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Mathys Tel could be set for imminent Tottenham reprieve as two-month Kolo Muani timeline shared

Mathys Tel could be set to drastically benefit from Randal Kolo Muani’s latest injury issue at Tottenham.

The latter has had to wait patiently for his opportunity in the Premier League, as fitness issues have marred his time in N17 so far, after his loan move from PSG was sealed on deadline day.

Kolo Muani started for Tottenham in their chaotic draw with Manchester United on Saturday, and appears to have sustained an injury to his jaw after a collision with Harry Maguire.

Thomas Frank has only just got the frontman back up to speed with the rest of the squad, but he could already be set to lose him again for several months.

Tottenham can add Mathys Tel to Champions League squad

Kolo Muani’s latest injury at Tottenham is now understood to be more serious than first thought, as medical tests have revealed a fracture.

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The exact length of his absence is not yet confirmed, but he has been withdrawn from the France squad for the upcoming international break as a result.

The latest setback is hugely unfortunate for the 26-year-old, but it could be about to play perfectly into the hands of Tel.

Frank opted to leave the youngster out of his squad for the Champions League earlier in the season, but he could now come into the group in place of Kolo Muani, according to The Standard.

They suggest that the injured star could be set to face up to two months on the sidelines with his latest issue, with UEFA rules outlining that players can be replaced in the Champions League squad if they are set to miss over 60 days of action.

Tottenham would have to provide medical evidence to UEFA, and must do so before matchday six of the league phase, which comes on 6 December.

Tel is understood to be the “most likely” candidate to come into the group if a change is made, but with Spurs having just under a month to make the call, a decision will need to be made imminently, one way or the other.

Mathys Tel has the best minutes per goal in the squad in 2025-26

Tel has fallen badly out of favour at Tottenham since Frank’s arrival at the start of the summer, and that culminated in the decision to leave him out of the Champions League squad in the first place.

Nevertheless, the former Bayern Munich starlet has battled back well since that snub from his boss and has displayed an excellent attitude when he has received opportunities to impress.

The Frenchman came off the bench to net a vital goal for Spurs just five minutes after his introduction on Saturday, and he was part of the group of substitutes who changed the game for their team.

Tel has certainly made the most of his chances in recent weeks, and that can be highlighted by the fact that he boasts the best minutes per goal ratio of anyone in the squad in Premier League action.

The youngster is currently averaging a goal every 130 minutes in league action, which puts him at the top of the tree in terms of his teammates.

Throw in the fact that his conversion rate also currently stands at an impressive 33 per cent, and he could certainly argue that he deserves more starts in the coming weeks.

Kolo Muani’s latest injury will be a source of huge frustration for everyone else in N17, but for Tel, it could be the springboard that he needs.

Richarlison once again suffered the embarrassment of celebrating a last-minute goal wildly before Tottenham conceded one of their own.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw to Manchester United on Saturday leaves them fifth in the Premier League table, as their winless run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium continued.

Richarlison thought he’d won the game for Spurs after diverting his header past Senne Lammens in the 91st minute, only for Matthijs De Ligt to head home from a corner in the dying seconds to level it.

The draw represents another missed opportunity to secure a win against a top-four rival, and Gary Lineker was not impressed with Richarlison‘s celebration, something he has now created history with.

Richarlison creates history for all the wrong reasons

It’s a feeling of deja vu for Tottenham fans who have seen their Brazilian forward’s exuberant celebrations backfire.

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In April 2023, Richarlison scored a last-minute equaliser to complete Spurs’ comeback from 3-0 down against Liverpool, only for the late Diogo Jota to go down the other end and score a winner for the Reds.

After what he did against Man United, Richarlison is the first player in Premier League history to be booked twice for celebrating a 90th-minute goal only to see his side concede afterwards.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast on 10 November, Lineker criticised the rule of booking someone taking their shirt off, whilst also not holding back on Richarlison’s actions.

He said: “I think it’s a stupid law to get a yellow card for excessive celebrating. Even so, I know you can get overexcited, but you can do something other than ripping your shirt off. It’s a bit daft.”

Richarlison started the season brilliantly for Tottenham. However, after scoring three goals in his first five league matches, he has since been dropped for Randal Kolo Muani up front.

He has been inconsistent throughout his Tottenham career, and the January transfer window could see him leave in favour of regular minutes.

This season, Richarlison has registered a terrible pass accuracy of 63.6 per cent, while only having a dribble success rate of 50 per cent.

After signing from Everton for £60million in 2022, the 28-year-old has only scored 20 league goals in over three seasons, and it’s fair to say that it hasn’t worked out.

Thomas Frank started Richarlison and Kolo Muani against Man United, and the decision to play the Brazilian on the left wing somewhat backfired.

Thomas Frank’s Richarlison experiment fails badly

In the first half, Frank’s decision to try Richarlison on the left was incredibly poor as Spurs were completely outrun, and he was deployed through the middle for the second half.

The goal papers over the cracks that show he is simply not good enough to be counted on for Tottenham, despite scoring some crucial goals this season.

Richarlison’s Tottenham exit is on the cards, and it’s important to note that his performances off the ball can be horrific.

Odobert’s brilliant introduction on the left wing spurred on Tottenham’s revival, and he produced a lesson in how to provide a threat from a wide area.

Frank is keen on signing a new striker, with Brentford’s Igor Thiago said to be at the top of the list.

Richarlison may have overperformed his xG by 1.84, but it doesn’t hide from the fact that he is not trusted by Frank to frequently lead the line.

Keith Hackett has shared whether Amad Diallo could face retrospective action after the Manchester United player kicked a ball into the stands during the 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

Tottenham led United 2-1 heading into the 96th minute of Saturday’s eventful contest after Matthys Tel and Richarlison struck to cancel out Bryan Mbuemo’s opener.

However, Matthijs de Ligt headed in a last-gasp equaliser to earn Man United a 2-2 draw with Spurs in North London.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium playing surface raised eyebrows, but the match certainly lived up to expectations with talking points aplenty – particularly in the second half.

Amad Diallo kicks ball towards Tottenham fans

Tottenham’s home form remains a real concern, with De Ligt’s late goal giving Thomas Frank plenty to ponder.

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In the aftermath of that dramatic leveller at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, United attacker Amad was seen to boot a ball into the home section.

It was a foolish act from Amad and rightly angered the Tottenham fans sitting in the front rows of the stand.

However, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, former PGMOL chief Hackett said it is unlikely Amad will face any retrospective action.

“This action by Amad should have been dealt with by the referee on the day,” Hackett said.

“It is unlikely that any retrospective action will be taken, even taking into account the danger to fans of being hit by the ball from Amad’s kick.”

Spurs’ final Premier League position predicted by supercomputer

Opta’s supercomputer had Tottenham to finish 11th at full-time of Saturday’s match, but it has since updated to place them 10th.

Finishing just inside the top half would be an improvement on what we saw under Ange Postecoglou last season, but would clearly still not be good enough for Spurs fans.

Frank’s men are currently fifth, but the supercomputer can only see the Lilywhites dropping down the division.

That is a worry, but football is played on grass rather than spreadsheets.

The hope is that Spurs come back fired up ready for the huge showdown with Arsenal after the two-week break.

That is followed by a repeat of the 2025 UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain a few days later, so it is imperative Frank’s charges hit the ground running in a fortnight’s time.

Tottenham will almost certainly be without Cristian Romero for one of their upcoming encounters.

Even through the struggles over the last 12 months, Romero has been a consistent performer for Tottenham.

Micky van de Ven has earned his plaudits recently, though the Argentinian’s defensive capabilities have allowed him to thrive alongside him.

Romero suffered a slight injury scare in Spurs’ latest clash, but it is for a different reason that he looks set to miss one of their upcoming fixtures.

Suspension looms for Cristian Romero ahead of Arsenal clash

Providing Romero is deemed fit enough, he is nailed on to start when Tottenham travel to face Arsenal after the international break.

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His aerial presence will be crucial when it comes to defending set pieces, given that it is the style of play adopted by Mikel Arteta’s side.

However, after Romero picked up his fourth yellow card of the season in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Man United, he is now just one card away from a one-game suspension.

Should that card arrive in the North London derby, which is quite likely, it would see him miss their next Premier League encounter at home to Fulham.

With Tottenham winless in their last six league fixtures at home, that clash is shaping up to be a crucial one for the future of Thomas Frank.

Cristian Romero must be on best behaviour vs Arsenal

On paper, Tottenham should have enough to beat Fulham with or without Romero, but given the pressure that is on Frank to deliver results at home, they can’t afford to take any risks.

So far this season, FotMob has recorded Romero averaging 1.32 fouls per game, so to have picked up four yellow cards may be seen as harsh.

Given the fact that the North London derby is up next, officiating may be slightly more lenient, but anything more than two fouls would almost certainly see him receive a suspension.

Last time out against the Gunners, Romero only committed one foul and escaped a booking, but given the clash will be at The Emirates this time, the atmosphere may play on his mind.

Luka Vuskovic could be on his way back to Tottenham in January.

Tottenham had some key decisions to make in the summer, and a lot of them revolved around their youth players.

Mikey Moore joined Rangers on loan, Will Lankshear moved to Oxford for the season, and Vuskovic joined Bundesliga outfit Hamburger.

The former two are almost certainly set to see the campaign out with their current clubs, but after what Vuskovic did in Hamburger’s clash with Dortmund at the weekend, his loan could be cut short.

Luka Vuskovic is making his mark in the Bundesliga

Vuskovic is one of Tottenham’s brightest prospects, but given the form of Micky van de Ven in particular this season, it was decided early that he would leave on loan for the season.

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Since making the move to Hamburger, the Croatian centre-back has made nine appearances for the German outfit, with one goal to his name.

However, his defensive performances have been crucial, and it was no different against Dortmund as his side held them to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Via FotMob, Vuskovic completed 96 per cent of his passes, which was the most accurate of anyone on the pitch at Volksparkstadion.

The 18-year-old made 10 clearances, nine of which were in the air, with a 100 per cent aerial duel win rate.

With three interceptions and two blocks in the game, Vuskovic was outstanding.

His performances are improving each week, and should that continue, Tottenham may look to recall him to utilise him this season.

Luka Vuskovic best in Europe for key stat

Vuskovic has shown a level of maturity in his game that is almost unseen for someone of his age.

His composure on the ball is remarkable, but his physicality is often lauded as his biggest attribute, and that is showcased by the fact that he averages the most aerial duel wins out of any centre back in Europe’s top five leagues.

The teenager averages 6.72 per game, with Sunderland’s Dan Ballard the closest to him with 6.04.

Spurs have solid defensive options, but Vuskovic could bolster them even further should he return.

Tottenham have retained a small chance of making the Premier League’s Champions League spots after drawing to Manchester United on Saturday.

Two stoppage-time goals saw Tottenham draw 2-2 with Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to make it consecutive games without victory in the Premier League.

Richarlison‘s 91st-minute header looked to have completed a miraculous turnaround for Thomas Frank‘s side, but Matthijs de Ligt rose highest to head in a 96th-minute equaliser.

Tottenham’s home form was again criticised after the draw with Manchester United, with the Lilywhites now without a win in their last five Premier League fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since moving in 2019, Tottenham have lost 41 Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – an appalling number.

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Supercomputer predicts 11th place for Tottenham

Frank would have been happy to see his side come out swinging in the second half, fighting back from a goal down to take the lead.

But ultimately, it was a soft goal that saw De Ligt equalise, and it will go down as more points dropped in the Premier League this season.

At fifth place, Tottenham are not necessarily in a bad position, but such are the margins tight between second and even 12th, just one bad weekend could see Frank’s side drop as many as seven places in the table.

Opta‘s supercomputer will update throughout the season, and after Saturday’s draw, it has predicted that Tottenham will finish 11th in the league this season.

Frank’s side have just a 0.21 per cent chance of winning the title at this stage, while they retain only an 8.48 per cent chance of making it into the Champions League qualification spots.

The stats behind Tottenham’s poor start

Tottenham fans may, understandably, question why their team has been predicted to finish so low down the table and behind the likes of Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, despite currently sitting well above them.

But it is the underlying stats behind the performances which are flagging up on the supercomputer’s model.

Just five teams in the Premier League have produced fewer expected goals (xG) this season than Tottenham, who have scored 19 goals from just 11 expected.

And only six teams have conceded fewer expected goals against (xGA) than Frank’s side, who have conceded just 10 goals from 15.2 expected.

The stats are just that, for now. But xG often has a way of catching up throughout the season, and Tottenham may well find themselves in trouble should they not dramatically improve.

Randal Kolo Muani has pulled out of the France international squad after tests revealed a serious injury to his jaw.

Didier Deschamps called up Muani for next week’s international camp, rewarding the 26-year-old for breaking into the Tottenham team.

The on-loan from Paris Saint-Germain striker was injured at the start of the season, but has started through the middle in four of the last five games for Thomas Frank‘s side.

Muani started on Saturday, as Tottenham drew 2-2 with Manchester United, but was withdrawn at half-time.

It emerged after the game that the forward was substituted after taking a blow to the jaw, although no real concern was exercised at the time.

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Randal Kolo Muani suffers serious jaw injury

Dominic Solanke underwent surgery on an ankle issue in October, and is not expected to return until the middle of December.

In his absence, Frank has explored his options, giving minutes to Mathys Tel, Muani and Richarlison through the middle.

Richarlison has been slammed for his performances this season, however, with the striker failing to follow up his superb form at the start of the season.

Both the Brazilian and Tel scored against Manchester United on Saturday, however, which may make Tottenham’s latest injury blow slightly easier to swallow.

Fabrice Hawkins reported on Sunday that further tests on Muani’s jaw have revealed a fracture, with the injury “more serious than expected”.

What will Tottenham miss in Muani absence?

Muani has not exactly set the world alight since taking the starting role for Tottenham. The striker has taken just one shot across four Premier League games, and has created just two chances.

Incredibly, in 191 minutes of league action, the Frenchman has enjoyed just three touches in the opposition’s penalty area, emphasising just how little of the ball the 26-year-old has seen.

Muani does offer a presence up front, and has completed 83 per cent of his passes, but in truth, much of the concern surrounding his injury may be directed at the likeliest replacement for him.

Richarlison has taken huge criticism for his performances in recent weeks, with Saturday’s match seeing him miss another huge chance before scoring late on.

Still, the forward has scored four goals from an expected 2.16 in the Premier League this season, and gets shots away at a far higher rate than his alternatives.

Richarlison’s pressing numbers are also strong, with the Brazilian winning 38 duels so far this season, and making 18 recoveries.

At a time in which Tottenham desperately need results, Frank may well be forced to turn back to the 28-year-old, although the hope will be that Muani can return soon after the international break.

Thomas Frank remains in the shadow of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.

Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham over the summer despite leading the Lilywhites to Europa League glory in Bilbao.

Many believed this was the right decision and were happy to see Frank appointed as Tottenham manager, following the Australian’s departure.

There have already been plenty of ups and downs under the Dane, with Spurs’ 2-0 away win over Manchester City being a particular low point.

Frank still has some way to go to become a success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he remains statistically well behind Postecoglou.

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Ange Postecoglou had an electric start at Tottenham

The ex-Celtic boss had some shining moments in North London, but has gone on to have some tricky times in his career.

Nottingham Forest sacked Postecoglou after just 39 days in charge earlier in the season, leaving him without a role at this stage.

The negativity surrounding the 60-year-old has continued to grow, but that certainly wasn’t the case when he took over at Spurs.

The new head coach racked up 26 points in his opening 11 Premier League games after joining from the Scottish Premiership, leaving his side in second in the table behind Man City.

Things may have turned sour in his second season, but there is no getting away from how excellent his start was in N17.

Frank can only look at the start Postecoglou made with envy after what’s gone down since the Dane was appointed.

Thomas Frank well behind Postecoglou record at Tottenham

The man hired from Brentford has had some positive moments as Spurs head coach, but he has certainly left fans frustrated at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Home fixtures have caused problems for the Dane, and that has taken a knock on his early points tally in the Premier League.

Frank has clocked up 18 points in his opening 11 league games in charge of the Lilywhites, eight fewer than Postecoglou in his debut campaign.

The irony is that the Aussie boss would be sitting joint top of the division alongside Arsenal if he had replicated that output this year.

The new Tottenham head coach certainly has work to do if he is to prove himself and leave a similar legacy to Postecoglou in North London.

Spurs are breaking all the wrong records at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw to Manchester United on Sunday represented another missed opportunity to secure a win against a top-four rival.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been anything but a fortress, and Thomas Frank has adapted poorly to life at his new home.

Frank has been under scrutiny for the quality of performances, despite his side sitting fifth in the Premier League table.

The latest result has them down as the team with the worst home record in the Premier League in 2025.

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Tottenham’s home record reaches new low

Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea sparked demands for an improvement at home, yet they started the game against Man United incredibly poorly once again.

Despite conceding a last-minute equaliser, Spurs were arguably fortunate to be in a winning position given their performance for the first 80 minutes.

Tottenham have only collected 14 points from their past 20 home games. No top-flight side has a worse record than that.

Spurs have lost 60 per cent (9/15) of their home matches this year, which is the highest they’ve ever recorded in the Premier League.

Tottenham can match a 22-year record if they lose another game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the calendar year, with 1994 and 2003 marking the only years they have lost 10 league games at home.

Their three remaining games of the year are against Fulham, Brentford, and Liverpool, and there’s every chance that another loss could be on the cards.

It’s staggering to think that Spurs have the best away record in the league at the moment, and if it weren’t for those results in N17, they could be in a title race.

How Spurs can improve at home?

It’s important to note that Ange Postecoglou has been in charge for the majority of Tottenham’s games in 2025, yet Frank has done nothing to improve on that.

It’s clear that they need more incisive play in the final third, and Wilson Odobert’s starring performance on Saturday has given Frank a selection headache.

The injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have hampered creativity, whilst both Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani are constantly being rotated in and out of the team.

Spurs have found it incredibly tough to break down teams who sit back, and Frank must find a solution in their upcoming games against Fulham and Brentford.

Of course, Frank faces no real pressure, but he needs to find a way of playing fluid football in front of the 60,000 Tottenham fans rather quickly.

Cristian Romero has been criticised for his lack of recovery runs by Stuart Pearce during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

In a chaotic match, there were plenty of talking points as Spurs were robbed of a win at the death thanks to a late Matthijs de Ligt.

Despite many underperforming on the day, Romero was easily one of Tottenham’s best players against the Red Devils.

Yet, Pearce believes it is only a matter of time before the captain will cost Spurs as the former England international blasted the Argentine.

Stuart Pearce: It’s horrific what Cristian Romero is doing

So far this campaign, the importance of Spurs’ captain has been clear to see.

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When Tottenham have not had Romero, they have been dreadful, with the clash against Bodo/Glimt being a perfect example.

However, when he has played, the defender has been key to ensuring that Spurs remain secure and do not go back to their leaky ways from last season.

Yet, Pearce was horrified by Romero’s display when watching the match on talkSPORT on 8 November.

Highlighting his lack of recovery runs, the pundit insists that if this doesn’t change, it will cost Spurs in the future.

He said: “I tell you what, it’s absolutely horrific what Romero’s doing at the moment.

“I don’t want to pick on one individual, but he loses the ball in midfield, and there’s no recovery run at all.

“When you’re a defender, you need to have a defensive mindset that you get back goalside of the ball, and he doesn’t.

“That’ll be costly to his team not just today but going forward if he plays in this manner.”

While Romero is a fantastic player, Pearce may have a point, and Thomas Frank should look to have a word with the defender.

No player is perfect, and if there is a way to improve his game, the manager should look to do this.

What were Romero’s stats against Manchester United?

According to Fotmob on 8 November, Romero had a great game against Man United.

The defender won 64 per cent of his ground duels, while also performing five tackles and eight recoveries.

His passing accuracy was also on point at 93 per cent, on top of producing a 0.35 xG.

Now, Romero will need to ensure these types of displays do not drop off going into the international break, as he will be vital for the upcoming festive run-in.