a dead leg, with the injury taking longer to heal than many at Tottenham first thought.

Some reports have indicated that Thomas Frank wants to use Kolo Muani on the left wing this season, and it has now emerged that the forward has spoken to the Tottenham head coach about his role.

Thomas Frank has reassured Randal Kolo Muani about his Tottenham role

According to a report in L’Equipe, the France international has now had a fresh conversation with the Danish coach and has been left reassured by his plans for him.

The outlet explains that Kolo Muani is now training alone due to his injury, which has a silver lining for the striker as he is now getting some fitness work done after joining Tottenham with no pre-season under his belt.

The on-loan PSG man has had a detailed conversation with Frank, which he did not get the chance to do before signing for Spurs on deadline day.

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The former Brentford boss has assured the forward that his plan is for him to compete with Richarlison for the number nine role, although he may also be used as a winger on the right at times.

Muani was left convinced by the chat and is now determined to prove his worth at Tottenham.

Details of Kolo Muani’s frustrating injury

L’Equipe explains that the Frenchman’s injury is proving to be more problematic than initially imagined. Kolo Muani is still feeling some pain in his thigh and is thus unlikely to make the trip to Elland Road this Saturday.

The striker picked up the injury due to an accidental clash in training with Pape Sarr two weeks ago, and it was initially thought that he would not even miss a single game.

In fact, the forward was included in the matchday squad the very next day, but he felt discomfort while ‘accelerating and lengthening his stride’.

The Spurs medical staff then ‘performed a puncture of the hematoma’ before sending the striker for imaging tests, which confirmed that there was no serious problem.

The striker has currently been put in a modified training program and hopes to return as soon as possible.

Micky van de Ven has reacted to the start that Xavi Simons has made to life at Tottenham Hotspur and has said that everyone has noticed something about his compatriot.

There was a lot of excitement about the attacking midfielder’s arrival at Spurs, but Tottenham fans are still waiting for the 22-year-old to announce his arrival with a statement performance.

Some believe that Xavi Simons’ struggles are due to Frank’s decision to use him out wide rather than centrally, but the Tottenham boss does not entirely agree.

Frank has insisted that Xavi can also shine on the half-spaces on the left and has admitted that his priority is to find the right balance for the midfield as a whole.

Micky van de Ven is convinced Xavi Simons will shine at Tottenham

Van de Ven knows the new Tottenham signing well from their time together in the Netherlands squad, and the defender believes that his international teammate has already shown glimpses of his creativity for the Lilywhites.

The centre-back said about his compatriot following the 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt (via Football.London): “He’s a really good player. He can create a lot of special things. I think you saw he came on and did really well. You can see the creativity he has.”

The former Wolfsburg defender admitted that he is doing his part to help Xavi settle into his new surroundings as quickly as possible.

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Van de Ven added about the attacking midfielder: “I speak a lot with him, but what also helps him a lot is that he speaks a lot of languages, so he can get on with a lot of players as well. I try to help him on and off the pitch with every small detail he asks for. I’m there for him to help him as much as possible.”

Van de Ven was proud to captain Spurs against Bodo/Glimt

The centre-back was handed the captain’s armband against Bodo/Glimt in the absence of his defensive partner, Cristian Romero, and he certainly delivered a captain’s performance.

Thomas Frank has said that Van de Ven will be part of his leadership group at Tottenham, and the centre-back admitted that it was a dream to lead out the Lilywhites in a Champions League fixture.

When asked about Frank’s comments on the leadership group, the 24-year-old responded: “I don’t know about that, he hasn’t mentioned that yet, but it was a proud moment for me to lead the group out in a Champions League game. It’s a moment you dream of when you’re a kid. I’m happy I could help the team, and we got the point.

“To be honest, I went into the game the same as I always do. It’s not like there is some extra pressure on you. I just did what I needed to do and tried to help the team as much as possible.”

Micky van de Ven believes that Tottenham Hotspur have already shown one strong attribute this season, even though some of their performances have not been as good as they had hoped for.

There are signs that Thomas Frank’s honeymoon period at Spurs is now ending, with questions now being raised about the Dane’s methods.

Some pundits have criticised Tottenham for being unable to create enough chances this season, despite the team’s defensive improvements.

However, one Spurs star is not too concerned with the outside noise and believes that he and his teammates have one thing to be proud of so far this campaign.

Micky van de Ven hails Tottenham’s mentality

Van de Ven, who was given the captain’s armband for Tuesday’s fixture, admitted that Tottenham struggled against Bodo/Glimt.

However, the centre-back insisted that he and his teammates showed in Norway, just as they did at Brighton, that they have a strong mentality, by bouncing back to get a point from a very difficult situation.

When asked about fighting back from 2-0 down to salvage a point, the defender said (via Football.London): “I think it shows our mentality. From our side, it was a really difficult game. We were 2-0 down and I think it shows our mentality to come back to 2-2 and get a point,” explained Van de Ven.

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“Today was not our best performance, of course. We struggled a bit today. Bodo was better. We didn’t get the pressure on the game as well. But at the end of the game it shows our mentality. We need to play better than today, overall.

“We did it twice now and it shows the mentality of the team. It’s not every time we are going behind and we just want to make a comeback. That’s not what happens. Of course, we need to make sure most of the time we are in front in the last couple of minutes, but I think it shows our mentality.”

Van de Ven expects things to click into gear under Thomas Frank

Frank has acknowledged that he is still working on finding his best Tottenham eleven for certain matches, but insisted that it was normal as he is still learning about the squad.

Van de Ven is not concerned about the teething problems, insisting that every player knows their role under the Dane’s system.

When asked if players are still adapting to Frank’s way of playing, the centre-back responded: “I think it’s all clear. Of course, when there is a new manager, you need to adapt a bit and probably need some time as well. But we know what to do. So it’s not a thing that’s [about a] change of manager, of course. But we know what to do, and that’s most important.”

“Every player that comes into the team has some quality. You have some players who don’t really have the rhythm, but it doesn’t really change anything for me or for the team. Every player that comes in needs to play his best, and I think everyone tries to do that every time he comes into the team.”

Tottenham Hotspur have managed to convince a national team not to call up one of their defenders for the October international fixtures.

Tottenham have been without Radu Dragusin for well over five months now, following the centre-back’s injury back in February during their Europa League tie with Elfsborg.

It was an ACL injury, and his time on the sidelines has been a lengthy one, but Dragusin is now back in training ahead of schedule and edging closer to a long-awaited return.

There is optimism around the club that the 23-year-old could make his way back into first-team action before the year comes to an end, as he continues to work tirelessly towards full fitness.

Tottenham convince Romania to leave Radu Dragusin out of squad

According to a report from The Sun, it is understood Dragusin was named on a preliminary list for Romania’s October international ties.

The Eastern European nation’s World Cup qualifying hopes are on the line, with a friendly tie against Moldova set to follow a crunch clash against Austria.

However, despite the importance of the tie, it is understood that Romania have reached an agreement with Spurs to leave Radu Dragusin out of the proper squad, allowing him to continue his recovery from the serious knee injury that has sidelined him since February.

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Should Romania lose to the Austrians while Bosnia-Herzegovina defeats Cyprus, their hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup finals will be over.

Spurs injury concerns remain under Thomas Frank

There is no fixed date for Dragusin’s full return, but his recovery is progressing well, and there is quiet confidence that he could return quicker than initially expected.

He is not the only Tottenham player currently sidelined, with Thomas Frank also missing Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski from his squad.

A Tottenham Hotspur player was recorded as the fastest player in the first week of the Champions League, and surprisingly, it was not Micky van de Ven.

No player clocked a higher top speed in the Premier League than Micky van de Ven, with the Dutchman being clocked at 37.12km/h in his first season in North London.

The only Spurs player who has even come close was Wilson Odobert, who was clocked at a top speed of 36.36km/h last season.

However, it is a different Tottenham Hotspur player who has registered the highest speed in the first week of the Champions League this term.

Tottenham defender is the quickest in the Champions League this season

According to TBR Football, Djed Spence recorded the highest top speed in the first week of this season’s Champions League. The Tottenham full-back was clocked at 33.4km/h during Spurs’ 1-0 win at home against Villarreal.

That was enough to just about beat Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who was just 0.2km/h slower than Spence.

This may not come as a surprise to anyone at Spurs, as Mikey Moore said a few months ago that Spence is just as quick as Van de Ven.

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Is the Djed Spence at left-back experiment working?

Like Ange Postecoglou, it appears that Thomas Frank has settled on left-back as the former Middlesbrough man’s best position.

The 25-year-old has been unbelievably solid defensively, and such is his confidence that Spence is even openly challenging wingers to beat him in one-v-one situations.

However, the England international is not able to offer much going forward when he is playing on the wrong side, as he is always having to cut inside every time.

That appears to be limiting Spurs down the left, particularly when Frank starts a right-footer like Wilson Odobert or Xavi Simons at left-wing, who also prefer to cut inside.

Thomas Frank has revealed what Tottenham were trying to do in the first half against Bodo/Glimt, and he believes that it worked relatively well, even though the home side were on top.

Bodo/Glimt were the far superior side in the first period at the Aspmyra Stadion, with the game bearing very little resemblance to the last time the two sides met at the venue almost five months ago.

Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to go into the interval with the scores level, with the home side failing to convert a spot-kick and missing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities.

The Lilywhites did well to salvage a point after conceding twice in the first 20 minutes of the second period, but the Spurs boss has made a curious claim about his side’s first-half display.

Thomas Frank reveals what Tottenham’s game plan was in the first-half against Bodo/Glimt

The Tottenham head coach has now admitted that he wanted Spurs to absorb pressure and hit Bodo/Glimt on the counter in the first period while also occasionally using the high press to win the ball up the pitch.

However, he confessed that his side did not make the most of the opportunities they had to break on their home side.

When asked if Tottenham’s plan was to sit back and play on the break in the first period, Frank said (via Football.London): “I think that was what we wanted. Hopefully, you also saw that we went high pressure sometimes. It was not that we never went high-pressure.

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“So the plan was both to go into the high-pressure situations, which we did on several occasions, and also succeed with those situations, and then there were times when we were a little bit more banked in.

“You know, exactly what we were four months ago, because they’re very, very good at what they’re doing. And then I think the counters should have been a little bit better. But I think the main bit was that when we were on the ball, we threw the ball away too quickly.”

Frank reveals if he was surprised by Bodo/Glimt

We know that the Danish coach is meticulous in opposition research, and he admitted that Bodo/Glimt’s play in the first half did not come as a surprise to him and his coaching staff.

However, Frank admitted that the Norwegian side did make a midfield tweak, and he was critical of the way his side defended Bodo’s first goal.

When asked about the home side’s dominance in the first period and if he was surprised by how they approached the game, the former Brentford boss responded: “I think they did exactly what I expected them to do in terms of how they wanted to play out, what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to put our pressure.

“I think the only little tweak was they were a little bit more flexible in the midfield rotation and a little bit more with the wingers coming inside. So that was a little bit more flexible compared to, let’s say, last game. So that was a tweak that maybe created a few problems in the first half, I think a little less in the second half.

“Even that they scored the goals, there were various reasons. Because actually the way we wanted to press, we just decided not to do at the 1-0 goal, even if it’s a fantastic finish from Hogh”

Tottenham Hotspur made the long trip to Norway, hoping to secure another three points in the Champions League, but their performance was simply not good enough.

Concerns were raised when Tottenham Hotspur had to face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final last season. However, Ange Postecoglou’s team played their best football across the two legs and stormed to a 5-1 win on aggregate.

With this in mind, Spurs were expected to triumph once again against the Champions of Norway. Despite this, it was another frustrating match for Thomas Frank and his players, who required yet another late goal to secure a draw.

There is little to be positive about after Tuesday’s game, but we will try and find something while looking at the three winners and losers of Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham.

Mohammed Kudus has nothing to worry about at Spurs

The only thing Mohammed Kudus can be criticised for so far this season is the fact that he is yet to score a goal. Other than that, the winger has been highly impressive since making the switch from West Ham.

He was brought on after an hour when Spurs trailed 1-0 and still managed to complete more dribbles than any other player on the pitch.

Kudus’ performance last night was nothing special, but he will be fancying his chances of comfortably remaining as Tottenham’s first-choice right winger. Wilson Odobert had one or two promising moments, but there are clear limitations to his game, while Brennan Johnson did not offer much in the attack.

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Micky van de Ven wore the captain’s armband

Micky van de Ven is only 24 years old, but he was given the opportunity to captain his team for the first time.

Better still, the defender scored the goal, which got Tottenham back in the game and helped them rescue a point. Fotmob rated van de Ven as the best player in the Spurs team.

However, it was his foul which caused a Tottenham goal to be disallowed and moments later, he received a yellow card after he took his frustration out on an opposition player. Hopefully, the night will have been a good learning experience for van de Ven.

Joao Palhinha will benefit from Tottenham’s midfield display

None of the Spurs midfielders had a great game against Bodo/Glimt, and that could help cement Joao Palhinha’s position in the first-team.

Some have criticised Frank for playing Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, and if only one could be chosen, it would surely be the Portuguese loanee. Bentancur made plenty of defensive contributions on Tuesday, but he gave away a penalty and offered little in attack.

Palhinha scored his second goal of the season to secure a point against Wolves and has impressed with his defensive displays. Tottenham travel to Leeds on Saturday, and it seems inevitable that Palhinha will be named in their starting lineup.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham…

Pedro Porro had a defensive disasterclass

Pedro Porro usually helps increase Tottenham’s creativity, and he certainly did more than Johnson last night. He even got the assist for van de Ven’s goal, which saw Spurs begin their comeback.

However, the 26-year-old’s defensive display brought to mind his struggles during the first half of last season. He lost five of his nine ground duels and was dribbled past four times against Bodo/Glimt.

Porro has been one of Tottenham’s best players during the current calendar year, but he was miles off it in Norway.

Richarlison was invisible for Spurs

Some might say it was Richarlison who applied the pressure to cause Jostein Gundersen’s own goal, but this was his only contribution on the night.

Richarlison played the full 90 minutes and yet managed just 10 touches. He missed one big chance and was barely involved in the game.

Now is the time for the Brazilian to show he is good enough to be Tottenham’s primary centre forward option, but he did not make the most of this opportunity. Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani will both be relishing the chance to put Richarlison back on the bench when they return from their injuries.

Guglielmo Vicario should be dropped by Tottenham

Hugo Lloris was not always consistent during his Tottenham days, but on his day he was world class. Guglielmo Vicario has had some standout moments since joining Spurs, but they are far less common than the Frenchman’s were.

Vicario conceded two goals and made two saves and his goals prevented figure was -0.79, highlighting a poor performance.

The Italian does not need to be benched permanently, but any player performing at his current level should be made to feel some pressure. Antonin Kinsky should be given an opportunity to start in a game which holds importance because Vicario is failing to show he is a reliable shot-stopper.