DE ZERBI STANDS BY TOTTENHAM’S MEDICAL TEAM AS INJURY CRISIS LEAVES SPURS WITH NINE ABSENTEES BEFORE CHELSEA CLASH
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has defended the club’s medical department amid growing concerns over the team’s injury problems ahead of their Premier League showdown with Chelsea.
Spurs could be without as many as nine players because of fitness issues, but De Zerbi insists the situation is a normal part of football and has rejected suggestions that the medical staff should be blamed.
Tottenham Face Selection Problems Ahead of Stamford Bridge Trip
Tottenham have several players dealing with injuries as they prepare for their difficult away fixture against Chelsea.
Destiny Udogie remains unavailable after suffering a knee injury during the match against Manchester United and has yet to return to training. Lucas Bergvall and Savio are also sidelined, while Tosin Adarabioyo remains a doubt.
Rodrigo Bentancur will miss the encounter through suspension. James Maddison is another concern after failing to train for three days following Tottenham’s victory over Coventry City, where he scored on his first start in more than a year.
Dejan Kulusevski will also be managed carefully after recently returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
However, there has been some positive news for De Zerbi. Pedro Porro is available again after spending around a month recovering from a hamstring problem. Andy Robertson, Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke have also been cleared following concerns about their fitness after the Coventry match.
De Zerbi has indicated that Tottenham will review their injury situation thoroughly when the campaign concludes. For now, however, he believes there is no reason to criticise the medical department.
De Zerbi Explains Why He Trusts the Medical Staff
Questions have been raised about Tottenham’s injury record despite significant changes to the club’s performance department.
Dan Lewindon joined as performance director last season, while Ali James, Tom Tombleson and Agostino Tibaudi were among the personnel brought into the club’s medical, athletic development and strength-and-conditioning departments.
Despite these changes, Tottenham continue to experience fitness problems. De Zerbi, however, believes several of the current cases have understandable explanations.
The Italian manager explained that Porro had already experienced a hamstring problem during the World Cup. The defender returned to Tottenham later than ideal and did not benefit from a complete pre-season before the new campaign began.
Porro subsequently felt discomfort during training but was eager to feature against Aston Villa. According to De Zerbi, the player’s determination to return quickly contributed to another setback.
Bergvall’s situation was different. The midfielder twisted his knee during the opening minute of Tottenham’s match against Manchester United but continued playing. He only began experiencing significant pain the following day.
De Zerbi also discussed Robertson’s workload, pointing out that the left-back had played four consecutive matches for Scotland during the international break before experiencing a minor fitness problem.
The manager stressed that he has complete confidence in the people responsible for the players’ medical care and believes the circumstances surrounding these injuries do not justify blaming them.
He added that Tottenham would assess the full picture at the end of the season before reaching any conclusions about the club’s injury record.
Spurs Manager Refuses to Risk Players Who Are Not Fully Fit
De Zerbi has made it clear that he will not rush players back simply because Tottenham are dealing with a shortage of available options.
The manager believes injuries are affecting clubs across European football and that his team are not experiencing an entirely unusual situation.
With Maddison’s availability uncertain, Tottenham may have to consider alternative attacking options. Mathys Tel, Omar Marmoush and Gallagher are among the players who could help provide solutions, depending on the final selection decisions.
De Zerbi’s priority is to ensure that players are sufficiently fit before returning to action rather than risk making their injuries worse.
Although Tottenham secured a morale-boosting victory over Coventry, the number of unavailable players presents another challenge as they prepare to face their London rivals.
Tottenham Face Another Difficult Test Against Chelsea
Tottenham’s trip to Stamford Bridge presents a significant challenge, particularly given their historically poor record against Chelsea away from home.
According to the report, Spurs are aiming to secure just their second victory in 42 meetings with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge across all competitions.
Despite that record and the club’s current injury concerns, De Zerbi remains focused on preparing his available players to compete.
The manager’s message is clear: Tottenham will not use their injury problems as an excuse, and he will continue to trust the medical staff while refusing to take unnecessary risks with players’ fitness.
For Spurs supporters, the coming weeks will be important as the club attempts to manage its growing list of injuries and maintain momentum following its recent victory.
