Dominic Solanke update emerges as Thomas Frank discusses Tottenham return date
Dominic Solanke’s potential first game back from injury for Tottenham has been outlined by Thomas Frank as he edges closer to a return to action.
England international Dominic Solanke has been inconsistent for Tottenham ever since he joined the club from Bournemouth for around £55million [Sky Sports] last summer.
He had been a regular goalscorer at the Vitality Stadium, with 19 strikes in 38 top-flight appearances in 2023-24, but he only managed nine league goals in a debut Lilywhites campaign that was hampered by injury issues.
Those problems have reared their head once again at the very start of this season, with Solanke picking up an ankle injury against Man City on 23 August after he had only managed two appearances from the bench against Burnley and Pep Guardiola’s side.
Nearly a month later and he is now on his way back to full fitness, and Spurs boss Thomas Frank has hinted at a possible upcoming game in which he could feature for the club once again.
Thomas Frank says Dominic Solanke will be out for Spurs’ next two games before they play Wolves
Tottenham have enjoyed a really positive start to the season under Frank, with three wins from their first four league games to leave them in third place ahead of their trip to Brighton on Saturday (20 September).
Solanke has not been massively missed with Richarlison and Mathys Tel stepping up in his absence, but his return can only be looked at as a positive considering Spurs’ need for a big squad as the Champions League gets underway.
Frank gave an update to the media about the 28-year-old’s fitness on Friday (19 September), saying: “The positive thing is he’s back on the grass and he has been doing do for 3-4 days. He’s progressing, slowly but he’s progressing. Too early for tomorrow and too early for Doncaster.”
Based off that timescale, Frank seems to be pointing to a potential return date for Solanke when Tottenham face Wolves at home in the Premier League on Saturday, 27 September.
Solanke needs to avoid injury this season amid troubled history
Solanke has been criticised by Tottenham fans for his lacklustre performances already this season, but he is clearly a striker who can be a hit at the North London outfit if he is able to get a run of games under hie belt.
He actually enjoyed a decent start to life at Spurs last season as he missed just three of their first 21 league outings, and registered seven goals and three assists in the other 18 matches.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 48 | 16 | 8 |
Solanke was then hampered by injuries at the end of 2024-25 as he suffered a knee injury and thigh problems that caused him to miss nearly 50 days of action.
It is obviously easier said than done, especially as a striker who likes to battle with defenders, but he really does need to avoid the treatment table for the next few months, or he could well be on his way out of the club at the end of the season after a tough two seasons.