Football London

Tottenham return to Premier League action against Aston Villa this weekend, with Dominic Solanke delivering an injury update after undergoing surgery on his ankle

Dominic Solanke has been plagued by an ankle issue since pre-season, with surgery ultimately deemed necessary to fix the problem. After missing almost all of Spurs' friendlies, the forward made a number of cameos in competitive action before being ruled out of facing his former club Bournemouth in late August.

He has not featured since the 2-0 win over Manchester City nearly eight weeks ago. When asked about Solanke's progress, Frank offered hopeful updates, but that ended last month when arguably the worst-case scenario was confirmed.

"Dom we know got that ankle issue that's been bothering him for a little while," he said. "Decided to have minor surgery. Small procedure. More news about time frame after the international break."

That date has now arrived, with Frank expected to provide a more accurate return timeline in his press conference later today. Richarlison and Mathys Tel have shared striker duties in his absence, with the latter scoring his first goal of the season in the 2-1 win over Leeds United.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani has missed a similar amount of action as Solanke, but he was able to play 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week.

Though all three aforementioned players can and have played up top, Solanke is arguably Spurs' best option, and therefore, likely supporters are eager for him to return. The 28-year-old has since shed some light on his recovery in an update to social media on Thursday.

Alongside an Instagram post that includes several very different images, he said: "Positivity through the dark times." Solanke is likely referring to his injury, but it is certainly good to see that he is not allowing his mood to be impacted too much.

He has also been keeping his mind occupied over the last few months with pictures showing him in the United States, working at Hotspur Way and at a Coldplay concert alongside James Maddison. The latter is also currently absent after tearing his ACL during pre-season.

Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai have also missed large chunks with injuries, while Ben Davies and Yves Bissouma have handed Frank fresh fitness worries before Sunday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The former limped off in Wales' defeat to Belgium, while Bissouma was stretchered off with what looked to be a serious ankle injury just moments after coming on for Mali. Frank is expected to provide updates on the duo and Solanke at his press conference later today.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank faces key decisions across the pitch, including between the sticks but reports suggest the training ground performances of Antonin Kinksy and Guglielmo Vicario may make the decision easier

Antonin Kinksy has reportedly regressed in his progression which has raised alarms for Tottenham Hotspur's coaching staff. The 22-year-old Czech shot-stopper has made just one appearances this season, coming in the Carabao Cup, as he has been forced to sit behind Guglielmo Vicario.

Kinksy was afforded a place in the starting eleven last season under Ange Postecoglou after the Italian goalkeeper suffered a long-term injury. The successor made a string of impressive performances, including his debut in the Carabao Cup semi-final win over Liverpool - however, BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel has claimed that there has been a drop off in performances from the youngster.

The Czech talent is seven years Vicario's junior and is likely to be viewed as a goalkeeper for the future in North London. Vicario is said to have come in for criticism this season, despite a positive start under Thomas Frank, with some question marks surrounding the goalkeeper's capability to command his area.

The shot-stopper was at fault for the goal against Leeds United, where Spurs managed to claim victory to move into third. It has led to reports of possible movement in the January window for an alternative option between the sticks.

But Mokbel, in a question and answer on the BBC Sport website, has moved to dispel claims of targets in the forthcoming January window.

However, in rubbishing reports of additions in goal at the turn of the year, he revealed a worrying sign regarding Kinsky's development after the 22-year-old's performance levels diminishing of late.

"I don't believe a new goalkeeper will be a priority for Tottenham anytime soon," he said. "With regards to Kinsky – he made a very promising start to life at Spurs when he arrived in January.

"He played regularly under then manager Ange Postecoglou because Vicario was a long-term injury absentee.

"But I've been told that his performances dropped off, even in training, once Vicario moved closer to fitness. That certainly raised an alarm for the previous coaching team."

In January after his debut heroics against Arne Slot's side, then-Spurs manager Postecoglou said: "We sensed his confidence when we first spoke to him.

"That is a big occasion for a young lad and he handled himself outstandingly."

Tottenham will return to Premier League action this weekend, facing Aston Villa at home, but several players are still recovering from injury

Thomas Frank is still managing an extensive Tottenham Hotspur injury list ahead of their home clash with Aston Villa this Sunday.

The Premier League resumes after the international break, with Tottenham aiming for back-to-back wins. Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus scored for the visitors against Leeds United in their last game before the pause.

Over the past few days, Frank has closely monitored his players' involvement in international matches, hoping to avoid further injury setbacks. Unfortunately, Yves Bissouma was not so lucky, suffering an ankle injury while on international duty with Mali.

Bissouma has been ruled out after appearing to be in significant pain and being stretchered off the pitch. Sources close to the Mali national team have told football.london that he is expected to miss around two to three weeks, if all goes to plan.

Striker Dominic Solanke is still recovering from an ankle issue, with Frank confirming at the end of September that he underwent a 'minor procedure'.

"It went well," the Spurs boss said. "As I said in Bodo, in terms of a time frame, we'll know more after the international break."

Meanwhile, Randal Kolo Muani is nearing a return after resuming training and could be involved this weekend. Kota Takai, who has been dealing with a plantar fascia issue, has returned to full training and may also be available to feature against Villa.

Dejan Kulusevski is expected to remain sidelined longer as he recovers from a knee injury. Frank emphasized his importance to the squad: "He's a key, key player for us. Instead of putting an exact month on his return, I just want him back as quickly as possible.

"I know the medical team and Dejan are working very hard on that. It's not tomorrow, hopefully not too far away."

Radu Dragusin has shown positive signs following his ACL injury. "He's progressing well," Frank confirmed.

"He's been on the grass for three weeks and is on track, but it will be a few weeks before he's able to be involved."

Long-term absentee James Maddison is not expected back until next summer after rupturing his ACL during pre-season.

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma suffered an ankle injury on Sunday while away on international duty with Mali

Yves Bissouma is expected to be sidelined for weeks - rather than months - after picking up an ankle injury in Mali's 4-1 World Cup qualification win over Madagascar on Sunday.

The tough-tackling midfielder was stretchered off just a matter of seconds after entering the fray as a substitute.

Although Bissouma is yet to feature for Spurs this season, there were fears he was set for a long spell on the sidelines.

However, Football.London has been told by sources close to the Mali national team camp that Bissouma is expected to miss around two to three weeks of action with the injury, if all goes to plan.

Spurs medical staff are expected to survey the injury themselves when Bissouma returns to London but the ex-Brighton maestro is understood to have suffered an ankle contusion (significant bruising).

With treatment and physiotherapy, Bissouma could be back on the grass before the end of the month, though there will be a reluctance to rush his return given he has only just shaken off a knee issue.

The 29-year-old, who came close to joining Fenerbahce in the summer transfer window, was dropped from Thomas Frank's squad for the UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG in August due to a disciplinary issue.

Bissouma has since received several public messages of support online from his international colleagues since suffering his injury.

He has also issued a statement in which he outlined his ambition to recover as soon as possible.

"Zero regrets," Bissouma wrote on Instagram. "I once again thoroughly enjoyed representing my country, and if I had to do it all over again, I would do it for the love of my country.

"I fell, but I will know how to get back up. Every challenge is a lesson, every fall a reminder of my faith and my strength. This is not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter, stronger, more determined. See you soon."

Bissouma was omitted from Tottenham's Champions League squad in early September. Speaking after the decision, Frank insisted that Bissouma still had a future in N17, providing he impressed during training.

The Dane said: "There are no hard feelings at all. Not before, not now, not at all. Train well and everyone has an opportunity."

The arrival of Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha has pushed the Mali international further down the pecking order.

While he started last season's Europa League final, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are all favoured by Frank.

Aston Villa's former president of football operations Monchi has been speaking about Daniel Levy and his experiences dealing with the ex-Spurs chairman

Monchi, who recently stepped down from his role upstairs at Aston Villa, has labelled Daniel Levy as the toughest negotiator in football.

The Spaniard recently departed his role as Villa's president of football operations and he has now opened up on his experiences having also spent in excess of 20 years at Sevilla across two respective spells.

Speaking to Flashscore, Monchi said when asked who was the trickiest negotiator within football: "[There were] Many. I always say Daniel Levy, possibly one of the hardest to negotiate with.

"Tottenham has always been a difficult club, but generally speaking, you find very capable people, with a lot of arguments, and they are complicated."

Monchi did not go into detail and clarify which particular transfer deals were discussed with Levy.

Intriguingly, just a matter of months after Monchi joined Villa, Johan Lange departed to join Spurs where he has now been appointed sporting director.

However, during Monchi's Villa tenure, there were transfer negotiations with Spurs over potential deals for Jacob Ramsey and Giovani Lo Celso.

Tottenham were also understood to be interested in signing Morgan Rogers this summer, though it's unclear whether that was ever a topic discussed between the clubs.

It's highly probable that Monchi is actually referencing his time at Sevilla when it comes to discussing Levy's stubbornness.

Plenty of deals were struck between the parties back then, one being when Spurs triggered the £8million release clause of Sevilla centre-back Federico Fazio in 2014.

Tottenham also sold striker Frederic Kanoute to Sevilla for around £5.5million, making £2m profit on the £3.5m paid to London rivals West Ham for his services in 2003.

Spurs also sold midfielder Didier Zokora to Sevilla in 2009 for an undisclosed fee, however, it's understood a £25m release clause was also inserted into the deal.

Monchi also negotiated the player-plus-cash swap deal in July 2021 which saw Tottenham land Bryan Gil.

Fan-favourite Erik Lamela ended up heading the other way and Spurs were also reported to have paid Sevilla £21.4m on top of the player-swap for the Spaniard, who is still on the club's books.

Speaking to The Evening Standard in 2019, Levy - who vacated his role as Tottenham chairman in early September - strongly refuted claims he was the best negotiator in football.

He said: “The perception and the reality, I can tell you, can be very different. Best negotiator? I think that’s just false. There’s no such thing. You can be good, fair, hard. I don’t think anyone can define themselves as the best.

"I can’t help what other people say, but all I am doing is trying to become a bigger club and I am just protecting my assets.”

It's also worth nothing that Monchi was once heavily linked with a move to Spurs, though it's unclear whether formal discussions ever took place.

Fabio Paratici has formally returned to Tottenham as joint sporting director and will work alongside fellow chief Johan Lange

Newly-appointed Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici has made it clear Spurs will be "ready" to strengthen Thomas Frank's squad in January - should the right opportunity arise. The Italian chief, who has been working for the Europa League winners on a consultancy basis, has now officially sealed his long-awaited return to N17 following a 30-month ban imposed by FIFA.

Paratici will now be working alongside Johan Lange and will focus his efforts on players (regarding matters such as contracts), the transfer market plus the loans and pathways department. Speaking to the club's official YouTube channel, Paratici was asked about his priorities from the get-go.

"About the transfer window? I think we are always ready. Ready to speak about players, we work every day, scouting, academy, inside," he said.

"It's our job, it's our work, maybe it's even our life and so we are always ready. Personally, I like this job, I love football, I love this job especially when we play every three days and when there is a transfer window. It's exciting to be inside of this kind of period."

The interview took place alongside Lange, who will be responsible for overseeing performance, the club's scouting network and Tottenham's academy. Still, collectively, they will make decisions together.

Lange added: "As Fabio said, it feels like we just ended one transfer window but the next one is coming which is very good.

"At the same time we have over 300 colleagues here at the training ground, working all of the time, driving each department. We know it will require everything, from each member of staff for us to be successful as we want to be.

"We have clear targets for each of the departments around the training centre and those good processes have one focus at the end which is to improve the performances of the men's first-team on the pitch."

Spurs were active throughout the summer transfer window, signing a number of players for their first-team squad. The loans of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso were turned permanent while Luka Vuskovic also formally completed his switch from Hajduk Split, a deal which was agreed back in 2023.

Young Japanese defender Kota Takai also arrived from Kawasaki Frontale while big cash was spent on Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, who arrived from West Ham and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Tottenham also utilised the loan market to bring in Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich and France international striker Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.

Further trading could still materialise this winter though as boss Thomas Frank continues to put his own stamp on the Europa League-winning squad he inherited from Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham legend Harry Kane has a £54million release clause in his Bayern Munich contract that can be activated in January

Harry Kane says he hopes Tottenham can win more trophies following last season's Europa League triumph - but he has also reiterated that he is currently not thinking about a return to north London. Last month, Spurs boss Thomas Frank made it clear he would welcome the England captain back to N17 with open arms.

That prompted Kane to address his future and in doing so, he revealed he was not only settled in Germany but additionally, he was also open to extending his contract with Bayern Munich. Kane's current deal with Bayern is up in the summer of 2027 and there is a £54million release clause that can be activated in January should any English club wish to bring him back to the Premier League.

However, speaking to The Daily Mail, Kane has now reaffirmed that an emotional return to Tottenham isn't currently at the forefront of his mind - even if he was delighted by the club's Europa League heroics.

He said: "I’m not sure [if he'll go back]. I’m very happy here in Munich. It’s not something I'm thinking about. It’ll always be 'we' [when speaking about Spurs] because I spent my whole life there.

"I’m a fan of them and will always watch them and see how they’re getting on. They will always be a part of my life for sure but as for now, I’m loving it here. It was great to see [them win a trophy], I’ve got a lot of friends there with the players and staff.

"We know how long we waited and how close we’d come in the past so it was big for everyone - the fans, the club and all involved to have that feeling and get that one over the line. That’s always important and hopefully they can push on and win more."

Kane currently has 213 Premier League goals to his name meaning he is just 47 goals shy of breaking Alan Shearer's all-time goalscoring record.

But even if the 32-year-old was to return to his homeland and break that record, there is no guarantee it would last as Erling Haaland is hitting the back of the net for fun.

The Norwegian, who has 94 top-flight goals to his name from 104 appearances, will soon enter the Premier League's iconic 100 Club and after signing a new bumper Manchester City contract that will run until 2034 - he has no intention of slowing down.

Bayern frontman Kane is also arguably in the greatest form of his career having already plundered 21 goals for club and country this season following last night's brace against Latvia. Given he's firing on all cylinders, it's extremely difficult to envisage him switching clubs with a World Cup also on the horizon.

Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma picked up the injury just seconds after entering the field for Mali against Madagascar

Yves Bissouma has issued a statement on Instagram after he was stretchered off with an injury on international duty with Mali. The Tottenham defensive midfielder had only been on the field a matter of seconds when he picked up the issue on Sunday against Madagascar following a strong tackle.

Bissouma is yet to feature for Spurs this season as he has been building up his fitness following a knee problem. Slowly but surely, he was on the comeback trail after the injury had scuppered a potential transfer to Turkish giants Fenerbahce. However, Bissouma now appears to have injured his ankle and his left foot is now in a protective boot.

He said when addressing fans on social media: "Zero regrets. I once again thoroughly enjoyed representing my country, and if I had to do it all over again, I would do it for the love of my country.

"I fell, but I will know how to get back up. Every challenge is a lesson, every fall a reminder of my faith and my strength. This is not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter, stronger, more determined. See you soon."

Tottenham are yet to provide an update on exactly how long Bissouma could be sidelined for but football.london will be at Thomas Frank's pre-Aston Villa press conference on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who is out of contract in north London at the end of the season, was the first of two Spurs players to get injured while away on international duty after defender Ben Davies limped off in Wales' 4-2 defeat to Belgium.

Back in August, Spurs boss Frank omitted the Malian from his travelling squad for Super Cup in Udine against Paris Saint-Germain due to persistent lateness.

While the Dane declared he was willing to welcome back Bissouma with open arms, the midfielder has now faced yet another notable setback.

Bissouma was a prominent figure under Ange Postecoglou and played an integral role in the club's historic Europa League triumph - ending the gruelling 17-year wait for silverware.

He played 44 times in all competitions, scoring two goals and started both legs of the semi-final against Bodo/Glimt and the final against Manchester United in Bilbao.

Prior to that, he was on the periphery of Postecoglou's team before a heart-to-heart discussion with the Aussie amid a concerning injury crisis paved the way for his redemption.

All-action Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro has featured in all 11 of the club's matches so far this season

Pedro Porro has declared he is happy at Tottenham as he looks to build on last season's Europa League success. The Spain international full-back has been a major hit since joining Spurs on an initial six-month loan deal that became permanent in the summer of 2023.

Porro has been a key figure under each of the five head coaches - Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini, Ryan Mason, Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank - he has played under in N17.

Speaking while away on international duty, Porro made it clear he has no intention of leaving Tottenham anytime soon.

The 26-year-old told Infobae: “The truth is, I’m very happy and very settled at Tottenham. The start of the season has been very good.

“It’s a shame we lost the Super Cup final on penalties against PSG. 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.”

Spurs soon recovered from their Super Cup heartbreak in Udine, however, and their start to the new season has been rather impressive despite the odd blip.

Porro has played in all 11 of Tottenham's matches so far this season, recording two assists in the process.

Frank's side are just two points off top spot in the Premier League and they have only lost once - 1-0 to Bournemouth - in the Premier League this term.

The Spaniard believes Frank is “doing a magnificent job", having seemingly settled into his new surroundings incredibly quickly.

Porro also discussed how he balances defensive and attacking responsibilities as he strives to impact the game at both ends of the pitch.

He continued: “Nowadays, you have to be important in both roles. 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 teammates when they need it.”

The former Sporting defender is well on his way to establishing himself as Spain's first-choice right-back ahead of next summer's World Cup.

He has started their last three matches and has featured in 10 of their past 11 games after previously missing out on a place in the La Roja squad which won Euro 2024.

Thomas Frank is claimed to be a big fan of one Tottenham Hotspur signing who has made quite the impression since he joined the north London side on loan this summer.

Tottenham 'can see themselves' triggering their buy option for Joao Palhinha - according to reports. The 30-year-old signed for Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich on a season-long loan deal this summer.

Palhinha had spent two years in the Premier League with Fulham before his £44.4m move to Bayern Munich was confirmed in July 2024. However, the Portugal international struggled during his time at the Allianz Arena. Indeed, he made just 25 appearances across all competitions and was not part of Vincent Kompany's first-choice XI.

Spurs expressed an interest in signing Palhinha before the start of the 2025/2026 season - and then they ended up getting a deal across the line for him to make his debut in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. He scored his first Tottenham goal in the 2-0 win at Manchester City and has made quite the impact since his move.

Due to his impressive performances, Tottenham are seriously contemplating triggering the option to buy Palhinha, according to Sky Sport Germany. It's added that Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as the club's head coach in June, is a 'big fan' and has an 'excellent relationship' with the former Sporting CP midfielder.

A return to Bayern Munich is not expected to occur, due to a lack of game-time last season, though there has not yet been concrete talks between the Bundesliga champions and Tottenham, at this juncture.

The loan has been a success so far and Palhinha is content with his start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having started in each of their first seven Premier League matches this season.

Last month, Palhinha scored his third Tottenham goal and his second at home as he rescued a late 1-1 draw against Wolves. Speaking post-match, he outlined that Frank has allowed him license to get forward more.

Palhinha told Tottenham's official website: "First of all, I feel glad to score these goals, but I think also the coach is demanding sometimes in the game for me to be more inside the box. These goals happen because I am there - if I am not too far from the box - and I tried to get the chances, and today I scored a good goal.

"But if you ask me if I would change the goal for the victory, for sure I would do it, but it is like this."

Next up for Palhinha and Tottenham is the Premier League game against Aston Villa on Sunday, October 19. They then travel to AS Monaco in the Champions League before then making the trip to Everton in the top-flight.