Dominic Solanke Set for First Start with Spurs as De Zerbi Challenges Attack
Roberto De Zerbi believes Dominic Solanke is finally ready to step back into the spotlight – and he wants the rest of Tottenham’s forwards to feel the heat with him.
The 28-year-old striker has barely featured this season, restricted to just 114 minutes in all competitions, even as Spurs have stumbled through their opening Premier League fixtures without scoring a single league goal.
On Saturday night, that could change.
Solanke on brink of long-awaited return
Solanke has not started a game for Tottenham since he limped off with a hamstring injury just 40 minutes into last season’s crucial 1-0 win away at Wolves. That night ended early; his season never really recovered.
A recurring ankle problem then wrecked the rest of his campaign. He missed the final four matches entirely, watching from the bench as Spurs scraped Premier League survival on the last day.
The plan was simple over the summer: a full pre-season, a reset, and a fit Solanke leading the line from August. Reality has been slower. The club’s medical staff, working closely with De Zerbi, reined everything in, wary not only of his injury record but also of the impact of travel and jet lag on a body that has been pushed to its limits.
Under performance director Dan Lewindon, Spurs have overhauled their medical and performance department and have taken a conservative approach with players who come with red flags on their fitness files. Solanke has been the prime example.
The result? While Tottenham’s attack has spluttered, the former Bournemouth forward has been largely a spectator.
Everton or Liverpool – the moment is coming
That wait is almost over.
De Zerbi confirmed Solanke is now “very close” to starting, with the Everton clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening or Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Liverpool earmarked as his likely return to the XI.
“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.
Two games on the bench – away at Newcastle and at home to Nottingham Forest – have been the final steps of the build-up. The next one should be from the first whistle.
Goals dry up as Spurs search for a spark
Spurs are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the season, but their performances have not been as bleak as the table suggests. The real problem is obvious: they simply cannot put the ball in the net.
Three league games, no goals. The 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend underlined the issue. Tottenham had the ball, they had territory, but they lacked ideas and edge in the final third.
That attacking malaise has been compounded by the club’s decisions in the transfer market. Brennan Johnson, their top scorer in the 2024/25 campaign, was allowed to leave for Crystal Palace in January. On Saturday, he is expected to line up in Everton colours against his former club.
At the same time, Spurs are working on a move for last season’s top scorer, Richarlison, with Vasco da Gama pushing hard to take the Brazilian back home. This comes after the departures of Heung Min-Son and Harry Kane in recent years – a staggering volume of goals walked out of the door.
De Zerbi, though, is not panicking about what has gone. His focus is on what remains.
De Zerbi’s message: step up or fall away
The Italian is convinced the answers are already in the building – but he has made it clear that reputations mean nothing if they are not backed up on the pitch.
“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.
“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.”
It is a clear challenge. Solanke’s return offers a focal point, a reference, a striker De Zerbi trusts. Around him, the likes of Marmoush, Savio, Tel, Bergvall and Gray are being told, bluntly, that this is the moment to prove they belong at this level.
Tottenham’s season will not wait for them. With the goals drying up and familiar faces now wearing different shirts, the question is simple: will Solanke’s comeback ignite a new attack, or expose just how much work still lies ahead?
