James Maddison's serious knee injury changes things big time for Tottenham: Here's how Thomas Frank can adjust

Just days after watching Son Heung-Min depart Tottenham for Los Angeles FC, Thomas Frank will have another key player to replace in the squad as midfielder James Maddison will have ACL surgery after suffering an injury while facing Newcastle United on Sunday. The 28-year-old midfielder is set to begin his third season at Tottenham but will miss the majority of that season. Last campaign, Maddison also struggled with injuries but remains one of the best creative midfielders in the league with 16 Premier League assists in only 59 matches for the club.

Attacking midfielder is already a position that the club identified as a need, and it seemed like they would strengthen with adding Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. But after the Tricky Trees threatened legal action against Spurs for triggering Gibbs-White's release clause, the transfer fell through, ending with the Englishman signing a new contract and no new additions for Tottenham.

On the wing, Mohamed Kudus and Mathys Tel are expected to replace the goals output of Son, but neither can replace his creative output. In all competitions, only four players had more than four expected assists for Tottenham: Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro, Maddison, and Son. If you're keeping track at home, one of those players is no longer with the club, and the other will miss the majority of the season, leaving questions around how Frank will get the ball to his scorers.

Let's take a look at how they may approach things:

Kulusevski is critical

Despite only having four assists in all competitions last season, Kulusevski had the second-highest xA on the team at 6.2. He wasn't a good fit for Ange Postecoglou's system due to the speed that it required, but with Frank, a system change could benefit players like the Swede. Frank adjusts the system to suit his players, and that can help bring the most out of Kulusevski, but he won't be able to do it alone. He can play a part in replacing the creative load, however. Moving centrally with a stronger defense behind him can allow Kulusevski to get on the ball more and make things happen in the attack.

Where the buildup starts and ends will be crucial

Wing backs are critical to the build-up under Frank, and luckily, Tottenham have one of the best in the Premier League in Porro. Last season, he had four goals and nine assists in all competitions, but he'll need to up that production in the coming season. Set plays are critical in a Frank system, and the lion's share of those will fall on Pedro Porro in the coming season. Add that to Porro's ability to get up the flank and play dangerous crosses into the box that Dominic Solanke can take advantage of, and his play will be critical.

Additions would really help

It's not a coincidence that after Maddison went down with his injury, links to talented Como youngster Nico Paz emerged. This roster structure is lacking at Tottenham, and even before Maddison went down, another attacking midfielder was needed. Now, additions are critical. Needing to juggle Champions League play with a demanding Premier League schedule, there aren't enough bodies in the squad to meet those. Even with upticks in production from younger players, it won't be enough to keep the squad moving forward alone. Despite finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, expectations are high for the squad, and the front office will need to bring in new players to meet them.