Tottenham Hotspur never truly have good luck on the injury front, but after watching the players suffer through various ailments in Ange Postecoglou's highly demanding system of headless chicken running, Spurs supporters are looking forward to a diminished injury list going forward under Thomas Frank after their injury report read like a CVS receipt for two years under Big Ange.
Unfortunately, the remnants of the last season are alive, as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain out for a long period of time. And to start the 2025/26 season, key striker Dominic Solanke has been held back by an ankle injury and is still yet to make his first start in the Premier League or Champions League seasons.
Solanke has been out since a 12-minute cameo against Manchester City on Matchday 2, and he was subbed in for Richarlison off the bench in every single one of Tottenham's first three fixtures before going down with an ankle ailment.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank already confirmed that Solanke would still need more time to recover from the injury and would miss this weekend's key Premier League fixture against mighty underdogs Brighton. However, at the Friday press conference right before the game, via The Spurs Express, Frank also stated that Solanke is going to be out for the game after that against Doncaster in the League Cup, which takes place the following Wednesday.
Randal Kolo Muani is an unknown
Solanke's continued absence is a big deal for Spurs, because he was an important player for their Europea League title win last season with his all-around playing style. The signing of Randal Kolo Muani on loan puts less pressure on the holdover strikers, but, still, not having Solanke as depth hurts, and he would have likely started the League Cup fixture.
Kolo Muani is still an unknown for Spurs and the Premier League despite his theoretical benefits, while Richarlison is someone whose minutes need to be managed due to his own extensive injury history, which has been a major issue during his time with Tottenham.
Hopefully, Solanke can come back soon, because he has a real chance at winning back the starting striker job, as Richarlison's inconsistency has been rearing its head again after a splendid start to the 2025/26 campaign. Players like Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons would benefit from having a true No. 9 who has the awareness and creativity of Solanke, and Frank may still experiment with a two-striker system - or have an increased need for Solanke as a 9 by starting Kolo Muani on the left wing instead of forcing Simons out there.