Yves Bissouma axed by Tottenham for Super Cup over disciplinary issue

Yves Bissouma has been left out of Tottenham’s Super Cup squad for disciplinary reasons in an unhelpful distraction to Thomas Frank’s attempt to mark his debut with silverware.

Frank will take charge of his first competitive match as Spurs head coach on Wednesday at Stadio Friuli in Udine and could lift a trophy if they can upset Champions League winners Paris St Germain.

Bissouma has been left at home after being late “several times” this summer, but Frank has Dominic Solanke available and will aim to mark his Tottenham bow with further cup glory after predecessor Ange Postecoglou masterminded Europa League success in May.

“I think for the team, for me, for everybody involved at Tottenham Hotspur, it’s a massive game,” Frank reflected.

“A great challenge and an even bigger opportunity. That’s how my brain works, I see opportunities instead of pressure or whatever. So for me, massive opportunity and we will definitely embrace it.

“My players, our players, they just won a big trophy six or seven weeks ago, so they had a fantastic experience of doing that and they want to win more.

“It was a great feeling, everything I heard about it, fantastic experience, so the players will be ready.”

Even though PSG only returned to pre-season training last Wednesday following the Club World Cup, Spurs enter this fixture under-strength with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski long-term absentees and Destiny Udogie still sidelined.

It makes the omission of Bissouma all the more eye-catching and could spell the end of his time at the club given the Mali international, who started the Europa League final, is into the final 12 months of his contract.

Frank explained: “Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons.