Thomas Frank has voiced his profound frustration as Tottenham Hotspur's injury woes continue to mount, with young midfielder Lucas Bergvall now facing a potentially lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Bergvall's Ankle Injury Adds to Tottenham's Misfortune
The 19-year-old Swedish talent sustained an ankle knock during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund, ruling him out of Saturday's Premier League clash with Burnley. Initial assessments at the club suggest Bergvall could be absent for several months, dealing another blow to Frank's depleted squad.
"It seems like we are cursed or something like that," Frank admitted in his pre-match press conference. "We keep being very unlucky with injuries, and it looks like Lucas could be a longer one. He's being assessed and we will know more in the next couple of days."
Tottenham's Alarming Injury Statistics
Bergvall's setback represents the 19th injury at Tottenham this season, placing them joint-highest with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds United in terms of total injuries sustained. More concerningly, Spurs have lost players for 625 days to injury this campaign, just slightly behind Newcastle United's 640 days.
The current injury list makes for grim reading, with Frank missing eight first-team players. Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Ben Davies, and now Bergvall have all picked up serious problems in Tottenham's last five matches alone. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have yet to feature at all this season.
Historical Context and Medical Department Support
This injury crisis follows a worrying pattern from last season, when after 22 games Tottenham had sustained 25 injuries and lost 707 days to player unavailability. Despite these persistent problems, Frank maintains confidence in the club's medical and performance departments.
"In my third year in the Premier League with Brentford we had a horrendous year and it impacted on the season," Frank reflected. "We always look at what we can do to avoid it. How can we make sure we do the maximum to get players back as quickly as possible?"
The manager acknowledged the broader context affecting multiple clubs: "There are a lot of moving parts, the match schedule, the amount of games, but we're not the only club struggling with injuries. Overall I'm very happy with medical and performance departments. We've made progress this year."
Silver Linings Amid the Gloom
Amid the concerning injury news, Frank did receive some positive updates. Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, and Xavi Simons all emerged unscathed from the Dortmund victory that provided some breathing space for the under-pressure manager. Additionally, midfielder João Palhinha should be fit to face Burnley this weekend.
The victory over Dortmund has temporarily eased the mounting pressure on Frank, though the persistent injury problems continue to hamper Tottenham's ability to field their strongest side consistently. As the club awaits further assessment on Bergvall's ankle injury, Frank must once again adapt his tactical approach to accommodate another significant absence from his midfield options.
