Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison latest news and return dates
Tottenham Injury Crisis: Latest on Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma, and James Maddison
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves under mounting pressure as the summer transfer window edges toward its final hours. With fans demanding meaningful reinforcements and manager Thomas Frank already contending with a stretched squad, Spurs’ injury list is once again becoming a major talking point.
One of the biggest concerns surrounds new signing Dominic Solanke. The striker, who joined Spurs with high expectations following his successful stint at Bournemouth, is now facing a serious setback. According to several respected sources, Solanke’s condition has worsened significantly, and the forward may require surgery before he can return to action. This development casts doubt over his immediate impact at the club and leaves Tottenham with a dilemma in attack as they consider how best to cover his absence.
Frank attempted to downplay the situation ahead of Spurs’ recent clash against Bournemouth, telling the press:
“Yeah got a minor issue with his ankle. That’s been a little bit grumbling also in the pre-season. It’s just too much for this game and now we have international break so hopefully he can be ready after that.”
However, the latest reports suggest the situation is more serious than initially indicated. If surgery is indeed required, Solanke could be sidelined for several months, robbing Spurs of a forward who was expected to add depth, physicality, and goals to Frank’s system.
Unfortunately for Tottenham, Solanke is not the only player currently sidelined. Midfielder Yves Bissouma has also joined the growing injury list. The Malian international was close to securing a move away from Spurs this summer, with reports linking him to a potential switch to Turkey. That move collapsed after he failed a medical, and it has now emerged that he is injured as well. Frank confirmed the setback before Tottenham’s victory against Manchester City:
“Unfortunately he got injured in training yesterday, so very unfortunate. An injury we look into how much it is. Biss will miss this game.”
Bissouma’s absence further limits Frank’s midfield options, particularly given that Tottenham are already without one of their most influential figures in James Maddison.
The England international has suffered a devastating ACL injury that has kept him out for an extended period. Unlike Solanke, who might yet be available after surgery later in the season, there is no timeline on Maddison’s recovery. Spurs have refrained from putting any return date on the midfielder, which indicates the seriousness of his condition. Losing Maddison is a bitter blow, as he was expected to be the creative fulcrum of Frank’s system, linking midfield to attack and easing the pressure on new signings Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons.
Adding to the gloom is the fact that defender Radu Dragusin is also working his way back from a long-term ACL problem. The Romanian centre-back is expected to return before Christmas, but his absence has stretched Tottenham’s defensive depth during the opening weeks of the campaign.
For Frank, these injuries come at the worst possible time. He inherited a squad that, despite winning the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou last season, collapsed domestically and finished a miserable 17th in the Premier League. The new manager was already tasked with steadying the ship and pushing Tottenham back into the European places. Now, with Solanke, Bissouma, and Maddison out, that challenge has grown even steeper.
It is a situation that places added pressure on Daniel Levy and the ENIC ownership group. After years of frustration among supporters, and with expectations heightened following the Europa League triumph, fans will expect Spurs to make decisive moves in the transfer market to cover these gaps. Failure to do so could once again derail the club’s ambitions before the season truly gets underway.
Injuries may be part and parcel of football, but for Tottenham, the timing and the scale of these setbacks could hardly be worse. Unless Frank receives backing in the closing stages of the transfer window, Spurs risk seeing another season unravel before it has even begun.