Tottenham Hotspur's miserable start to the Premier League season took another turn for the worse when Pedro Porro was forced off with an apparent hamstring problem shortly after the 15-minute mark against Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The setback compounds an increasingly difficult opening to the campaign for head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who remains without a league win despite Spurs investing more than £300 million in the transfer market over the summer. With Djed Spence having departed for Inter Milan, Tottenham now find themselves short of options at right-back just as Porro faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Porro's involvement this season had already been restricted following his participation in the World Cup triumph with Spain in North America over the summer, after which he was given additional rest. That meant Saturday's match represented only his third start of the campaign for Tottenham. He had previously been sidelined by a minor muscular issue that ruled him out of the draw with Everton and the Carabao Cup elimination at Liverpool, and he was still working his way back to full sharpness when he suffered the latest injury.
Speaking to SpursPlay after the match, De Zerbi voiced his frustration at how Porro's fitness has been handled since the summer tournament. "Listen, Pedro, I said after the World Cup, I said the management of Pedro should be different," the Italian coach said. "Because after the World Cup, [there are] many games. I don't know what the problem is. It's a hamstring, I think. Hopefully, it's not a big problem."
The comments suggest De Zerbi believes Porro's workload should have been managed more carefully following his exertions on the international stage, though the manager stopped short of confirming the full extent of the issue, admitting uncertainty over the exact diagnosis.
The timing could hardly be worse for Tottenham, who sit in the Premier League's relegation zone without a single league victory to their name so far this season. The result against Villa leaves De Zerbi's side searching for answers as they head into a three-week international break, during which the club's medical staff will assess Porro's recovery timeline.
When Premier League action resumes, Spurs will travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10 in what already looms as a pivotal fixture given their current league position. Whether Porro will have recovered in time to feature remains uncertain, with hamstring injuries often requiring several weeks of rehabilitation depending on severity.
The absence of both Porro and Spence leaves Tottenham light on natural cover in the right-back position, a problem De Zerbi will need to address through alternative personnel or tactical adjustments during the international window. Given the scale of the club's summer spending, question marks over squad depth in a specific position will only add to the scrutiny on the club's recruitment strategy and De Zerbi's start to life in north London.
For now, the priority for Tottenham's medical team will be determining the precise nature and severity of Porro's hamstring problem, with the club eager to have their first-choice right-back available as soon as possible given their pressing need for results once the domestic season resumes.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.