The striker has not appeared for Tottenham since the second week of the Premier League season.
He was then confirmed to be on the bench for the match, with Richarlison getting the nod at centre-forward.
Solanke’s return to fitness will hopefully have a galvanising effect on Tottenham’s campaign. The mood around the club and its supporters is growing toxic amid poor results, and Frank has routinely cited injuries to Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski as contributing to subpar form.
Solanke scored 16 goals and assisted a further eight in 45 appearances across all competitions last season.
Watch: Dominic Solanke arrives with the Tottenham ahead of facing Aston Villa in the FA Cup
Speaking after Solanke was pictured in training last week, Frank implored fans to be patient as he gets back up to speed.
He said: “Today you could see in training that he’s nice and composed on the ball, good decisions, good touches, and then when we’re a little bit more competitive in the small-sided [games], he is of course lacking [sharpness], and he looked a little rusty, which is completely normal.
“Now he’s unfortunately been out for at least six months, right? Yeah, six months, a little bit more than that, so, of course, it will take a little bit of time.
“So, even if he’s ready for whatever time in the near future, hopefully [soon], then I think you will be surprised to just see him hit the ground running. Very few players do that.”
