Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi says Dejan Kulusevski will return as a substitute against Coventry City on Monday, while James Maddison is available for selection.
Spurs host Coventry in their Premier League Matchday 7 fixture, having not played at home for almost a month. De Zerbi is focused on securing a result after a series of performances he believes have been better than Tottenham’s recent points return.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in our stadium again and being with our fans,” he said. “But what I’m looking forward to most is winning a match.”
Kulusevski travelled with the squad for the recent match at Old Trafford and is now ready to feature after a lengthy absence. Maddison has also recovered, although De Zerbi has not decided whether he will start or come on during the game.
The manager believes the loss of both players helps explain Tottenham’s results over the past two seasons, particularly last term. He described Kulusevski and Maddison as “very special players”, while also stressing that the squad contains other players capable of making a difference.
Tottenham will be without Lucas Bergvall, who is expected to miss about two weeks. Savio suffered a hamstring problem before the squad departed for Marbella last Tuesday and there is no firm timescale for his return. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended.
Despite those absences, De Zerbi said Tottenham still have enough options to win, pointing to the quality provided by players including Kudus, Marmoush, Solanke and Gallagher.
The squad spent three or four days together at a training camp in Marbella, where De Zerbi said the emphasis was on football work and strengthening relationships between the players.
Several members of the squad had been unavailable before the season because of injuries, while others were unable to train with Tottenham because of World Cup commitments. De Zerbi said the time together was particularly valuable for helping the group become more familiar with one another.
He linked that work away from the pitch to the unity shown during the performance at Old Trafford, where he felt Tottenham maintained their intensity and spirit for the full 90 minutes.
The manager said there had also been impressive spells against Aston Villa, Everton and Newcastle United, as well as in the League Cup away match at Liverpool. However, he acknowledged that Tottenham had lost “our spirit, composure, focus, and cohesion as a unit” during other phases of those games.
De Zerbi said players must confront those issues collectively, communicating openly and finding solutions together. He compared the squad to a family, where problems should be discussed rather than avoided.
“When you have a good relationship with your teammates and trust them, you can help each other differently when you encounter difficulties in a match,” he said.
