Tottenham go into the international break with the same problem they had before it, too many injuries, too few goals and no league win. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are stuck in the relegation zone and there is no quick fix if key players keep dropping. The latest concern is Pedro Porro, who returned and then broke down again inside 15 minutes against Aston Villa.
For Spurs, this is now a squad management issue as much as a medical one. They are already missing creativity, pace and continuity in the final third. Losing senior players, or getting only fragments of them, leaves De Zerbi trying to patch holes every week. That usually ends badly.
Pedro Porro setback leaves Spurs short
Porro had already missed the draw with Everton and the defeat at Liverpool because of what De Zerbi described as a “small muscular problem”. The full-back had also been given extra rest after Spain’s World Cup win in North America over the summer, which helps explain why he has started only three club matches since returning.
He was back against Villa, then straight off again. De Zerbi said: “I said after the World Cup, I said the management of Pedro should be different. Because after the World Cup, [there are] many games. I don’t know what the problem is. It’s a hamstring, I think. Hopefully, it’s not a big problem.”
Photo: IMAGO
That sounds like a manager waiting for better news than he expects to get. At this stage, the working assumption is caution. Tottenham cannot afford to rush him if the issue is genuinely his hamstring.
Potential return date: Saturday October 10, vs Manchester United (A)
Dejan Kulusevski still waiting for comeback
Kulusevski remains sidelined by the serious kneecap injury that wiped out his entire 2025-26 season. He has returned to training with team-mates, which matters, but he is still not available and there is no confirmed date for his comeback.
Photo IMAGO
He was absent from training before the Everton match and Sweden manager Graham Potter…
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