Tottenham: Richarlison latest injury and the knock-on effect is a concern for Spurs | OneFootball

Another spell out would feel like a return to square one, as well as put more pressure on Dominic Solanke

As Richarlison made his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, he was asked by a reporter how he was feeling.

"Shit, bro," came the Brazilian's brief reply, accompanied by a shy grin.

The striker pulled up and clutched the back of his leg after bursting beyond Pape Matar Sarr and squaring to Dominic Solanke for Spurs' fourth goal, and Ange Postecoglou afterwards confirmed he had "felt his hamstring".

Richarlison had only been on the field for 26 minutes in his fifth appearance since returning from two months out with an unspecified injury, and could now be set for another spell on the sidelines - with Spurs assessing him ahead of Thursday's Europa League tie against Galatasaray in Turkey.

Injuries happen, but Richarlison's latest complaint is a particular concern because the club went to great lengths to try to prevent this exact scenario.

Richarlison was forced off in Sunday’s 4-1 win against Aston Villa

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The club's medical and coaching staff effectively used the October international break as a second pre-season for the 27-year-old, cautiously building up his strength and fitness in the hope that he would be less likely to break down again when he returned to playing.

"We've taken our time with him," Postecoglou explained on October 18. "We've used the last couple of weeks to get his fitness base up and him into good physical condition so we don't have to keep going through this cycle of him coming back and breaking down."

Richarlison has already been through seven separate injury lay-offs of more than two weeks since joining Spurs from Everton in summer 2022, four of which were during last season and included pelvic surgery on a niggling concern in November last year.

If he has suffered another muscle strain, which appears the likeliest outcome at this moment in time, it will feel like a return to square one for the club and the forward, and a further blow to Spurs' hopes of maintaining their encouraging form on multiple fronts.

The upshot of losing Richarlison for any length of time would be more pressure on Solanke, particular as Postecoglou is currently manging Heung-min Son's minutes.

Since an ankle complaint disrupted his start at Spurs in August, Solanke has established himself as a key part of his new team, offering an impressive level of work without the ball even when he is struggling for service, which Postecoglou believes has made Spurs better.

"The goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn't, I can't speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment," Postecoglou said after Solanke's second-half double took the game away from Villa on Sunday.

"And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team."

But the England forward completed 90 minutes in all three of Spurs' games last week, and he will need a rest at some point, possibly against Galatasaray in Istanbul.

Postecoglou has said the club always wanted to keep Richarlison in the summer, amid interest from Saudi Arabia, with the hope of him and Solanke sharing the load up-front and pushing each other to improve, while Sunday's game also offered a glimpse of the pair's ability to work in tandem.

For now, however, it seems Richarlison's return to prominence at Spurs may be delayed again, leaving the club facing an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury.

In the meantime, Will Lankshear, 19, is the likeliest choice to deputise up front should Solanke need a breather on Thursday and Richarlison is unavailable.