Thomas Frank makes feelings clear on Yves Bissouma as Tottenham outcast eyes redemption

Thomas Frank insists he harbours 'no resentment' towards Yves Bissouma after the Tottenham midfielder broke his rules and couldn't secure a transfer this summer. Spurs make the trip to Bissouma's former club Brighton on Saturday afternoon hoping to continue their impressive beginning under the Dane, which has delivered four victories in five fixtures with four clean sheets and just one goal conceded. Bissouma has played no role in that run following a knee setback during a summer where Tottenham attempted to offload him with his deal expiring next year.

The 29-year-old has clocked up 100 appearances for the north London outfit since his £25million arrival from Brighton in 2022, but the Mali international has never reliably delivered and has battled with conduct problems both on and off the field. Bissouma was captured on camera using nitrous oxide last summer and the social media footage resulted in a one-match Spurs ban for the season curtain-raiser and he fell foul of Frank after repeatedly arriving late.

The new head coach consequently excluded him from his UEFA Super Cup selection and then his Champions League roster for the forthcoming months. A knee problem thwarted the midfielder's opportunity for a departure and left Spurs facing the prospect of him seeing out his contract.

Frank stated that regardless of all that has transpired, Bissouma will not be discarded when he regains fitness. "There are no hard feelings at all. Not before, not now, not at all. Train well and everyone has an opportunity," said Frank.

"He has just started to run outside, so he is not part of the group but everything I've seen when I've said hello to him and every day with the players, he seems good."

Bissouma has already been surpassed in the pecking order by 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall, who Frank acknowledged ahead of the match at the Amex Stadium is "going from strength to strength".

Frank added: "The coaches and I have been working with him on a couple of things. He's got so much energy that sometimes you need to say, pause, stop, don't run when we have the ball and find the higher, more dangerous positions.

"For example, the deep run where he scored against West Ham was a big thing. The deep run where he was involved in the own goal against Villarreal. Those deep runs and arriving in a higher position up the pitch are key."

Spurs continue to be without the injured Dominic Solanke, who has now returned to training on the grass alongside Japanese summer signing Kota Takai.