“Impressed me a lot” – Thomas Frank says he’s been thrilled by benched Tottenham star

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has heaped praise on a member of the Spurs squad who he’s barely called upon lately.

Tottenham travel to Everton as concerns surround midfield

Spurs travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium as they prepare to battle David Moyes’ Everton on Merseyside this weekend.

Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Dominic Solanke are the club’s most notable absentees, joining Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma on their extensive injury list.

After a dismal 0-0 draw away to Monaco in the Champions League, where goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was on hand to spare their blushes time and time again with a string of excellent saves, Spurs supporters are concerned by their lack of control in midfield.

Joao Palhinha has been one of Tottenham’s players of the season so far, but his partnership with fellow in-form ace Rodrigo Bentancur has attracted debate.

While both men have performed brilliantly in an individual sense, as a pairing, they don’t appear to be connecting defence with attack that well, and this was on full display in France on Wednesday.

Concerns have also surrounded Xavi Simons, who’s largely failed to make the desired impact creatively since his £52 million move from RB Leipzig last summer, with the Dutchman having just one goal contribution to show for his efforts.

Lucas Bergvall was given the nod in Simons’ position against Monaco, but he was equally ineffective, leading to suggestions that their lack of creative guile stems from a broader tactical issue in the engine room.

Tottenham cannot keep relying on Mohammed Kudus to provide all of their cutting edge from the right-hand side, so it’ll be interesting to see if Frank shakes things up a bit for Everton.

Frank has also raised eyebrows with his decision to drop Pape Sarr, despite the Senegalese starting 2025/2026 in excellent form.

The 23-year-old hasn’t started a Premier League game since Tottenham’s 4-0 win at West Ham, playing just 33 minutes across their last four top flight games, leaving many to wonder if there is an issue with him behind-the-scenes.

Thomas Frank clarifys Pape Sarr situation at Tottenham

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Frank addressed the concerns around Sarr.

Spurs’ head coach insists that nothing is wrong with the African, and that he has been left very impressed by Sarr since arriving in north London.

The former FC Metz sensation was one of Fabio Paratici’s first signings at Tottenham, and he’s gone on to justify his bargain price tag by becoming a real success story at the club.

Physical and combative, Sarr’s work rate always catches the eye – breaking up opposition play and helping to launch attacks with his excellent turn of pace. His energy adds balance to Tottenham’s midfield, providing both cover and a steady link between the backline and their attack.

He is an excellent option to potentially partner Palhinha against Everton, and Frank should definitely consider recalling Sarr to the eleven amid the growing criticism surrounding Spurs’ engine room.