Tottenham Hotspur are far from the only club to be hit hard by injuries this season, as fans of Manchester United, Newcastle and Brentford will tell you. But one wonders where Ange Postecoglou’s side would be without their own littany of fitness issues.
The North London giants were flying high near the top of the table until Micky van de Ven‘s hamstring went twang during that disastrous 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea. Manor Solomon has barely kicked a ball in Spurs colours since his summer arrival.
James Maddison, meanwhile, has not come close to replicating his pre-Christmas form. A shadow of his once highly-influential self. Destiny Udogie, a revelation at left-back and included on the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year shortlist, has seen an impressive debut season cut short.
And, on the same day that Ange Postecoglou spoke glowingly about another Tottenham player’s much-improved form since the turn of the year, it emerged that he too is struggling with an issue of his own.
Ange Postecoglou full of praise for one Tottenham ace
“Richy has been really good for us this year. You’ve got to remember when I took over, he had scored one goal for the club. And, for all intents and purposes, the jury was pretty much out on him in terms of any contribution,” Postecoglou tells Football London of Richarlison ahead of Saturday’s hosting of relegation-bound Burnley.
“He has got in the double figures this year I am pretty sure and he has missed a huge chunk of it. But every time he has played he has looked effective like he did against Liverpool (in last week’s 4-2 defeat). He scored a good goal, set up the second, been unlucky on a couple of other occasions.
“Like I said, he has been really effective for us and I think the way we play suits him to a great degree. And that’s why he has got the goals, but he’s also worked hard himself. It’s unfortunate he’s had a season which is reflective of a lot of players where we have never had them for a huge chunk of time consistently.”
Richarlison, as Postecoglou pointed out, made quite the impact off the bench at Anfield last time out. How differently might the game have panned out if he had started? The former Everton man maintaining an impressive record against Jurgen Klopp’s side even as Tottenham succumbed to a fourth successive Premier League loss.
Another injury for Richarlison ruins Brazil chances
Now, Postecoglou did not say anything about another Richarlison injury ahead of Burnley’s trip to the capital. But the calf issue he is carrying is obviously serious enough to keep the £50 million signing out of Brazil’s Copa America plans.
Dorival Junior, Brazil’s new head coach, told UOL on Friday that Richarlison has been left off the roster after telling the team’s doctors that he is struggling with a calf problem.
“Richarlison had a calf injury,” Dorival says. “(The injury was) not made official by the club, but we made contact with the player and he informed us.”
Does that mean Richarlison has kicked his final ball in 2023/24? Postecoglou will be hoping not. Not after praising his work-ethic and his influence so openly, and with Richarlison one of only two Tottenham players – alongside captain Heung-Min Son – to hit double fitures in the top-flight this term.
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