Tottenham Hotspur will welcome back vice-captain Pedro Porro for Saturday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa, a fixture head coach Roberto De Zerbi hopes will finally deliver the breakthrough his side have been searching for this season.
Spurs head into the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium still without a win and yet to find the back of the net in the league this campaign. De Zerbi is eager to use the fixture as a springboard heading into an extended three-week international break, and sees an opportunity to add to Aston Villa's own struggles at the start of the season.
Unai Emery's Villa side have also failed to register a Premier League win so far, though they did progress in the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 victory over Coventry in midweek, offering some encouragement before the trip to north London.
For Tottenham, the season has been complicated not just by results but by fitness issues. De Zerbi has pointed to a disjointed pre-season as a factor behind his squad's physical struggles, leaving him unable to settle on a consistent starting lineup. The club's medical staff have also adopted a more cautious approach to managing player returns this term, determined not to repeat the heavy injury toll that hampered the previous two seasons.
That caution extended to last weekend's goalless draw with Everton, when both first-choice full-backs, Porro and Destiny Udogie, were left out of the matchday squad as a precaution. Porro is now set to return for the visit of Villa, giving De Zerbi back a key attacking outlet from wing-back.
Elsewhere, the injury picture remains mixed. Dejan Kulusevski, who has been working his way back after nearly a year and a half on the sidelines, was left out of the squad that faced Liverpool and has struggled to complete a full week of training. He is considered unlikely to feature against Villa. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain long-term absentees for the club.
There was also a fresh setback in September when Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, signed on a deadline-day loan move from Chelsea, suffered an ankle injury in training. The issue occurred shortly after Mudryk made his first competitive appearance in almost two years, coming on against Nottingham Forest. De Zerbi described the injury as "stupid" and confirmed the 25-year-old would be sidelined until after the international break.
Despite the various absences, De Zerbi is expected to name a lineup built around a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Antonin Kinsky in goal behind a back four of Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven and Udogie. Bentancur and Gallagher are the anticipated midfield pairing, supporting an attacking trio of Savio, Fernandes and Marmoush behind lone striker Solanke. Sandro Tonali remains a doubt for the encounter.
With both sides desperate for their first league win of the campaign, Saturday's meeting carries added significance heading into the international break. Kick-off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 12:30pm BST, with the match broadcast live on TNT Sports.
Based on reporting from standard-football.