Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Norway for their Champions League showdown with Bodo/Glimt without Dominic Solanke, manager Thomas Frank has confirmed.
The 28-year-old striker, who last featured in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on August 23, has undergone minor ankle surgery. The procedure rules him out of Tuesday night’s tie in the Arctic Circle as well as Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Leeds United.
“It’s just a small procedure,” Frank told reporters on Monday. “That means he won’t be available today or against Leeds. After the international break we’ll have more clarity on the recovery timeline, but I don’t expect him to be sidelined for too long.”
The setback leaves Tottenham short of firepower. On-loan forward Randal Kolo Muani, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain, also missed training with a dead leg and is not expected to play in Bodo. That leaves Richarlison as Frank’s only fit senior striker for a rematch against the Norwegian champions. Spurs comfortably beat them 5-1 on aggregate just four months ago to book a place in the Europa League final.
Youngster Mathys Tel, who impressed in the 2-0 win in Norway, is unavailable as he was not registered in Tottenham’s Champions League squad.
The injury problems extend to the backline as well. Captain Cristian Romero has not travelled, with Frank explaining the defender was kept in London as a precaution following a bruising outing against Wolves.
Spurs, fresh from last season’s Europa League triumph, now face a tricky test in Bodo with a thinned squad and plenty of pressure to maintain momentum in Europe.
