Tottenham Hotspur are turning to both the long-awaited comeback of Dejan Kulusevski and an unusual mid-season training camp in Spain as they search for answers to a troubling start under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
The north London club sit bottom of the Premier League after five matches without a win, a run that has included two draws, and the pressure is mounting on De Zerbi to find a spark. One potential source of inspiration is Kulusevski, who has endured more than 500 days out of action because of a complicated patella problem that required two surgeries. The Swedish international will travel with the squad for Saturday's trip to face Manchester United, though it remains uncertain whether he is ready to feature.
De Zerbi has been full of praise for how Kulusevski has handled his lengthy rehabilitation, suggesting the forward's mentality should serve as a lesson for the rest of the squad. "Yes, he's an inspiration," the Italian said on Friday. "He reacted very well, with character, with courage, with passion. We have to take inspiration from Deki. I said the same in the meeting to the players."
The 25-year-old recently took part in an 11-a-side internal match at Tottenham's training ground during the international break and has since resumed full training after a minor setback. While the club remain cautious about rushing him back, De Zerbi indicated that Kulusevski's example extends beyond football. "I think he is an example for everyone," he said. "Forget the player, but the example of how he reacted to the injury, the reaction to being unlucky, the character he showed this time, was an example, a reference for everyone."
His eventual return to the pitch is expected to lift spirits around the club, even if De Zerbi knows that only results will truly change the mood. James Maddison's experience serves as a reminder that recovery from injury rarely follows a straight path. The England midfielder, back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, has struggled to string together consecutive matches since his comeback nearly six months ago and was troubled again during the recent international break, despite being available for the United fixture.
De Zerbi has been careful with Maddison's workload, acknowledging the physical demands of the Premier League. "Tomorrow he can play, but the Premier League is tough," he said. "Physically, it is a very strong competition, and you have to be in the right physical condition to compete, to run, to fight. He is a No10, a different player, but I think he is working well, and this is the way. The way is to complete three, four, five weeks in a row without problems, without feeling pain, without feeling problems. He is a normal player, he has nothing special, bad."
Alongside the individual returns, Tottenham are also taking a broader approach to resetting their season. Following the away match at Old Trafford, the squad will fly to Marbella for a training camp, taking advantage of a nine-day gap before hosting newly promoted Coventry City at home. With temperatures expected to reach 25 degrees in southern Spain, compared with rain forecast at Tottenham's Enfield training base, De Zerbi hopes the warmer climate and change of scenery will help his revamped squad bond.
Such a trip is rare at this stage of the campaign, particularly just after an international break, as English clubs typically seek warm-weather breaks during winter months. The timing reflects the scale of Tottenham's summer rebuild, having spent more than £250m on ten new signings, including Savio, Tosin Adarabioyo, Mykhailo Mudryk and Omar Marmoush, who all joined in the closing days of the transfer window. With so many new faces integrated so quickly, De Zerbi believes the Marbella camp offers a valuable opportunity for team cohesion ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport and BBC Sport.