Tottenham Hotspur continue to grapple with a stubborn injury crisis as they attempt to salvage an underwhelming start to the season. Despite spending more than £300million in the summer transfer market and entering the campaign with high hopes for Roberto De Zerbi's first full season at the helm, Spurs have endured a difficult opening stretch, failing to score in any of their first four Premier League matches and yet to register a win.
The north London club now turn their attention to Saturday's lunchtime fixture against Aston Villa, another side struggling for form under Unai Emery, before a three-week international break that precedes tough tests against Manchester United and Chelsea.
The most pressing concern heading into the weekend is the fitness of record signing Sandro Tonali. The £100million midfielder, who arrived from Newcastle in the summer, had been an ever-present in the league until sitting out Tuesday's defeat at Liverpool with what De Zerbi described only as a knock. His participation against Villa remains uncertain, with further clarity expected when De Zerbi speaks to the media on Friday.
There is more encouraging news regarding right-back Pedro Porro. The Spanish international, fresh off a World Cup triumph, has made just two league starts this season after an extended post-tournament break and subsequently missed matches against Everton and Liverpool due to what De Zerbi termed a small muscular issue. Porro is now in contention to feature against Villa.
Less positive is the situation surrounding Dejan Kulusevski, who has not played for Tottenham since May because of a long-term knee problem. Although the Swedish forward has returned to first-team training, he has struggled to train consistently, and De Zerbi confirmed before the goalless draw with Everton that Kulusevski had missed sessions the previous week. The Spurs boss stressed this was an expected part of his recovery process rather than a new setback, but Kulusevski will play no part against Villa, with no firm timeline yet in place for his return, likely to come only after the international break at the earliest.
Elsewhere, Chelsea loanee Mykhailo Mudryk made his first competitive appearance in nearly a year when he came off the bench during Tottenham's scoreless draw at Nottingham Forest, having recently settled anti-doping disciplinary matters with the Football Association. Mudryk is expected to need another six to eight weeks before he is fully up to speed, potentially putting him in contention for matches against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leeds in late October or early November.
Two longer-term absentees remain sidelined. Xavi Simons, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Tottenham's win at Wolves in April, is not expected to return until early 2027 following surgery that also ruled him out of the Netherlands' World Cup campaign.
Meanwhile, Wilson Odobert continues his recovery from a ruptured ACL in his left knee, sustained during the loss to Newcastle in February. Reports have suggested a recovery period of around nine months, which would place his potential return in late November or December.
With so many key players either sidelined or in doubt, De Zerbi faces a challenging task in assembling a squad capable of ending Tottenham's goalless run and turning around their season before the international break arrives.
Based on reporting from standard-football.