'He looks better and better' - Thomas Frank confirms Randal Kolo Muani is in line to make Tottenham debut against Aston Villa

With both Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke out injured, Frank and Spurs have had to rely on Richarlison in front of goal thus far this season. The Brazilian has impressed with three goals and an assist in the Premier League, but it will be welcome news that Kolo Muani may now be set to return and offer renewed competition in the striker role.

The 26-year-old is well-known for being an impact substitute on France’s run to the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, almost scoring the winner in the final had it not been for a miraculous save by Emiliano Martinez.

Kolo Muani would soon move from Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG for a massive €90million (£78m/$105m), but it would not go to plan in the French capital as he scored just eight Ligue 1 goals for the club and was eventually shipped out on loan to Juventus in January 2025. After returning to form in Italy, the Old Lady battled for his signature again over the summer but lost out to Spurs – for whom he has only made a 13-minute Champions League cameo against Villarreal, before spending a month on the sidelines.

Frank said in his press conference on Friday: "Kolo Muani has trained for two weeks with the team, that's good. He looks better and better and is in contention for the squad on Sunday, so that's a positive.

“It's very important to have him fit and available. I think he looks better and better. I think it's also fair to say that he has trained two weeks with the team and when he came on the 1st of September - time flies! -  he still needed a bit to go up to the higher level. But it's not to say that he can't be involved tomorrow and maybe can play minutes. But I think it's fair to say that he needs a little bit of time to get up to a full level.”

“We love to play games,” said Frank. “Every footballer loves to play a game instead of training. Coaches, we like to train a little bit more sometimes, but in general, we love to play the games. We have a fantastic run of games ahead of us, starting with Villa on Sunday – a top team, top manager, Unai, I respect him a lot. I think what he's done in his career is amazing. What he created at Villa is fantastic in so many areas. I think they did well in the Champions League last season and almost qualified for the Champions League again, which is very impressive and I think they have a very strong team. So, yeah, looking forward to it.

“I think we all have an idea in our head what could be the strongest team with all the players available, but probably the reality is that you need to create the strongest possible team of the players you have available now. That is my task, that is my job and get the best out of that. So, it's nice to dream a little bit, but like with all dreams, it's not reality - reality is here, now, what kind of players we have available. That said, of course, I'd love some of them to be fit and available,” he added.

Kolo Muani will hope to get the chance to make his Premier League bow in Spurs' encounter with one of the division’s strongest sides in recent years in Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on Sunday, a challenge he will no doubt relish.

The Villans have made a slow start to the season but Frank made sure to underline the quality possessed in Emery’s squad, who returned to form with four successive wins in all competitions before the international break.

“When I see them performing and their structure and the way they play, I see a lot of the same that I've seen from Unai Emery's Villa team in the last three seasons. I see a lot of the same strengths,” said Frank.

“They're very, very good in the build-up and in phase two and have fantastic structure. They're very composed and have fantastic players. We know in Rogers, doing fantastic, Ollie Watkins, Malen is starting to score goals, Onana in midfield, Kamara, I know Tielemans is injury, but that's a top team. The back four is very good as well. It's a team and you can see they're growing. I expect an unbelievable, tight game on Sunday that we're very positive about and that we will do everything to edge. We hope and I believe we can, but it will be a strong test on Sunday.”