Roberto De Zerbi's Dilemma: Starting Marmoush or Keeping Him on the Bench?

Roberto De Zerbi has a decision to make. Several, in fact.

Omran Marmoush, the Egyptian forward, watched from the bench as City overturned Bournemouth 2-1 last weekend. He did not play a minute, but there is no cloud over his fitness. De Zerbi made that clear. The dilemma is not whether Marmoush is ready. It is whether he starts.

Richarlison and Dominic Solanke led the line in that comeback win. Dropping either would be a big call. De Zerbi must now decide if Marmoush comes straight in ahead of them, or if he again holds him in reserve as an impact option from the bench.

Savio’s fast start, big price

One new signing has already kicked the door down. Savio, brought in from City in a deal worth up to £85million earlier this week, wasted no time announcing himself in north London. Thrown into the Carabao Cup second round against Charlton, the Brazilian scored and laid on another in a sparkling cameo.

That performance has thrust him into contention for a full debut against Newcastle. De Zerbi name-checked him among those “available to play, maybe also the beginning of the game”, and the momentum is clearly with the winger after that explosive introduction.

Van de Ven and Porro back in the frame

The Charlton tie also marked the first minutes of the season for Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, both introduced off the bench as De Zerbi began to fold senior pieces back into his side.

Porro is in the mix to start at the weekend. Van de Ven is too, but his case is more delicate. The Dutch defender has wrestled with muscle problems throughout his Spurs career, and De Zerbi is wary of pushing him too hard, too soon.

“Van de Ven is right to play. We have to look, we have to understand the beginning part of the game,” De Zerbi said, hinting at a finely balanced call between what the player feels and what the medical data says. The temptation to start him is obvious. So is the risk.

Mohammed Kudus, meanwhile, is edging closer. The attacking midfielder is “pushing for a place on the bench”, another weapon for De Zerbi as fixtures begin to stack up.

Udogie boost, Maddison managed

There was better news at full-back. Destiny Udogie returned and got through 60 minutes against Charlton, exactly as planned.

“Robertson is like Udogie. Udogie is a good news for us because Udogie is very important and he played well 60 minutes, like was the plan,” De Zerbi said, underlining just how central the Italian is to his system on that left side.

James Maddison is a different kind of puzzle. The playmaker is working his way back towards full sharpness after a stuttering spell with injuries. Asked if fans would need to be patient as the 29-year-old tries to string games together, De Zerbi stressed that the club have a clear plan to bring him back in the best possible condition, without rushing him into another setback.

So De Zerbi walks into the Newcastle game with options everywhere: a fit Marmoush, a £85m livewire in Savio, a fragile but vital Van de Ven, and a star creator in Maddison being carefully rebuilt. How bold he chooses to be with those pieces will say plenty about the kind of season he intends to shape.