The 20-year-old forward has withdrawn from international duty following a setback in Tuesday’s training session
The magnitude of Tottenham‘s injury crisis over the last two seasons has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it appears to have no end in sight, as Mathys Tel has become the latest victim, officially withdrawing from the France Under-21 squad.
The forward, who has been a rare bright spark in a dismal campaign for the North London club, sustained a thigh injury during Sunday’s demoralising 0-3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Despite the injury, which forced him off in the 67th minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tel travelled to France on Monday in a desperate bid to maintain his place in the setup for upcoming Euro U21 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Iceland.
According to reports from L’Équipe, Tel initially took part in individual training and light jogging drills alongside Manchester United’s Leny Yoro on Monday and Tuesday morning.
However, after failing to prove his fitness during a final assessment by the French Football Federation (FFF) medical staff, the decision was made for him to return to London for further treatment.
“Mathys Tel has withdrawn from the France Under-21 squad for their upcoming 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches in March,” read Tottenham’s statement.
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“The 20-year-old forward has been in strong form in Lilywhite in recent matches but was forced off in the 67th minute during our Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out and will not join up with his national team this month.
“Mathys captained France U21 during the last two qualifiers back in November and has scored three goals and provided one assist during this qualifying campaign so far, with his nation currently leading Group C.”
Tottenham injury crisis deepens
The loss of Tel is particularly stinging for Spurs, who currently sit in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone, following a winless streak of 13 Premier League matches.
With senior figures such as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Wilson Odobert already sidelined with long-term injuries, Tel had emerged as a vital attacking outlet.
His withdrawal adds his name to a growing treatment room that also includes goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who is set to undergo hernia surgery this week, as well as midfield duo Yves Bissouma and Mohammed Kudus.
“Mathys did everything he could to be fit for these fixtures,” noted assistant coach Bruno Saltor, who filled in for Igor Tudor during Sunday’s post-match duties. “He is a player who gives everything for the shirt, and his frustration is shared by everyone at the club. We now have to focus on getting him back for the Sunderland match on April 12.”
