Solanke ruled out as Tottenham Hotspur F.c. face Villa
Tottenham Hotspur F.c. will go to Aston Villa without Dominic Solanke after Roberto De Zerbi ruled the striker out of Sunday’s trip and said he does not know whether he will play again this season. The setback comes after Tottenham’s 1-0 win at Wolves ended a run of 16 Premier League matches without a victory, but the squad remains heavily stretched.
Solanke and Villa Park
“For Villa, no, for sure. And then we will see,” De Zerbi said of Solanke’s availability. He also said, “I don’t know yet,” when asked whether the striker could return before the end of the campaign.
Solanke picked up a hamstring problem in the Wolves match, where Tottenham finally got a result after 16 league games without a win. De Zerbi said Sunday’s test at Villa Park would not be a miracle, adding: “If Tottenham win in Villa Park, it is not a miracle. We have the quality to win.”
Tottenham’s injury load
Solanke is one of at least eight other injured players in the squad. Xavi Simons suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Wolves, while Guglielmo Vicario remains out after a hernia operation. James Maddison was not expected to play at Villa, though he could be among the substitutes because of his leadership qualities.
Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert are also injured. De Zerbi said Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr should return to the squad, while Antonin Kinsky will keep his place in goal.
De Zerbi and the relegation fight
De Zerbi has pushed back against the mood around the club, saying, “The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside the players, the staff and the fans.” He also dismissed the idea that the situation is hopeless, saying, “It is impossible, we are crying and we are relegated.”
He added, “The losers cry.” Tottenham’s response at Aston Villa now has to come with a patched-up squad and a first-choice striker unavailable, while the next selection call centers on whether Maddison is fit enough to be used from the bench and whether Udogie and Sarr make the trip back into the group.
