Tottenham’s Injury Challenges Ahead of Brentford Clash
Tottenham’s new era under Roberto De Zerbi begins on Saturday with an old problem: injuries everywhere you look.
The Italian takes his reshaped side across London to face Brentford, trying to drag Spurs away from the misery of back-to-back 17th-place finishes. He has spent the summer ripping up and rebuilding the squad, but the first team sheet of the season is already being written in red ink.
De Zerbi’s options cut down
Up to 13 players could miss the clash, and most of them are De Zerbi’s. On the eve of the game he confirmed two big defensive absences.
“Micky is not on the list for tomorrow, like Pedro Porro,” he said. “The other players are all inside. James Maddison is inside, Dominic Solanke is inside, Udogie is inside, Mateus Fernandes is inside.
“Pape Sarr, no, because he felt pain two days in his hamstring. Nothing important, but we don’t take risk with him and especially in this moment.”
So Van de Ven and Porro are out. Sarr is out. Maddison, Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Fernandes are technically available, but all come with caveats and careful management.
Van de Ven’s case underlines De Zerbi’s approach. The Dutch defender has rejoined group training after a setback on the club’s pre-season trip to Australia, but the head coach refuses to gamble.
“Today he worked with us, with the group and he is going very well,” De Zerbi said. “He suffered a problem during the pre-season of Australia, I don’t know if it was the flight, but not a big problem.
“We have Senesi, we have Ben Davies and in the right condition to play the game tomorrow.”
That last line is key. Senesi and Davies are fit, so Van de Ven will be protected. De Zerbi wants a fast start to the season, but not at the cost of losing pillars of his defence before autumn arrives.
Star quality stuck in the treatment room
The list of long-term absentees reads like the spine of a new-look Tottenham: Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus are all still sidelined.
“I think it's important also the management of the players, when the players have some problem, we have to stay calm, don't take risks,” De Zerbi said. “We have Kulusevski, we have Odobert, we have Xavi Simons, injuries. Kudu is almost ready, that is a big point for us, but these three players are top players for us, and we're looking forward to watch them on the pitch.”
The message is clear. Spurs have invested in flair and firepower, but supporters may have to wait a little longer to see the full vision. Kudus is edging closer. The others, not yet.
For a club desperate to shake off the gloom of the last two campaigns, it is a harsh early test of depth, resilience and De Zerbi’s ability to improvise.
Brentford’s problems far lighter
Across the technical area, Keith Andrews walks into the opener with far fewer headaches.
Brentford will be without Antoni Milambo and Sepp van den Berg, but the scale of their issues is modest compared to Spurs. Milambo is still working his way back from an ACL injury, though the signs are encouraging.
“Antoni is a few weeks behind with the [ACL] injury,” Andrews said. “It’s not an exact science, naturally, but he’s had a really positive couple of weeks. He’s been training with the group for a number of weeks - sometimes modified, sometimes full training. He’s making really good strides.”
Van den Berg is dealing with a groin problem that has disrupted his pre-season.
“We’ve had to manage that in a certain way,” Andrews added. “He needs a little bit more rest, unfortunately. He’s had a disjointed pre-season - it hasn’t flowed as well as we’d have liked - so we’re going to have to look after him in the short term. He’ll miss the first few weeks of the season.”
So while Brentford fine-tune and protect one or two pieces, Tottenham arrive juggling entire sections of their squad.
The season starts at the Gtech Community Stadium with Spurs already stretched. The question is simple: can De Zerbi’s patched-together side show enough, early enough, to convince anyone that those grim 17th-place finishes are finally about to be left behind?
