MusaTottenham Hotspur could soon receive a major boost with six players currently working their way back from injury and hoping to return in time to strengthen Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
Spurs entered the international break at the bottom of the Premier League table. Although the pause in domestic action came at a difficult time for the club, it has also provided De Zerbi with an opportunity to see some of his injured players move closer to a return without missing too many league fixtures.
However, the international break has also brought its own concerns, with several Tottenham players away on international duty and at risk of picking up injuries before returning to north London.
De Zerbi will now be waiting for a clearer picture of his squad ahead of Tottenham’s next Premier League fixture, an away clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 10. Spurs will then host newly promoted Coventry before travelling across London to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Here is the latest situation surrounding Tottenham’s injured players and those who remain doubts ahead of the trip to Manchester.
Jan Paul van Hecke
Jan Paul van Hecke has quickly become an injury concern after suffering a problem while away with the Netherlands.
The new Tottenham defender featured for the full 90-plus minutes in both of the Netherlands’ Nations League fixtures this week, including their 1-1 draw against Germany in Amsterdam and the 2-1 victory over Serbia.
It was during the win over Serbia that Van Hecke picked up the problem. The 27-year-old reportedly did not initially realise the extent of the issue because of the intensity of the match, only discovering afterwards that he was in considerable pain after an opponent stepped on his toe.
He has since returned to Hotspur Way, where Tottenham’s medical staff will assess the injury.
Xavi explained to Dutch broadcasters NOS, as quoted by Sport Witness: “During the match against Serbia, someone stepped on him. He didn’t realise it during the match, but afterwards it was impossible for him to play.”
The defender reportedly wanted to continue but was unable to train properly because of the pain. He subsequently missed the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Greece and will also sit out their next fixture against Serbia.
Tottenham will therefore have to wait for further medical updates before knowing whether Van Hecke can face Manchester United.
Expected return: Unknown, with further clarification expected from De Zerbi.
Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro had only recently recovered from a muscular problem before suffering another setback during Tottenham’s defeat to Aston Villa.
The Spanish right-back lasted just 15 minutes before being forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
De Zerbi admitted afterwards that he was concerned about the issue, saying: “I said after the World Cup, the management of Pedro should be different, because after the World Cup, many games. I don’t know what the problem is. It’s a hamstring, I think. Hopefully, it’s not a big problem.”
With Tottenham’s non-international players given time away from the club during the first week of the break, Porro returned to his native Extremadura to continue working on his recovery alongside specialists.
The defender has worked for several years with physiotherapist David de la Hera, who operates the Axis Polyclinic in Badajoz and has experience working with international footballers.
Porro also visited SPZ Iron training club last week, where he continued his rehabilitation work with specialists.
The expectation is that the 27-year-old could be unavailable for approximately a month. That could potentially see him return against Coventry, although Tottenham may decide not to rush him and instead target the Chelsea fixture.
Expected return: October 24 against Chelsea, although he could return earlier if his recovery progresses well.
Mykhailo Mudryk
Mykhailo Mudryk is another Tottenham player facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury during training.
football.london reported earlier this month that the Ukrainian winger could be unavailable for between four and eight weeks.
De Zerbi later confirmed the setback, explaining: “It was a stupid injury to Mudryk, and we hope he comes back as soon as possible.”
The Tottenham boss revealed that Mudryk initially felt pain in his ankle during a training exercise before undergoing medical examinations a couple of days later.
The 25-year-old is continuing his rehabilitation in London and is working closely with Tottenham’s medical and fitness staff in an attempt to return as early as possible.
However, there is still no precise comeback date, with his recovery dependent on how quickly the ankle responds to treatment.
Expected return: One of Tottenham’s October fixtures.
Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski is arguably the closest of Tottenham’s long-term absentees to making his return to competitive action.
The Swedish international has now been out for more than 500 days after suffering a serious patella injury in his right knee during the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace in May last year.
The 26-year-old experienced several setbacks during his rehabilitation, forcing him to miss the entirety of the previous season as well as the World Cup this summer.
Kulusevski eventually returned to full training with De Zerbi’s squad on the final day of last month. He briefly paused his return after experiencing a minor issue while adjusting to the demands of first-team training but was soon back working alongside his team-mates.
During the international break, he continued his programme in Sweden before returning to Tottenham’s Enfield training base.
The next stage will be building up a consistent run of training sessions with the first-team squad without experiencing another setback. If he manages that, Kulusevski could soon be named among the substitutes.
De Zerbi has stressed that the club must handle his comeback carefully.
“We have to manage Deki in the best way possible with the medical staff,” he said. “He deserves to play again. We have to work day-by-day. For Deki, it is important the international break because when he is at top, best condition, he will be like another new signing.”
Expected return: Potentially one of Tottenham’s next three matches if he continues training without problems.
Wilson Odobert
Wilson Odobert remains in the latter stages of his rehabilitation after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 10.
The France Under-21 international had made 33 appearances for Spurs, registering two goals and five assists, before suffering the injury 35 minutes into the match.
The setback came during Thomas Frank’s final game in charge and ruled Odobert out for the remainder of Frank’s tenure, as well as the subsequent periods under Igor Tudor and De Zerbi.
By the time the international break concludes, the winger will have reached around eight months of his rehabilitation.
Odobert should now be approaching the final stages of his recovery, meaning a return to team training could be getting closer.
Expected return: A typical nine-month ACL recovery would point towards November, although Odobert will hope to return sooner if his rehabilitation continues without complications.
Xavi Simons
Xavi Simons is another Tottenham player recovering from an ACL injury after suffering the setback during the match against Wolves at Molineux.
The 23-year-old sustained the injury on April 25 and, based on the standard nine-month recovery period, could be ready to return to training around January.
His age could work in his favour during the rehabilitation process, although Tottenham will be careful not to push the midfielder back too quickly and risk another serious setback.
Simons has been included in De Zerbi’s Premier League squad despite Richarlison being fit and available, a decision that underlines how highly the Spurs head coach appears to regard the Dutch playmaker.
Tottenham will be hoping Simons can progress faster than the standard recovery timeline, although patience will be crucial given the seriousness of his injury.
Expected return: Around late January based on the standard recovery timeline, although Simons will be aiming to return earlier.
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