1 week ago
54
Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur are desperate. Three matches into the 2026-27 Premier League season, they haven’t scored a single goal. They haven’t won a single match. And the manager who dragged them away from relegation on the final day of last season is now staring down another crisis, this time with a paper-thin squad.
The silver lining, if you can call it that: Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison are inching closer to full fitness ahead of Spurs’ trip to Everton.
What De Zerbi said
Speaking during a media briefing on September 12, 2026, De Zerbi described Kudus as “almost ready” for a potential first start. The Ghanaian forward has been working his way back from a quad tendon injury, making substitute appearances in recent league fixtures, including Tottenham’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle on August 30.
Maddison’s situation is slightly more complicated. The midfielder resumed training last week but missed the Nottingham Forest match. De Zerbi indicated that if Maddison completes a full week of training without setbacks, he could appear on the bench for the Everton fixture.
Maddison has been dealing with a shoulder injury on top of a prior ACL issue, the kind of layered rehabilitation that doesn’t lend itself to rushing.
A squad stretched thin
Kudus and Maddison aren’t the only ones on the treatment table. Mykhailo Mudryk is sidelined for 4 to 8 weeks with an ankle injury. Dejan Kulusevski remains out with a long-term issue that dates back to May 2025, meaning he’s been absent for over a year now.
For a team that went into the summer transfer window specifically targeting squad depth, the injury list reads like a cruel joke. De Zerbi’s attacking options have been gutted at precisely the moment he needs them most.
Zero goals in three Premier League matches. Zero wins. Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation last season, with De Zerbi, appointed in March 2026, steering the ship to safety on the final matchday with a 1-0 victory over Everton.
Why the Everton match matters more than usual
Getting Kudus into the starting eleven would be a meaningful step. His pace and directness offer a dimension that Spurs have sorely lacked. Even a cameo from Maddison, whose vision and set-piece delivery can change a game’s complexion in moments, would provide a psychological lift.
De Zerbi faces the classic manager’s dilemma: push recovering players too hard and risk longer absences, or exercise patience and hope the rest of the squad can find something. Given Maddison’s layered recovery, caution seems wise. Losing either player to a relapse would be catastrophic for a team already running on fumes offensively.
With Mudryk out for up to two months and Kulusevski’s return date still unclear, De Zerbi needs Kudus and Maddison available and healthy for the long run, not just for one match.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·