Dominic Solanke was quick to allay fears he had suffered a serious injury after limping off during Tottenham Hotspur’s draw with Manchester City.
Solanke spearheaded Tottenham’s comeback against Pep Guardiola’s title chasers, halving the deficit with a 53rd-minute strike before equalizing with a stunning scorpion kick.
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It was almost a perfect afternoon for Solanke until he went down injured in the 90th minute and only got up after receiving treatment.
The game entered stoppage time and he was replaced by 17-year-old Zhuai Byfield, making his Premier League debut for the Lilywhites.
Spurs fans are sweating the prospect of a brutal setback for the striker, who missed the first half of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.
While it was this issue that forced him to leave, Solanke has dealt with any jitters over this new issue.
“I’ll do well,” Solanke told Sky Sports. “I just sprained my ankle, but I’ll be fine.”
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Solanke missed 139 days and 27 games while recovering from surgery last September, having been hampered by injuries for much of his first two seasons at Tottenham.
However, he will be hoping his performance against Manchester City puts him in top form, leading Tottenham’s revival from the front and almost single-handedly resurrecting a team that looked finished at half-time.
Dominic Solanke scored a stunning scorpion kick against Manchester City (Action picture via Reuters)
“He’s a top player,” teammate Connor Gallagher said. “Dom has been outstanding in the last few games since coming back from injury. He’s strong, he can move his body and get players into the game. You could see that in the second half.
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“Everyone played really well in the second half. We came together and showed great character and character. I just hope we can keep going and get better results.”
Solanke’s heroics have helped ease pressure on Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, whose job is under serious threat after a dismal string of domestic games.
Frank added: “He’s pretty good, isn’t he? I just feel like what he’s given us, he’s at 70-80 per cent. Dom is very important for us and he showed us that today.”
Solanke was not the only injured player in the game, with Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri both coming off for City after sustaining injuries, although Guardiola did not provide much update on the pair.