Tottenham's Champions League switch-up! Mathys Tel added to European squad as Spurs forced to remove injury-hit £60m star

Head coach Thomas Frank had initially kept Tel out of their squad for the league stages of the Champions League after his move from Bayern Munich was made permanent in the summer. However, with Solanke out of action on a long-term basis, the Spurs boss has now named the 20-year-old French forward in their European roster ahead of their home fixture against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night.

Frank had suggested Tel would be added to the European squad during his pre-match press conference on Monday, as the manager told reporters: "Of course, if I knew back then what I know now, it maybe would have changed the decision, no doubt about that. Of course, it’s something we can have in consideration. We need players that are fit and available, so we have enough players to shoot with from the bench."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Solanke, who has undergone surgery, recently spoke to The Athletic and discussed his injury struggles as he said: "It’s been very difficult. At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long but we didn’t really understand the extent of the injury. I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn’t happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back. 

"I’m not putting a timeline on it because I’ve been telling everyone ‘I’m going to be back soon’ for the last few months. I’m taking it day by day but hopefully I won’t be much longer."

The 28-year-old isn't the only Spurs attacker sidelined at present, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski also long-term absentees owing to respective knee injuries.

Tuesday night's Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague will be extra special for the home fans as Spurs legend Son Heung-min is back in north London for the first time since leaving for LAFC in the summer.

The club's official statement read: "Sonny will take to the pitch before the team walk-outs ahead of the 20:00 kick-off against the Czech champions. He will then have the opportunity to personally address the supporters that took him into their hearts following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and treasured him for the next 10 years – it is sure to be an emotional occasion in N17."