Tottenham Hotspur is facing another blow in its injury-plagued season with Richarlison set to miss up to seven weeks of action following a hamstring injury. The Brazilian forward, who has been Tottenham's top scorer this term with eight goals, including seven in the Premier League, will have to sit out for an extended period after being forced off during Saturday's FA Cup loss to Aston Villa.
The news comes as a setback for manager Thomas Frank, who was already without two key players - Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison - all season. With Mohammed Kudus also ruled out until April with a thigh problem, the lack of attacking depth is becoming increasingly concerning for Frank and his coaching staff.
Despite having some promising youngsters in reserve, including Dominic Solanke who has returned from a long-term ankle injury, Frank acknowledged that Tottenham need to strengthen its squad in the transfer market. "We are in the market, as I said many times, to see if we can improve the squad but it needs to be something that we improve for the short and long term," he explained.
However, Frank also stressed that any potential signings must address the team's overall weakness rather than just filling a specific void. The club has already made significant investments this season, including the £34m signing of midfielder Conor Gallagher, who could start against West Ham in Saturday's Premier League game.
Frank admitted that finding consistency and avoiding injuries has been an ongoing challenge for his side. "It's not a straightforward road, let me put it that way," he said. "I think we are probably one inch away from a 3-2 winner against Bournemouth [last Wednesday] and we would then have eight points in four games, a bit more momentum. But instead, we lost 3-2."
The new arrival of John Heitinga on the coaching staff has brought some fresh perspectives to Tottenham's setup, according to Frank. Heitinga, who was an assistant to Arne Slot at Liverpool last season and was sacked as Ajax manager in November, was appointed after a joint effort by Frank and the sporting directors.
In addition to strengthening its squad, Spurs are also expecting significant changes behind the scenes. Rafi Moersen will join the club as its first director of football operations from City Football Group, while Dan Lewindon is set to take over as performance director next month.
The news comes as a setback for manager Thomas Frank, who was already without two key players - Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison - all season. With Mohammed Kudus also ruled out until April with a thigh problem, the lack of attacking depth is becoming increasingly concerning for Frank and his coaching staff.
Despite having some promising youngsters in reserve, including Dominic Solanke who has returned from a long-term ankle injury, Frank acknowledged that Tottenham need to strengthen its squad in the transfer market. "We are in the market, as I said many times, to see if we can improve the squad but it needs to be something that we improve for the short and long term," he explained.
However, Frank also stressed that any potential signings must address the team's overall weakness rather than just filling a specific void. The club has already made significant investments this season, including the £34m signing of midfielder Conor Gallagher, who could start against West Ham in Saturday's Premier League game.
Frank admitted that finding consistency and avoiding injuries has been an ongoing challenge for his side. "It's not a straightforward road, let me put it that way," he said. "I think we are probably one inch away from a 3-2 winner against Bournemouth [last Wednesday] and we would then have eight points in four games, a bit more momentum. But instead, we lost 3-2."
The new arrival of John Heitinga on the coaching staff has brought some fresh perspectives to Tottenham's setup, according to Frank. Heitinga, who was an assistant to Arne Slot at Liverpool last season and was sacked as Ajax manager in November, was appointed after a joint effort by Frank and the sporting directors.
In addition to strengthening its squad, Spurs are also expecting significant changes behind the scenes. Rafi Moersen will join the club as its first director of football operations from City Football Group, while Dan Lewindon is set to take over as performance director next month.
like they're running on a treadmill and can't get off 
Richarlison's hamstring injury is a huge blow, but I think it's bigger than that - it's a symptom of the squad not being deep enough 
. They need to strengthen their bench with players who can deliver on the big stage, not just fill gaps with big-name signings 
. And let's be real, finding consistency and avoiding injuries is like trying to catch a greased pig at a county fair - it's just not happening 
Thomas Frank's frustration is understandable, but it's time for Spurs to take responsibility and make some serious changes behind the scenes 
. The new staff appointments are a good start, but can they bring in the right players who fit their system? We'll have to wait and see 
they can barely afford 2 play most games w/o major injuries richarlison out 4 up to 7 weeks and its like 3rd time dis season lol how r they supposed 2 keep up w/ premier league pace? 
i think frank needs 2 go 
but i feel bad 4 him he's tryin so hard 
u gotta wonder if dem signings (gallagher, etc) were worth it tho. btw dejan kulusevski and james maddison r out 4 good 
richarlison for 7 weeks is a huge blow esp with kulusevski and maddison already out 
frank needs to bring in some serious reinforcements ASAP or they'll be stuck in neutral 
and yeah i get what he's saying about not just filling gaps but addressing the bigger issue 
but at this point it feels like they're just treading water 
the coaching staff shakeup is a good start tho 
john heitinga might bring some fresh ideas to the table 
now all they need is for spurs to get a win in the next game and the momentum will build 
. Richarlison's hamstring injury is a bummer, but it's not like they didn't see this coming... Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have been out since the start of the season, and now Kudus is ruled out until April too. It's like they're playing Russian roulette with their players 
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. But seriously, can't they just get some healthy players for once? I mean, I know injuries happen but it feels like they're always getting hit by bad luck 
! The new arrivals on coaching staff might just be the spark they need 
And now with all these injuries piling up, it's no wonder their squad depth is a major concern. I mean, what's the point of having all this money if you can't even keep your starters healthy? 
This injury news for Richarlison is super unlucky 
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. The fact that they've only made one big signing so far (Gallagher) makes me wonder if they're taking a risk with their transfer strategy 
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. And behind the scenes, it sounds like there are some big changes brewing – Moersen and Lewindon are going to shake things up, hopefully for the better 
. They've got some talented youngsters coming through, but they need more guidance and support from their senior players 
. Maybe if Richarlison comes back stronger and healthier, he can be a leader in the team, helping them find consistency and avoid injuries 
️. I'm starting to think that Spurs need a serious squad overhaul, not just some tinkerings here and there 
. Bring on the transfer window and let's hope they get some solid signings to sort this mess out 
️. And with the new changes behind the scenes, like Rafi Moersen coming on board, I'm hoping we'll see some more structure and organization in the team 
... I mean, it's not easy to build a strong squad when you're missing half your team all season 
. What do you think? Should Spurs just focus on bringing in some solid backup options or go for some big-name signings? 
I mean come on, Tottenham's injury woes are getting old 
and I'm not even surprised given how injury-prone they've been all season 
and I don't think just signing some random player will fix everything, they need someone who can make a real difference 
john heitinga is going to bring so much fresh energy to the club 
The lack of depth is really showing and it's going to be tough for them to make a push in the top 4. Fingers crossed they can get some fresh blood in and turn their season around 
. richarlison out for 7 weeks? that's like, a huge blow. and to make matters worse, they're already missing some big names 
Tottenham's injury woes aren't surprising, but it's a reminder they need to be proactive about strengthening their squad. The fact that they've already made significant investments this season suggests they're aware of the issue, now it's time to make changes that address the team's overall weaknesses. 
. It's gonna take more than some fresh perspectives to turn this ship around. Spurs need to get serious about building a cohesive unit, not just patching things together 
. It's time for them to put their money where their mouth is and make some savvy moves in the transfer market