Tottenham dealt fresh injury scare as key player struggles with ankle discomfort
Tottenham have been hit with a fresh fitness worry just days out from the new Premier League season, with striker Dominic Solanke now up against the clock to be ready.
The 28-year-old, singled out by Roberto De Zerbi as among the Premier League’s finest forwards, is said to have felt discomfort in his ankle this week, reportedly the reason he sat out Spurs’ recent pre-season friendly against Getafe.
The update is bound to worry the Tottenham faithful, especially given how much time the England international lost to injury problems last season. Spurs have battled recurring fitness crises across the past two campaigns, at times struggling to field a settled side, and those issues nearly derailed their league form altogether.
With the new campaign now on the horizon, De Zerbi appears keen to avoid a repeat, having carefully managed minutes for several key players throughout pre-season — some limited, others left out of friendlies entirely. Solanke has been among those handled cautiously, though this fresh ankle issue gives the club something new to keep an eye on heading into the opening weeks.
Per Tottenham insider Szyexcel, Solanke picked up the ankle knock during the week, which kept him out of the Getafe match. Nothing suggests it’s serious at this stage, but the timing alone is enough to raise eyebrows given his fitness history.
Solanke is tipped to be central to De Zerbi’s plans this term, with his physicality, movement and finishing seen as key to Spurs’ attacking ambitions after arriving at the club under considerable expectation.
He isn’t the only one being carefully monitored, either — Szyexcel reports that Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie are also having their fitness managed closely, with both defenders regarded as crucial to the squad and Spurs eager to avoid any unnecessary risk before the season starts.
James Maddison adds to the concern too, with the midfielder — who missed much of last season through injury — reportedly nursing a recurrence of an old hip issue, adding further uncertainty to De Zerbi’s efforts to get a fully fit squad together.
With Solanke, Van de Ven, Udogie and Maddison all facing fitness questions, Tottenham could have several important names in a race against time before their season opener at Brentford on August 22.
De Zerbi’s approach is likely to stay consistent: no rushed returns, but every effort made to have his key men ready when it matters. After another injury-hit stretch, Spurs fans will be hoping Solanke’s ankle issue turns out to be nothing more than a minor scare.
