Manor Solomon was back on the pitch for Tottenham on Saturday as they played a behind-closed-doors game against Cambridge United at their Hotspur Way base. Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs squad do have a busy pre-season schedule on the agenda, with the team officially kicking things off on Wednesday evening as they travel to Edinburgh to take on Scottish Premiership side Hearts.

However, following their first week back at the club’s training ground, Postecoglou was keen to put his team through their paces against the League One side. It turned out to be a productive afternoon for all concerned with plenty of players getting a various amount of minutes in the tank.

Due to the wealth of numbers available to the head coach at present despite a handful of the squad still to return to training following their participation at either Euro 2024 or the Copa America, the Australian put out a different team in either half against Garry Monk’s side.

The team in the first half ran out 5-0 winners, with those utilised in the second half playing out a 2-2 draw. For Solomon, he played in the opening 45 minutes as Brennan Johnson scored a hat-trick and Son Heung-min added a double.

Since sealing a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 12 months ago, the 24-year-old has played an extremely bit-part role for the Lilywhites with injury severely restricting his playing time. In total, the Israel winger has only featured in six games for Spurs after suffering a meniscus injury to his right knee in training in early October.

Initially looking at between three to four months on the sidelines before Postecoglou revealed in February that his player had sustained a setback in his recovery, Spurs confirmed midway through March that Solomon had undergone surgery on the issue and that he would continue his rehabilitation with the medical team.

Following such a difficult time for the player with his last appearance coming off the bench in September’s last-minute 2-1 victory over Liverpool, his return to the pitch in the behind-closed-doors friendly would have come as a big weight off his shoulders. Solomon will now be looking to add to his minutes in the weeks ahead, starting with Wednesday’s pre-season friendly against Hearts at Tynecastle before Tottenham then face QPR three days later.

Looking bright for Tottenham last summer immediately after his move to the club, Solomon once again needs a strong pre-season if he is to become a key player in Postecoglou’s team going forward. A lot has changed in Tottenham’s attack since he last pulled on a Spurs shirt in that win against Liverpool.

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Johnson, who was in the first few weeks of his Tottenham career at the time of Solomon’s last outing, has become a regular in Postecoglou’s side and contributed with five goals and ten assists in his maiden year at the club. Spurs also now have Timo Werner on the books after he rejoined the Lilywhites on a season-long loan after impressing in his initial loan switch from RB Leipzig in the second half of last season.

There could even be more attacking incomings still to come between now and the end of the summer, with Postecoglou previously admitting to football.london that bringing in new attacking players is a priority for him in the summer market. A lot has changed in Tottenham’s attack since Solomon’s last official appearance and there’s the real possibility that things could look a whole lot different once again by the time the 2024/25 Premier League starts.

It perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise then that there have been question marks over Solomon’s place in Postecoglou’s Tottenham plans for the season ahead. Going to be a tough ask for him to force his way into the Spurs XI on a permanent basis given the options at the head coach’s disposal, a strong pre-season campaign could remind everyone of just what the winger can offer Tottenham in the months ahead.

Perhaps Tottenham’s forgotten man for many due to the fact he only played six times in his first year at the club, now is the time for Solomon to ensure he is at the forefront of Postecoglou’s mind as he plans for the forthcoming season.