Tottenham latest: Thomas Frank handed nightmare situation as star 'unhappy' in London

Tottenham are preparing for a huge North London derby against Arsenal - but have a few major problems on their hands

Tottenham have lost much of their early-season rhythm - and at a particularly inconvenient time too. A massive North London Derby against Arsenal is looming, quickly followed by a crucial Champions League clash with PSG.

Thomas Frank's side began the season at a decent pace, winning five of their opening seven fixtures across all tournaments after coming within touching distance of a memorable Super Cup triumph over PSG.

However, a taxing stretch in recent weeks - losses to Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea, plus a stoppage-time equaliser conceded against Manchester United - has sapped a significant portion of their earlier confidence and energy.

Spurs are still well placed, occupying fifth in the Premier League and sitting 10th in the Champions League table after going unbeaten so far in that competition, but it's clear that Frank must find solutions to re-energise his group following a stuttering run. With that in mind, here is a summary of the most recent Tottenham-related news stories.

Tel 'unhappy' in London

Mathys Tel is reportedly unsettled in London only months after joining Tottenham. The French attacker, who arrived on loan from Bayern Munich at the start of the year before completing a permanent move in the summer, is said to be open to a January exit after failing to earn consistent minutes in Frank's preferred line-up.

Tel has played just 24 minutes over the last four weeks, with rivalry for places in Tottenham's frontline extremely intense. Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski are all competing for similar roles, leaving minimal room for rotation.

Gazzetta dello Sport report that AS Roma are weighing up a loan proposal - and Spurs are willing to consider letting him leave. Still, Tel's goal against Manchester United earlier this month could persuade Frank to increase his involvement - potentially altering both the club's and the player's outlook in the near future.

Nightmare injury scenario

Tottenham may have to cope without Pape Matar Sarr for Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. The midfielder, a consistent presence in Frank's line-up this season, hobbled off during Senegal's 2-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday.

Initially the setback seemed slight, with Senegal manager Pape Thiaw minimising the problem. But Sarr was then left out of Senegal's 8-0 victory over Kenya on Tuesday, raising major concerns about his readiness for the weekend.

"We left him in London," Thiaw confirmed. "He took a knock, and we felt it would be difficult for him to recover in just two days. Since we were in his home city, we preferred to leave him with his club so he could receive treatment there."

Tottenham's squad is already depleted, with Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin all out injured. Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are also uncertain for the North London Derby, leaving Spurs worryingly light in central midfield.