Thomas Frank reveals Dominic Solanke fitness plan as Tottenham fight injury crisis
Thomas Frank has offered an update on Dominic Solanke’s recovery, providing clarity on how close the Tottenham forward is to no longer having his minutes carefully managed.
Tottenham Hotspur cannot seem to catch a break on the injury front, with more players continuing to drop to the sidelines.
Speaking this afternoon ahead of the Burnley clash, Thomas Frank revealed that Lucas Bergvall is now injured and will be unavailable for the game this weekend.
It has also been revealed that Bergvall could be out for two to three months following his recent knock, adding to the list of long-term Spurs absentees.
Thomas Frank on Dominic Solanke fitness at Tottenham
It is not all doom and gloom for Tottenham, however, as Thomas Frank has now shared some positive news regarding the fitness of Dominic Solanke.
Solanke has been out for close to seven months and is currently working his way back to full fitness, having managed over 60 minutes against Borussia Dortmund, where he scored to put Tottenham 2-0 up.
Discussing the forward’s progress and how close he is to playing a full ninety minutes, Frank explained the striker’s current condition and match sharpness, before revealing that there is more to come from the striker.
He told football.london: “I think he is not close to it, I would say. I think we saw a Solanke that was on, whatever, 70%. It is difficult to know when you are on 100%.
“I think we saw a lot of good things from him. He scored a goal, exactly where he should be, with a nice little triple contact. But the big positive is, he was where he should be in the box.
“There were three other situations where we were just doing the wrong movement, and then arrived front post instead of behind the defender, and on the end of the cross from Pedro. Both of them, we know, have a good connection.
“But that, how do we get that in? That is playing minutes together. He is a very fit player in general, he can play with high intensity throughout the game.
“After 65 he was just done. That means there is more to come. And we are just, because it is the first 65 minutes in seven months, something like that, very aware that two good recovery days, then train tomorrow, then he is available and ready for Saturday. Then we take it game by game. It is more his fitness, match fitness. His injury is fine.”
Solanke importance grows amid Tottenham injury list
Indeed, the number of absentees Tottenham have in attack makes it harder for Frank to manage Solanke’s minutes.
Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are all out, reducing the options the Dane can call upon to keep things fresh.
Solanke remains a top centre-forward with strong hold-up and link-up play, possessing a quality that the other centre-forwards in Frank’s ranks do not have.
In fact, during his brief spell against Dortmund, the 28-year-old made Tottenham look sharper in attack by bringing more teammates into the game despite not being at 100 per cent, which makes it crucial for Frank to get him up to speed.
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