Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has provided an update on two key absentees, revealing a minor hiccup in Dejan Kulusevski's recovery while confirming James Maddison remains unavailable for this weekend's Premier League fixture at Nottingham Forest.
Kulusevski, who has not featured for Spurs since a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2025, recently disclosed that he had rejoined full training with the squad after a lengthy rehabilitation. However, that progress hit a small snag in the past couple of days.
"Kulusevski started [training] with us at the beginning of the week, and then the last two days, a small, small problem, stopped [him from training]," De Zerbi explained. Despite the interruption, the Italian coach struck an optimistic tone about the Swedish international's overall condition and timeline for a return.
"But I think he's in a good way. It's going very well. I already said the medical staff is very high level. We can be positive with him. I'm looking forward to having Deki in the squad," he added.
De Zerbi was quick to downplay any concerns about the setback, insisting it was nothing serious. "No, no. Nothing of importance," he said when pressed on the matter.
Kulusevski's situation forms part of a broader picture of caution at Tottenham, where a series of long-term injuries disrupted the club's campaign last season. As a result, De Zerbi and his medical staff have adopted a careful approach to reintegrating players who have spent extended periods on the sidelines. Alongside Kulusevski, both Destiny Udogie and Dominic Solanke have also been gradually worked back into full training after their own fitness issues.
The situation is markedly different for Maddison, however, who continues to be sidelined and will miss out once again this weekend. The England international endured a torrid run last season, missing the majority of the campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Just as he appeared to be finding his footing again, a difficult pre-season preceded a shoulder fracture sustained during the opening-weekend clash with Brentford.
That injury has kept the 29-year-old out of Spurs' subsequent matches against Charlton and Newcastle, and De Zerbi made clear there would be no rush to bring him back into contention for the trip to the City Ground.
"I think no, because after two days after the problem with Brentford and another two weeks out, it's not the right moment," the head coach said, ruling out any possibility of Maddison featuring against Forest.
The cautious handling of both players underlines the lessons Tottenham appear to have learned from last season's injury crisis, when rushing players back from long-term issues contributed to further setbacks and disruption. De Zerbi's comments suggest the club is prioritizing a methodical, medically-guided approach over short-term squad needs, even as they prepare for a testing away fixture against Nottingham Forest.
While Kulusevski's return remains on the horizon, with the coaching staff maintaining a positive outlook despite the recent interruption, Maddison's timeline looks set to stretch further, with no clear indication yet of when the playmaker might be available for selection again.
Based on reporting from standard-football.