Daily Mail

Thomas Frank thinks his first north London derby is likely to be akin to a trip to the ‘madhouse’. As manager of Tottenham for the last three months, he must know how that feels by now.

After all, trying to make sense of Spurs is a path which only leads to insanity.

The Dane has Tottenham four points off third-placed Manchester City with a game in hand and yet the Frank era is yet to ignite or inspire and the new man went into the international break with the sound of Spurs fans booing his substitutions ringing in his ears.

Now, he travels to his club’s fiercest rivals, the league leaders Arsenal, and to a stadium in which his side have won just once in the league in their history and not in 15 years.

It’s a good job, perhaps, that the current mystery surrounding Spurs is why they are so devasting on their travels yet when playing in front of their own fans, leave them either bored, booing or both.

The difference is staggering. Spurs sit top of the 'away table' with four wins and 13 points from their five games on the road. By contrast, they lie second from bottom on the 'home table' with just a single win and five points from six matches. Only winless Wolves have a worse home record thus far.

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The first thing to point out, of course, is that this isn’t just a Frank problem. It was an Ange Postecoglou problem too in the end. Spurs have won at home just three times since November last year but Frank is yet to find a way to fix it.

‘I know at home you may play in a specific way, and other teams are playing in a specific way against you, compared to when you go away,’ said Frank last month.

‘And then the team opens up a little bit more, so you can hit them a little bit more on the counter, so you don’t have to create everything from scratch and (face) 11 players behind the ball.’

It’s that creating from scratch that continues to hold Frank’s Spurs back. Without the injured James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in the heart of midfield, and Xavi Simons struggling to adapt to the rough and tumble of the Premier League, Spurs lack a player through the middle that can collect the ball, turn and pick gaps in deep-lying defences.

The meat-and-potatoes pairing of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur provide decent strength and stability but struggle to break down defences when Spurs have more of the ball and need to start picking locks instead of pockets.

Take the home defeat by Aston Villa. Unai Emery's side were happy to sit in their mid-block and let Spurs try to play through them. That is when you need your midfielders to work their magic. This, however, is the pass map of Palhinha (6) and Bentancur (30). Side to side and down the sides but rarely, if ever, through the heart of Villa’s defence.

Take the same pass map from the home defeat by Bournemouth, where Spurs had 61 per cent possession, and you would be forgiven for thinking the hosts were attacking from right to left.

They weren’t. They just happened to play more passes into their own area than the Cherries’.

This game was only the second time since 2003 that Tottenham failed to have a shot in the first half of a home Premier League game.

Across the entirety of the season both home and away, Tottenham have played just four defence-splitting through balls - that’s the fewest in the division and at least half as many as any other side. Arsenal, by contrast, have played 40. Declan Rice has played four on his own.

Tottenham average more possession, more passes, and more passes in the final third at home than they do away but have fewer touches in the box and attempt fewer shots.

Spurs fans have grown tired and frustrated at seeing their side pass continually in that horseshoe shape around the penalty area without playing an incisive ball into the box. Only Burnley have attempted fewer shots in home games this season. Spurs have fired 54 shots on goal, Manchester City and Chelsea are both in the nineties.

In their dismal home loss to Chelsea, Spurs racked up an expected goals tally of just 0.05, their lowest in a league game on record.

You can get away with playing that way at home to Chelsea when you’re in charge of Brentford. You can’t when you’re Tottenham manager. You can’t when fans hold up pieces of card to spell in gigantic letters ‘To dare is to do’.

While Frank proved at Brentford to be a practical, flexible manager able to switch between different styles, so much of their success came through his side’s ability to get the ball forward quickly to speedy wide players like Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade.

That’s where he’s had the most joy for Tottenham, too. His Spurs side are better when they play a bit more like Brentford. Before this weekend's action, only his old club, Wolves, Manchester United and Bournemouth had attempted more long balls this term than Spurs.

That suits them better on the road where teams, in general, allow them more space. They’ve won all three of the games in which they have had the least possession.

Away from home so far, Spurs have won the ball far less high up the pitch, allowed their opponents more passes before trying to win back possession, but are enjoying double the number of counter attacks.

They are at their most dangerous when they are able to cut out the midfield entirely. For their opening goal against Manchester City, it’s a long ball from deep that’s flicked on by Pape Sarr into Richarlison’s path before crossing for Brennan Johnson to score.

You can see from the images below that Spurs’ midfield is nowhere to be seen.

It’s the same for this great chance for Mohammed Kudus against Leeds. Spurs prefer to play it down the channels and miss out the midfield entirely. Not that there is one there to play to in any case.

When there’s space to run into, it works. Despite their excellent away start, however, whether it’s sustainable is also a question. Spurs have still conceded a greater xG than they have created on the road, too. They still face more shots than they take.

It is a good job their 22 per cent shot conversion rate on the road is better than any other team's in the division. The 5 per cent conversion rate of their opponents is also the lowest.

It’s an approach, too, that has also got Spurs in trouble on multiple occasions – and could again against Arsenal. Without a midfield that can play through a press, Frank’s side only have one way to go: wide and long.

In this example against Chelsea, Sarr comes short to receive a pass. There is no one ahead of him so he cannot turn and play forward into midfield. He knocks it out wide to Pedro Porro, whose only option is to knock it down the line, only Alejandro Garnacho cuts it out and Chelsea miss a great chance.

Spurs frequently gave the ball away inside their own defensive third in the build-up to Joao Pedro’s opener too.

This lack of a midfield able to progress the ball upfield continues to catch them out. They were pressed to death against Bournemouth too. Only one side in the division has lost possession in their own third more this season than Spurs. They have made the most errors leading to the opposition having a shot.

None of this bodes well for the north London derby, does it?

Well, maybe. If there is one slight dint in Arsenal’s titanium hull it is where Spurs most like to attack.

Clean sheet machines Arsenal have faced, unsurprisingly, the fewest shots in the division, at least 20 fewer than anyone else. And yet they have conceded the second most shots in the league from fast breaks. If you can get at them, get them on the counter.

Manchester City got at them that way for Erling Haaland’s early goal. Manchester United exploited that space in behind the left full back frequently, too.

With Gabriel ruled out injured and full back Riccardo Calafiori a doubt for the game, Arsenal will have an unsettled duo down that side that Kudus could be able to exploit.

No player has attempted to dribble past his opponent more often this term than £55m summer signing Kudus.

Spurs just need to be able to find him. You can’t just hit and hope against Arsenal, you have to attack with purpose.

While their central midfielders will struggle to do so, Frank does possess one player with the range of passing to pick him out: Pedro Porro.

The full back has played the most progressive passes of any Spurs player this term. He’s played more than double the passes into the final third of any of his team-mates.

Frank needs to find a way to get him on the ball, even in central areas, and find Kudus – just as he did for a great chance in the defeat by Villa.

If Spurs are going to stand the best chance of their second win at the Emirates, this is the blueprint.

That is, of course, if Rice hasn’t overrun Frank’s midfield first.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be aware he needs to win a trophy this season, claims former Gunners defender Sol Campbell.

There's been a marked and undeniable improvement at The Emirates since the Spaniard succeeded Unai Emery in the winter of 2019.

The Gunners have gone from a side considered weak, even spineless, and languishing outside of the European spots to a formidable one challenging at the top of the table. Yet so far football's biggest prizes - the Premier and Champions League - have evaded Arteta.

But Campbell, who was a key part of Arsenal's last title-winning side of 2003-04, believes the current crop of players have what it takes to end the club's more than 20-year wait for the Premier League trophy this term.

Speaking to Daily Mail Sport on behalf of Paddy Power ahead of Sunday's crunch north London derby, the 51-year-old said: 'I think by hook or crook, he (Arteta) needs to win something. Internally, he must be thinking, "I need to win something, I need to get some silverware out of this season."

'I think deep down, all the players who have been there, you get moments in seasons and generations and during a manager's tenure that you need to capitalise on.

'They've got a great chance now because next season Liverpool, Man United, Spurs and Man City might be stronger, you've got this window of City just turning it around, but that's it. They've got to recognise that their moment is now, and they've got to take it.'

Arsenal head into this weekend's derby four points clear of Man City at the top of the table having conceded a mere five goals all season.

The Gunners' back four of Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori has been formidable and utterly crucial to their success, not only in defence but also from set-pieces.

However, in what Arteta described as a 'blow', Timber, Gabriel and Calafiori could all miss Sunday's crunch match after picking up knocks on international duty.

Yet Campbell, one of few players to don both the white of Spurs and the red of their fierce north London rivals, is still backing Arteta's men to get the job done.

'Arsenal need to keep winning and keep their momentum going,' the former England international said. 'They've got to look at it and think, it's a tough game with high tensions, but they need to come out of there with a win.

'At The Emirates I do think Arsenal will squeeze a 2-1 win even with all their injury problems. They've got enough firepower on the wings and the strength in the middle of the park is incredible.

'The unit, it doesn't matter who drops in there, it's going to be solid. The middle of the park is incredible. It's been a long time coming to have depth of that quality, that when players do get injured, the subs come in and the quality stays. That was a problem in the past.'

Another star who could be missing is Viktor Gyokeres, who didn't feature in either of Graham Potter's first two games in charge of Sweden during the international break.

The striker, who signed amid much fanfare, has endured a mixed start to the campaign, scoring four goals in his first 10 Premier League appearances.

He's come in for criticism from some parts, with some bemoaning his rusty hold up play and failure to net against top opposition.

However Campbell believes Gyokeres could benefit from better service from his team-mates, just as the great Thierry Henry did all those years ago.

'It doesn't matter, sometimes if it's your movement, but the team has to find him,' Campbell argued. 'There's a bit of two things going on at the same time at the moment.

'Remember Arsenal have been so used to playing a certain style. Now Gyokeres is in there he likes a certain ball which they have to start changing to get him into the game some more.

'The understanding is not completely there. I think sometimes the players will have to change their style to suit him. I remember Thierry saying, "you have to understand what ball I want played to me." Because the ball you played to him was different to that you'd give Freddie (Ljungburg) or Robert (Pires).

'I think they will get the best out of him and allow him to thrive and come alive. They've just got to start switching their play in the final third.'

Campbell indeed acknowledges some similarities between the current crop of Arsenal stars and his own Invincible team of 2003-04.

The title-winning Gunners were too a side boasting an impressive mix of strength and power through Campbell, Patrick Viera and Martin Keown, but also flair and eccentricity with the great Henry and Denis Bergkamp.

'The similarities which I see are movement and mobility,' says Campbell. 'That is quite similar to our team. Ashley (Cole) was mobile, I was mobile, Kolo (Toure) was mobile, Keown was great.

'That's one thing that's similar. They're very mobile and strong and incredibly good on the ball. There are similarities for sure.'

Ruben Amorim is hopeful Benjamin Sesko will be back before Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui leave for the Africa Cup of Nations after the striker avoided serious injury.

Sesko hobbled off in the 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur with Amorim fearing that night that his £73.7million summer signing had suffered a serious problem to his knee.

That did not prove to be the case and after pulling out of international duty with Slovenia to begin his rehab at Carrington, Amorim is now much more optimistic.

'He is going to stay a few weeks out, I don't know how long but it is not that serious,' Amorim said.

'We have to be careful with him. He is going to recover, he is doing the recovery and he is feeling better. In a few weeks I expect to have Ben.'

Sesko was one of three noteworthy absentees from training on Friday morning, as Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo also missed the session.

Maguire will definitely not play any part against Everton on Monday night but Mainoo is expected to come back into the mix after missing the trip to Tottenham.

'Kobbie didn't train today but I think tomorrow we could see Kobbie, we will see,' Amorim said.

Sesko's absence leaves Amorim without a genuine No 9 option for forthcoming matches, meaning he will have to shuffle his pack with Matheus Cunha expected to lead the line.

But away from Monday's game, there is a sense of trepidation that United's attack, which has looked much improved this season compared to last, will be decimated in the next few weeks when Mbeumo and Amad leave for AFCON.

Mbeumo's Cameroon play their first match on December 24, Amad and Ivory Coast face Mozambique on the same day, while Morocco and Mazraoui face Comoros three days prior on December 21.

As per FIFA rules, nations can call on players to be released by their clubs two weeks prior to their first tournament match and Amorim is acutely aware that amid a flurry of festive fixtures, bringing Sesko back into a soon-to-be depleted attack will be essential.

'We have the rules when we have to release the players,' he explained.

'We are doing our job to try and maintain the players we have for a bit longer but it's not just in our hands, we have to respect that. But we will try to do everything to protect the club, protect the player and protect the national teams.'

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What it is expected to do is open the door for academy players such as Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, both of whom trained with the first team again on Friday, and Amorim is not fearful of turning to the kids.

'We already knew [players would go to AFCON] and it is an opportunity for other players.

'We also have the Under-21s and we need to also send a message. We'll see. Of course it is not ideal because they are so important in our team and we don't have a long squad but again, our academy is for this moment and we'll be ready.'

The emergence of Antoine Semenyo's reported £65million release clause sent shockwaves through the footballing market on Monday night.

Bournemouth's main man is in the best form of his life having scored six goals and assisted three in just 12 games this season.

It follows a strong 2024-25 campaign for the Ghanaian, during which he racked up 20 goal involvements to help Andoni Iraola's men to a ninth-placed Premier League finish.

His exploits last season saw suitors such as Manchester United swirling for a £70million move in the summer, but Semenyo quashed any such hopes by signing an extension with the Cherries until 2030.

However, details of that new contract surfaced last night, and it has been claimed that the 25-year-old has a written release clause of £65million which can be triggered in the first two weeks of January.

With the news certain to have pricked up the ears of England's biggest clubs, Daily Mail Sport's experts have taken a look at where Semenyo could be best suited and why...

Tottenham - Matt Barlow

He would fit Spurs perfectly. I imagine most teams in the Premier League could find a role for him in current form. He is strong and quick, very much in the mould of player Thomas Frank likes.

He is versatile and most coaches like a player who can operate in different positions across the front line. I can see Semenyo on the Spurs left, his pace and power a counterweight to his Ghana teammate Mohammed Kudus on the right.

Neither Mathys Tel nor Wilson Odobert have nailed that position down since Son Heung-min left for LA. Xavi Simons looks more natural in the centre and Brennan Johnson is so much more of a goal threat from the right. Richarlison can play there but is not a wide man.

The issue at Spurs though would be that having invested a combined £70million in Odobert and Tel, and spent £52m on Simons, would they spend more again on Semenyo who would compete for the same roles in the team and block their progress?

I doubt it unless they think they have buyers for some of the wide players. I also suspect if they are in a genuine transfer contest with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United then Spurs will not win.

They are not fighting for the biggest prizes like Liverpool. And they do not have top earners in the same wage bracket as either Liverpool or United.

Unless we are about the witness a radical change in strategy in what will be the first transfer window without Daniel Levy at the controls.

Liverpool - Lewis Steele

Liverpool have just spent £446million in the summer so another shiny forward would invite criticism from rivals.

Fixing their problems with more money is not the model of this club. But that is where any cons of this deal end. Semenyo is a sensational footballer, a bit of a throwback with his one-versus-one ability and someone who can add goals and assists.

He is best off the left wing and it is fair to say Cody Gakpo is inconsistent, so the Bournemouth star would be an upgrade or at the very least a solid bit of competition.

Liverpool did turn down potential moves for left wingers in the summer, such as Bradley Barcola and Rodrygo, due to the emergence of youngster Rio Ngumoha.

So that is something to keep in mind but overall this would be a top-class signing, especially noting how Mohamed Salah is a) not getting any younger and b) in a patchy run of form.

Manchester United - Nathan Salt

News of Antoine Semenyo’s availability at £65million certainly caused intrigue among Manchester United fans.

There’s a couple of factors at play here. One, is he a good player? Obviously, yes. Second, would he actually fit in? This one is more complicated.

United spent big on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to be their No 10s for years to come, while Mason Mount is a firm favourite of Ruben Amorim’s.

That raises the prospect that you could deploy Semenyo at left wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, something I imagine would be far less appealing to the player amid an expected bidding war.

United desperately need to pool their funds into central midfield having already fixed the goalkeeper, centre back, No 10 and striker positions. Semenyo, while a great player, is a piece of the puzzle United could do without.

Tottenham are reportedly facing legal pressure from an Arsenal supporting writer of Barry Manilow’s hit ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ over the club’s use of the track before matches.

The song was written by David Martin, Christian Arnold and Geoff Morrow in the 1970s, with Martin originally releasing the track in 1975 as a single.

However, Manilow’s version, released three years later, has become the most well-known.

Tottenham fans adopted the song, amid suggestions players had sung it on the team bus on away trips in the late 1970s.

The Premier League club have used the song before matches, with fans joining in and adding ‘Tottenham’ at points in the track.

Morrow, a supporter of Tottenham’s arch rivals Arsenal, has claimed the club has rejected his request for royalties over the use of the song.

‘I hoped that Spurs would be willing to sit down and meet with me to discuss this but they haven’t been interested,’ Morrow told the Sun.

‘When we wrote the song, we never imagined it would become a football anthem.

‘It was written as a love song.

‘What is really frustrating is Spurs won’t accept they are using our song.’

Tottenham reportedly declined to comment, with the Sun stating the club view the songwriter’s claim to have no legal basis under licence rules.

In addition to signing along to the track, Tottenham fans have included ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ on banners.

The club also covered seats during the Covid-19 pandemic with a banner featuring the lyrics, when matches were played behind closed doors.

Morrow's claim comes in the build-up to the North London Derby on Sunday.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will welcome their North London rivals to the Emirates in the headline fixture of the weekend.

It's been a topsy-turvy start to life at Tottenham for Thomas Frank.

No team have won more Premier League points on the road than Spurs this season - and only one team, winless Wolves, have won fewer on home soil.

That just about sums up how things have been for the boss since he was appointed in June, while he has also had to deal with the off-field drama of Daniel Levy's departure and a boardroom reshuffle in N17.

So, who might Spurs look to sign to give their season a lift? What's the latest on the key players currently on the treatment table? And what's really going on with Dominic Solanke? Here our Tottenham expert MATT BARLOW answers all your burning questions...

What are our plans for the January transfer window? How will Daniel Levy’s exit affect things?

It’s the first transfer window without Levy in the cockpit but I would be surprised to see a radical change of policy.

Fabio Paratici, back in an official sporting director’s role after his ban, will be in overdrive and most likely scouting for those who can improve the first team or fix short-term problems.

Right now, the priority appears to be at centre forward, but Spurs need one from the very top bracket to improve the team and not another from the next level down to clutter what they already have.

When January comes around, it may be that Dominic Solanke is fit and in form and the issue feels like something that can wait until the summer.

The Paratici factor makes me think they will at the very least check out what’s happening with Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract at Juventus expires in June. His situation has changed slightly since Luciano Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor as boss.

Spalletti says he wants to keep Vlahovic and would like him to sign a new deal, but the 25-year-old Serb is on big wages worth £10million a year after tax and a free transfer in the summer would be hugely lucrative for him.

If Spurs can afford to pay him what he is asking for then this deal, either in January or in the summer, feels at this stage a more viable option than Ivan Toney, who has been subject to a lot of speculation because of his links to Thomas Frank.

Toney at 29, would jar with Tottenham’s policy of recruiting younger players with scope to develop and his inflated Saudi wages would make him potentially more expensive than Vlahovic.

Similarly, a world-class goalkeeper would give them a boost and, despite signing Antonin Kinsky less than a year ago, Spurs are actively looking. Guglielmo Vicario has had some brilliant moments this season but does not command his penalty area and is often targeted at set-pieces. Could they, for example, make Aston Villa an offer they can’t refuse for Emi Martinez?

There is an element of the unknown because nobody is sure precisely how the Lewis family plan to follow up on public promises to invest in the team for sporting success.

Even if there is a will to come out spending, January is a notoriously difficult market.

There is a lot of excitement around Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo who would fit perfectly into a role on the left wing unclaimed since Son Heung-min left for LA. But in the last three transfer windows, Spurs have spent £125million on Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel.

They also have highly rated teenage winger Mikey Moore out on loan at Rangers - he has suffered in a difficult first half of the season at Ibrox and might benefit from a recall.

I’m not sure it makes sense for Spurs to wade into what could become a mid-season auction alongside Liverpool and others for Semenyo only for him to compete for the same roles in the team as these players, potentially blocking their progress.

Yves Bissouma will be allowed to leave for the right price and Spurs plan to trigger a clause to extend his contract by a year to 2027 if they don’t sell in January.

What rating would you give Thomas Frank for the job he's done so far?

There's been definite improvement defensively, which was the first challenge. Frank’s Spurs are much more secure at the back, stronger at set-pieces at both ends and much harder to beat than under Ange Postecoglou last season.

There have been games, especially at home against obdurate visitors, when they have not been fluent or creative. Maybe not playing with the free-spirited sense of adventure some Spurs purists would like to see. Maybe too concerned with what those opponents can do.

I’m looking at it from a neutral point of view, but I think Frank deserves time to work on the next stages. He knows they need to be more creative in open play, and you can see him tweaking and tinkering with different formulas to find solutions.

His substitutions against Manchester United were booed - but worked. He is not an idiot. He knows what he is doing. He is also aware he has to compete against some of the best teams and biggest budgets in world football without spending as much as they do, and that is impossible if you don’t plan to stop opponents doing what they want to do.

It is a question of balance. It always is at Spurs. And it is a difficult one to solve.

What’s the latest on Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison's injuries? When can we expect them back?

Maddison, injured in August, won’t be back much before the end of the season. It is a serious injury and even when he is fit to train I would expect Frank to be cautious with his return, based upon Radu Dragusin who is on the brink of a return from a similar knee injury.

Dragusin, out since January, has been back in training for a while and anxious to start playing again but played for the first time last week, only 45 minutes with the Under 21s, behind closed doors against Leyton Orient.

He was wanted by Romania for this international break. Spurs resisted his official call-up because they were keen to keep him under their control but they have allowed him to join the Romania camp for training only.

Kulusevski remains on course for a return in December.

How does Lucas Bergvall fit into this team? He’s a massive talent but I’m worried there’s not a place for him in this system

That’s a fair question. Bergvall is an exciting talent but I sense Frank is a little more concerned about his carelessness in possession than most supporters, which I think is the reason he is reluctant to play him regularly in one of the deeper midfield roles.

For the time being, I think he competes for the No10 role with Simons. And maybe over time Frank adjusts the shape of the team and finds a place for him in a midfield with one six and two eights. It’s important to remember that Bergvall is still only 19.

Will Randal Kolo Muani be out for a long time with his fractured jaw, or will we see him playing in a Zorro mask before long?

Spurs are relieved the specialist decided there was no surgery required, which would have ruled Kolo Muani out for a couple of months. As it is they will fit him for a protective mask and get him back sooner, but he is not going to be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday.

Frank must feel cursed by the injuries. It is slightly different to last season when many of Spurs' injured players had muscle issues which were easily blamed upon the workload of the schedule and Postecoglou’s high intensity training regime.

Kolo Muani broke his jaw in an innocuous collision with Harry Maguire and Solanke has been out for five months and counting after turning an ankle in a pre-season game, a problem which later required an operation.

How can Frank fix our abject home form?

This probably goes hand in hand with all the other things, such as the quality of recruitment or the calibre of the players and the search for the right balance, which is probably slightly different at home to away games because few visiting teams will arrive in N17 and take the game to Spurs.

Some will play purely on the counter-attack, others mix it up with a high press, but they all know it is prudent to frustrate the home crowd because when the atmosphere turns, it makes Spurs anxious and prone to overcommit going forward.

It eats away at confidence when trying to play through the press and leads to individual mistakes, especially among the least experienced players. When fear creeps into the football, it means they are no longer making instinctive decisions on the ball.

It’s a cycle they must break to change the mood, and it might take a stroke of good fortune to help them do it.

What’s going on with Solanke? Is it just injury issues or is there more to his absence? Does Frank not fancy him?

Well, he’s injured. He hurt his ankle in Frank’s first pre-season friendly and has not been fully fit since, initially trying to play through it while in discomfort, then trying a treatment of rest with injections and eventually giving in to surgery.

Any conspiracy theory that he is somehow fit and raring to go and not being selected by Frank is ridiculous.

Solanke was the best of the Spurs forwards last season. He scored 16 in a misfiring team, and his presence was valuable beyond the goals because he holds the ball up and helps the team up the pitch.

Spurs were much better with him in the team last season and in the short term could do with him back even if in the longer term they are shopping for an upgrade.

Frank clearly is uncertain about his best forward unit. There are a lot of players at his disposal and yet he cannot find a blend he likes. He has used 14 different combinations of front four in 18 games so far and never used the same one more than twice.

Manchester United fear Benjamin Sesko could be out for up to a month after limping off through injury against Tottenham Hotspur.

Ruben Amorim's side finished that 2-2 epic before the international break with 10 men after Sesko was forced off with a knee issue with United having made all their substitutions.

Sesko, who pulled out of international duty with Slovenia to begin his injury rehab at Carrington, has avoided serious damage but is still set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Daily Mail Sport understands that while United have not put a fixed timescale on the £73.7million summer signing's return, sources are anticipating it could be at least three to four weeks out.

With Sesko only arriving this summer his bounce back ability from injury is a relative unknown to United staff and the hope is that the 22-year-old responds positively to treatment and can return at the moment Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui lead for the Africa Cup of Nations so as not to leave Amorim too short changed in attack.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the Tottenham game, Amorim was fearful of the extent of the injury.

'I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee,' Amorim said.

'We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with Ben.'

Amorim will have to get creative now with limited options at centre forward.

Matheus Cunha is most likely to fill in as an unorthodox No 9 - he started there against Tottenham - while Joshua Zirkzee, who has grown frustrated at such a limited role so far this season, is now likely to be required to step up.

Mason Mount is another who is going to need to stay healthy to plug the gaps that Mbeumo, Amad and Sesko will inevitably leave.

Sesko has taken a lot of criticism since arriving in England, not least from former Manchester United title winner Gary Neville.

He has scored twice and registered an assist in 11 Premier League games so far this season and United gambled on him as their only true No 9 in the squad.

Rasmus Hojlund, who wanted to stay and fight for his place, was pushed out on loan to Napol, while 17-year-old Chido Obi has spent the entire season thus far with the Under-21s to further his development.

Tottenham plan to extend Yves Bissouma's contract to stop him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Bissouma's current deal expires in June, but the club has a one-year option they intend to trigger to preserve his value if he is not sold in January.

Spurs performed a similar contractual move last season with Son Heung-min, activating an extension before selling him to LAFC in the United States for an MLS record fee of £20million in July.

Bissouma, 29, is unlikely to play again for Tottenham. He made 52 appearances in all competitions last season and started the Europa League final in May but has yet to make a single appearance under Thomas Frank.

Bissouma was dropped as a disciplinary measure for persistent lateness from Frank's first squad ahead of the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in August, then struck by an injury in training soon afterwards.

On his return to fitness, he injured a knee while playing for Mali in October and required surgery, which has kept him out since. He has not been named in the Champions League squad.

Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray have shared the load of the two defensive midfield positions in Frank's usual 4-2-3-1 system.

Bissouma's latest recovery schedule has him in a fight to be fit in time for international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco in December and end with the final on January 18.

Compounding a torrid few months, there were court revelations in November of how he had been a victim of fraud with £800,000 stolen from a bank account with Coutts.

Tottenham will listen to offers in January with Fulham among those monitoring his situation but prospective buyers hoping to see his price cut as his contract winds down will be disappointed if the option is triggered and extends his deal until 2027.

There was fleeting interest in the summer from Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray but it came to nothing. Spurs wanted more than £10m for a player who cost them £25m from Brighton in 2022.

Bissouma, who has been in the Premier League since 2018, when he joined Brighton for £15m from Lille, is settled and thought to favour continuing his career in England.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is a major doubt for next Sunday's north London derby after being sent home from international duty with an injury.

The towering defender had to be withdrawn midway through Brazil's 2-0 victory against Senegal on Saturday after going down clutching his thigh.

He appeared in some discomfort as he trudged towards the dugout flanked by medical staff in concerning scenes for Gunners fans.

Tests have now revealed that Gabriel suffered 'a muscle injury in his right thigh', meaning he won't travel with Brazil to Lille for their friendly against Tunisia on Tuesday.

The defender will instead return to Arsenal's north London training ground for treatment.

Gabriel may well therefore miss his club side's clash with fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates next weekend.

Giving an early update on his player's injury after Brazil's win in London, Carlo Ancelotti said: 'I don't know what happened, he had a problem with his thigh.

'The medical staff have to check tomorrow. I'm really disappointed he's got an injury. I hope he recovers well and soon.'

Gabriel's injury comes at arguably the worst possible time for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who face a crucial few weeks with games against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to come after the international break.

They currently sit top of the league and four points clear of Manchester City, who are in blistering form heading towards the festive period.

Gabriel, along with centre-half partner William Saliba, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.

Arsenal have conceded a mere five Premier League goals thus far and kept clean sheets in seven of their 11 games.

Gabriel's been key to such success but has also contributed going forward. He's scored twice for Arteta's men already this season in their bid to win a first Premier League title for more than 20 years.

Thomas Tuchel has scolded England star Djed Spence over his behaviour after he ignored Tottenham manager Thomas Frank last month.

The England boss was unimpressed with how Spence, who is three caps into his international career, blanked Frank following Spurs' 1-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Interestingly, Spence was an unused substitute during Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia at Wembley despite starting the last international in Latvia in October.

‘Yeah, I didn’t like it,’ said Tuchel, who was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘Because the players know they are not only national players when they are the 10 days in camp, they are always national players and the standard of behaviour is always important.’

Tuchel revealed he has spoken to Spence about the incident but did not consider leaving him out of the squad. Jude Bellingham is in line to start here in Tirana, but Ezri Konsa has returned to Aston Villa with a calf issue.

Meanwhile, Tuchel has told his England players to let Albania run through on goal rather than risk a red card and miss matches at next summer’s World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently sweating on his early involvement in North America after his red card against Republic of Ireland this week.

If Portugal qualify automatically and his ban is extended to three matches for violent conduct - he elbowed defender Dara O’Shea - he will miss the first two group games at the World Cup.

Wayne Rooney was also suspended for England’s opening two matches at Euro 2012 after being sent off in the final qualifier.

Tuchel’s side are already qualified and play their final match in Albania on Sunday, and the head coach warned: ‘It is important, I’m aware of it and we will talk about it - no red cards please!

'Because we are through, and we are in a position with the last man and the player holds the shirt he gets the red card, so if there’s a doubt, then it would be smarter not to do it.

‘If we can avoid it, no red card, but I don’t want to make it too big a subject, because then you have a cloud above you. But if you have the choice, don’t do it.’