Tottenham Injuries: De Zerbi Faces Challenges Ahead of Brentford Opener
Roberto De Zerbi walks into his first full Premier League season at Tottenham with a £237million rebuild behind him and an old problem right in front of him: injuries, everywhere he looks.
Spurs open away at Brentford on Saturday evening, a deceptively awkward first step at the Gtech Community Stadium, and the Italian is already juggling key fitness doubts across his spine and his flanks.
Van de Ven mystery as defensive doubts linger
At the back, there is concern over Micky van de Ven.
The Dutch defender, fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, did not feature at all in pre-season after returning from extended post-World Cup leave. What is actually wrong with him remains unclear. He was not seen in training on Tuesday, raising obvious questions about his readiness for the weekend.
With De Zerbi trying to impose a new structure and style, losing his quickest defender before a ball is kicked would be a significant early blow.
Mixed news in midfield
There was at least some relief at Hotspur Way this week. Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes all trained ahead of the trip across London.
That does not mean they are all ready.
Udogie has yet to play in pre-season. After a run of muscular problems, De Zerbi is handling the left-back with extreme care, wary of repeating last season’s attritional campaign when injuries shredded Spurs’ rhythm.
Maddison is in a similar holding pattern. The England midfielder, a candidate to become club captain after Cristian Romero’s departure, is still working back to full sharpness following the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered at the end of last season. He has been involved in training, but his participation at Brentford remains in serious doubt.
Fernandes, the headline £85m signing from West Ham, has also had a stuttering start. A calf issue picked up on the pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia has restricted his involvement. Spurs hope he will be available, yet De Zerbi has been consistently cautious with anyone carrying a knock, scarred by last season’s injury crisis.
Solanke and Kudus doubts leave attack in flux
Up front, the picture is no clearer.
Dominic Solanke is another major doubt. Used sparingly in pre-season, the 28-year-old is still emerging from a brutal spell last term, when a recurring ankle problem and then a hamstring injury ruled him out of the run-in as Spurs flirted with relegation.
On the right wing, the situation is even more delicate. Mohammed Kudus has returned to training but has not played a competitive minute since January because of a serious quad injury. Given De Zerbi’s stance on risk, the Ghanaian is highly unlikely to be thrown straight back into the fire.
That opens the door for Mikey Moore. The youngster could be handed a start on the right, even though he is expected to leave on loan once Spurs finally secure their own attacking targets.
The problem? Their drawn-out chase for Savinho has dragged on all summer. There is still no agreement with Manchester City for the Brazilian winger, leaving Moore stuck between a potential breakthrough and a likely exit.
Porro short of sharpness as long-term absentees bite
On the opposite flank, there are also mild concerns over Pedro Porro. The World Cup-winning right-back has only just rejoined full training. He is not injured, but there are doubts over his match fitness and sharpness heading into Saturday.
Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski are already ruled out as long-term absentees, trimming De Zerbi’s options further and placing even more strain on those returning from lay-offs.
How Spurs could line up
Despite the uncertainty, a likely shape is emerging for the opener.
Tottenham predicted XI: Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison
Injured: Simons, Odobert, Kulusevski
Doubts: Maddison, Solanke, Porro, Fernandes, Udogie, Kudus
Spurs have spent heavily, changed the manager and talked up a new era after back-to-back 17th-place finishes. Now comes the real question: can De Zerbi’s revolution survive its first test with half the plan stuck in the treatment room?
