Tottenham attacker Dominic Solanke has recently had a small operation to address an ankle concern.
The 28-year-old last featured for Spurs on 23 August in a Premier League clash with Manchester City. He has since been missing from training sessions, including on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.
Manager Thomas Frank explained the decision at his press briefing, noting that the forward will not be available for the midweek European fixture or the weekend’s league encounter with Leeds United.
Manager’s perspective on timing
Frank stated that Solanke’s ankle has been troubling him for some time, and the medical team finally opted for surgical intervention. He described the operation as minor and emphasized that the recovery should not be extensive, although a clearer update will come after the upcoming international break.
When asked if the procedure could have been performed earlier, Frank responded that such matters are rarely straightforward. He pointed out that had they been certain surgery was necessary a month ago, they would have moved forward at that time.
The coach added that in general no player or club desires surgery, but circumstances dictated that this was the best solution at present.
Season so far for Tottenham
Solanke had already endured setbacks during the summer, missing a large portion of preseason because of the same ankle issue. By early August, however, he had returned to action and played in matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Burnley, and Manchester City.
Tottenham remain well placed in their campaign. They occupy fourth place in the Premier League table with 11 points from six games. In cup competitions, Spurs are through to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and opened their Champions League schedule with a narrow 1-0 win over Villarreal.