Thomas Frank has eased fears over Pape Matar Sarr's fitness after the Spurs midfielder was missing from Wednesday night's squad for our 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers.
An acrobatic João Palhinha effort, an own goal and a late strike from the impressive Brennan Johnson saw us ease into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, where a daunting trip to St. James' Park beckons in late October.
Without Sarr, Frank opted for a midfield triumvirate of Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray and Xavi Simons. Gray was particularly impressive in possession, offering the midfield surges through the right half-space that Sarr so often provides.
While the young Englishman staked his claim for more Premier League minutes, Sarr is expected to be back in action at the weekend.
Pape Matar Sarr's absence against Doncaster was only a precaution
The Senegalese midfielder has perhaps been the standout performer of Frank's reign so far. An impressive pre-season, during which he scored from the halfway line against Arsenal, was followed up by an all-encompassing display in the UEFA Super Cup.
And up until Saturday's draw at Brighton, Sarr was ubiquitous in the new manager's starting XI. He didn't feature at all at the Amex, despite being named on the bench, and there was an expectation that he would play some part in Wednesday's cup tie.
However, Sarr instead joined Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus in the 'put your feet up' camp. There had been some speculation regarding a fitness setback, but Frank played down the suggestion that the former Metz starlet will miss any time.
Thomas Frank gives an injury update on Pape Matar Sarr 👀 pic.twitter.com/N2aw1OXUlx
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) September 24, 2025
Explaining Sarr's absence, the manager said: “A minor precaution. A little stretch to the thigh so we didn't want to take any risk today.”
Frank was looking towards Saturday's Premier League clash with the point-less Wolves regarding his caution over Sarr, who has a "good chance" of returning this weekend. It would seem that Kota Takai and Dominic Solanke also have shots of appearing in their first matchday squad of the season, with both appearing in training ahead of Wednesday's cup. Less is known about Randal Kolo Muani and Ben Davies.
While Spurs coped well enough without Sarr at Brighton, there's no denying his importance to Frank's framework at the start of his reign, which has been predicated on defensive stability. Sarr's relentless engine and wily ball-winning abilities render him a force without possession, and against League One Doncaster, our midfield was particularly porous.
Let's hope Frank, unlike his predecessor, is able to provide accurate injury assessments.