Dominic Solanke Set for First Start with Spurs Amid Attack Struggles
Roberto De Zerbi believes Dominic Solanke is finally ready to step back into the spotlight – and he may not have long to wait.
The Tottenham head coach revealed the striker could make his first start since April when Everton visit north London on Saturday evening, or failing that, in the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool next Tuesday.
“I think he is close. He’s a crucial player for us, Dom Solanke. For the characteristics, personality, level of the player. He’s very close after two times on the bench - Newcastle and Nottingham - he could start the game. Or, anyway, Tuesday, he can start the game,” De Zerbi said.
For Spurs, the timing feels critical.
Long road back
Solanke has barely been seen since he limped off just 40 minutes into Tottenham’s vital 1-0 win at Wolves late last season with a hamstring problem. That night underlined his importance; the months that followed have underlined how much he has been missed.
The 28-year-old then spent most of the remainder of the campaign wrestling with a recurring ankle injury. He did not feature at all in Spurs’ final four matches, reduced to a spectator as they clung to Premier League safety on the final day.
The plan was simple: a full pre-season, a clean slate, and Solanke fit and firing for the start of this campaign. Reality intervened. Concerns over his injury record, combined with the effects of jet lag, led the club’s medical staff – working closely with De Zerbi – to pull hard on the handbrake.
Under performance director Dan Lewindon, Tottenham have overhauled their medical department and have taken an especially cautious approach with players carrying a history of problems. Solanke has been the prime example.
The result? Just 114 minutes in all competitions so far this season. No league starts. No rhythm. No focal point for a side crying out for one.
Goals dry up, pressure builds
Spurs have stumbled out of the blocks. They are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season and, more damningly, they have failed to score in any of their opening three league fixtures.
The performance levels have not been as bleak as the numbers suggest, but the cold facts are unforgiving: De Zerbi’s team look blunt. The 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend laid that bare, Tottenham labouring through long spells without spark or incision in the final third.
All of this throws an even harsher light on the club’s recent transfer decisions.
Brennan Johnson, their top scorer in the 2024/25 season, was allowed to leave for Crystal Palace in January. On Saturday night, the Welsh winger will be in the opposition camp, likely lining up for Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
At the same time, Spurs are working on an exit for last season’s top scorer, Richarlison, with Brazilian side Vasco da Gama pushing hard to bring him home. Add those moves to the earlier departures of Heung Min-Son and Harry Kane, and it is a remarkable volume of goals taken out of the squad in a short space of time.
De Zerbi, though, is not entertaining any panic.
De Zerbi’s challenge to his forwards
The Italian insists there is enough firepower in the building – if his forwards rise to the standard he is demanding.
“Solanke didn’t play many games. I hope Solanke can be available this season more than last season. Marmoush didn’t play for Tottenham last season,” he said, pointing to the untapped potential in his attacking group.
“Savio didn’t play last season for Tottenham. And then all players they have to…Mathys Tel has to improve. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. Now he is 22 years (old) and he has to push, to show.
“Because the level of football is you show who you are and what you can do, or you lose the level. I think we can score goals with this squad, but we have to see.”
That is the crux of it. De Zerbi has thrown down a clear challenge: prove you belong at this level, or watch it slip away.
For Solanke, that message lands at a decisive moment. After months of careful management and frustration on the sidelines, the door is about to open again. With Spurs still searching for their first league goal of the season, the question is no longer whether he is crucial.
It is how quickly he can change the mood of an entire campaign.
