Roberto De Zerbi Faces Injury Challenges at Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi has been forced to deal with an early setback in his first weeks at Tottenham, confirming that James Maddison has picked up a fresh injury blow.

The midfielder’s summer was already about caution and careful steps. After surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that wiped out most of last season, Spurs refused to rush him through pre-season, limiting his minutes and managing every session.

Even so, Maddison did enough to convince the staff he was ready for a place in the squad on the opening weekend of the Premier League. He came off the bench at Brentford on Saturday, replacing Mikey Moore for the final 22 minutes of a grim 3-0 defeat that exposed plenty of early-season rust.

Then came the twist. During that short cameo, the 29-year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder. Tottenham’s medical team assessed the damage, and De Zerbi moved to play down the severity when he faced the media before Wednesday’s Carabao Cup second-round tie against Charlton in north London.

“Maddison suffered a small injury in his shoulder,” De Zerbi said, describing it as a minor issue rather than a major derailment of his comeback.

While Maddison’s progress has stalled, another key attacking option remains stuck on the runway. De Zerbi confirmed that Mohammed Kudus is still “not yet ready” to feature as he continues his recovery from a long-term quad injury that has kept him out since early January. The Ghanaian forward is back working towards full fitness, but competitive minutes will have to wait.

There is better news at the other end of the pitch. New club captain Micky van de Ven will be named on the bench against Charlton, a significant boost for a side that looked fragile at Brentford. The Dutch defender did not play a single minute in pre-season after his World Cup campaign with the Netherlands and then missed the league opener with a small, unspecified problem. His presence, even among the substitutes, feels like a step towards normality.

Pedro Porro, Van de Ven’s vice-captain, is on a similar path. The right-back, who also skipped pre-season and sat out the defeat at Brentford while regaining sharpness following Spain’s World Cup triumph in North America, will join his captain among the substitutes on Wednesday as he edges back to full tilt.

There is also a glimpse of something new. Savio is in line to make his Tottenham debut after completing an £85million move from Manchester City on Tuesday, a high-profile arrival who immediately changes the feel of De Zerbi’s attack.

Up front, Dominic Solanke is set to start, handed the central striker role as the head coach looks for a response to that flat opening-day display. On the bench, teenager Luca Williams-Barnett will be involved, another young name pushed a little closer to the first-team stage.

Injuries, returns, and a record signing waiting in the wings: De Zerbi’s Tottenham is already juggling storylines. Charlton will see the first clues as to how quickly he can turn them into a coherent, winning side.