Tottenham's Revival and Injury Concerns Under De Zerbi
Tottenham finally have a pulse. After a wretched, winless start to the season, Roberto De Zerbi has dragged his new side off the bottom of the Premier League and out of the relegation zone, banking back‑to‑back league wins and a surge of belief.
Yet for all the momentum, Spurs remain held together by tape and hope.
They beat newly-promoted Coventry at home a fortnight ago to register their first victory of 2026/27, then stormed into Stamford Bridge and left with a rare win over Chelsea – only their second league success there in 36 years. Those six points have changed the mood and the table.
The squad list tells a different story. De Zerbi’s treatment room is still overflowing.
With another London derby against Crystal Palace up next and Arsenal looming in early December, the Italian needs bodies back quickly. Here is where his walking wounded stand.
James Maddison: relief after fresh scare
James Maddison cannot catch a break.
He fought his way back from a ruptured ACL late last season, only to suffer a shoulder fracture at the start of this campaign. Just as he was beginning to look like himself again, Chelsea away brought another grim moment.
Midway through the second half at Stamford Bridge, Maddison sank to the turf, clearly in distress, clutching his groin. He sat there for a long time, head bowed, team-mates gathering around as he received treatment before trudging off.
For a fanbase that has watched him battle one setback after another, it felt like the start of another long lay-off.
Then came the first hint of good news. Maddison was later seen walking unaided away from the stadium and joined his team-mates on the pitch during the post-match celebrations. Subsequent reports have suggested the groin problem is not thought to be serious, a huge boost for De Zerbi, who called him “a special player for us” and made it clear just how badly he needs his playmaker available.
The precise diagnosis and timeline remain unclear, but the expectation is that Maddison could return in early November if his recovery continues smoothly.
Potential return date: Unknown, potentially early November
Destiny Udogie: pain that will not shift
Destiny Udogie has watched both of Spurs’ league wins from the sidelines.
Officially, De Zerbi has put his absence down to a “fitness issue”, but the problem runs deeper than that. A knee injury sustained against Manchester United has stopped the full-back from training at all, a situation that has clearly frustrated his head coach.
“After Manchester United, I have not worked with him, and it is a problem,” De Zerbi admitted before the Chelsea trip. Udogie still feels pain in the knee, and Spurs have been forced into a holding pattern, trying to find the right approach with the medical staff.
There is at least a glimmer of optimism. De Zerbi suggested last week that Udogie might be available “maybe next week”, pointing towards a return at some stage in November if the discomfort finally eases.
Potential return date: November
Tosin Adarabioyo: debut interrupted
Tosin Adarabioyo’s first start in a Tottenham shirt against Coventry hinted at exactly why the club moved for him.
Composed on the ball, strong in the air, he looked an immediate fit. Then, in classic Spurs fashion, his full debut was cut short by a suspected calf problem.
De Zerbi played down the severity in the build-up to Chelsea, but when the team sheet dropped at Stamford Bridge, Adarabioyo was nowhere to be seen. Not even in the squad.
The indication from the club is that this is a short-term issue rather than a major concern, with hopes he will be ready for the visit of Crystal Palace.
Potential return date: Saturday October 31, vs Crystal Palace (H)
Lucas Bergvall: two-week lay-off nearing its end
Lucas Bergvall’s absence has flown under the radar, but De Zerbi has already shown he trusts the Swedish midfielder.
Bergvall picked up a knee knock in the gritty draw at Old Trafford, hurting himself in the very move where he created an early chance for Dominic Solanke. He carried on, felt fine at the time, then reported pain the next day at the training ground.
De Zerbi was clear: two weeks out. No drama, no mystery.
Those two weeks are now up. Spurs hope to have him back in the squad this weekend, adding another energetic option to a midfield that has had to be shuffled repeatedly.
Potential return date: Saturday October 31, vs Crystal Palace (H)
Savio: muscular issue clouds bright start
Savio’s start to life at Tottenham has stalled almost as soon as it began.
The Brazilian, signed from Manchester City in the summer, was one of three players to come off worse in that bruising 1-1 draw with Manchester United. His problem has since been confirmed as a muscle injury, though the club has not gone into detail over the exact nature of it.
The timing was brutal. On the Tuesday before Spurs flew out to Marbella for a training camp in Spain, Savio felt the issue and was immediately ruled out “for some weeks”.
That vague phrasing still stands. The working assumption is that he could return around the time Spurs face Ipswich at home after the November international break, but there are no guarantees yet.
Potential return date: Saturday November 21, vs Ipswich (H)
Mykhailo Mudryk: “stupid” setback delays loan impact
Tottenham supporters are still waiting to see what Mykhailo Mudryk can really offer in their colours.
The Chelsea loanee has made just one appearance since crossing London on Deadline Day. Before he could build any rhythm, an ankle injury in training put him back on the shelf. De Zerbi did not hide his irritation, labelling it a “stupid” injury, though the specifics have remained private.
Medical staff initially set a six-to-eight-week recovery window in mid-September. That points towards a possible return in early November, but Spurs have taken a cautious approach with injuries this season and are likely to be especially careful with a player who has not strung together back-to-back competitive games since November 2024.
Mudryk would not have been allowed to face his parent club at Stamford Bridge anyway. His real audition in a Spurs shirt is still to come.
Potential return date: Early November
Wilson Odobert: long road back from ACL
Wilson Odobert’s season effectively ended in February.
The winger tore his ACL in a defeat to Newcastle and has been in long-term rehab ever since, slowly stepping up his work at Hotspur Way after surgery. Reports from inside the club suggest his progress is positive, but De Zerbi was blunt when asked for a timeline last week: Odobert has not yet started training with the group, so any forecast would be guesswork.
Spurs are tentatively eyeing December for his return, but that will depend on how he responds when he finally joins full sessions.
Potential return date: December
Xavi Simons: the longest wait
If Spurs have learned patience with injuries, Xavi Simons is the ultimate test of it.
The gifted midfielder ruptured his ACL back in April and faces the kind of long, unforgiving rehabilitation that stretches across seasons rather than weeks or months. Tottenham are not expecting him back in competitive action until early 2027.
By then, the entire shape of De Zerbi’s project in north London could look very different.
For now, Spurs walk a fine line: a team rediscovering itself on the pitch while the medical bulletin reads like a full squad list. Palace at home, then Arsenal on the horizon. If this resurgence is to last, De Zerbi needs the recovery room to quieten as quickly as the stadium is beginning to roar.
