Tottenham Hit With HUGE Injury Crisis as Roberto De Zerbi Faces Nightmare Before Premier League Kick-Off
Tottenham’s new Premier League campaign is still more than two weeks away, but Roberto De Zerbi is already facing a major headache that could threaten to derail his preparations before the season has even begun.
The Italian boss has made one priority crystal clear throughout pre-season: keeping his most important players fit. Unfortunately for Spurs, that plan is already being put to the ultimate test.
After enduring one of the worst injury crises in the Premier League last season, Tottenham are once again watching several key stars struggle with fitness issues. With the opening league fixture rapidly approaching, De Zerbi will be desperate for his squad to avoid another devastating injury pile-up.
Tottenham were labelled one of the unluckiest teams in England last campaign after seeing an enormous number of players spend time on the sidelines. Now, despite an ambitious summer transfer window and a fresh start under De Zerbi, the same worrying pattern appears to be threatening to return.
And this time, the timing could hardly be worse.
Maddison, Udogie and Van de Ven still waiting for pre-season action
Several Tottenham players have yet to feature during pre-season, immediately raising questions about whether they will be ready when the competitive action finally begins.
Among the biggest names missing are James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven.
Maddison’s situation is particularly concerning. The midfielder is still dealing with a knock after recently returning from the serious ACL injury that ruled him out towards the end of last season.
Considering how important Maddison can be to Tottenham’s creativity, De Zerbi will have little interest in rushing him back and risking another setback.
Udogie’s situation is also being handled extremely carefully.
The Italian left-back has endured his own fitness problems in recent seasons, meaning Tottenham’s medical staff are taking no chances with his return. His absence against Chelsea was reportedly due to the club deciding that he was not yet ready to take part.
Then there is Van de Ven.
The rapid centre-back has travelled with the Tottenham squad but is only just returning from the World Cup and has not yet featured for Spurs during their pre-season preparations.
For a player whose explosive pace and recovery ability are such a huge part of Tottenham’s defensive strategy, his fitness will be one of the biggest things De Zerbi will be monitoring.
The question now is simple: Will Van de Ven be ready before Tottenham open their Premier League campaign on August 22?
Long-term injuries make the situation even worse
Unfortunately for De Zerbi, the players currently absent through fitness concerns are only part of the problem.
Tottenham still have several players facing longer spells on the sidelines.
Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are among the biggest concerns after suffering ACL-related injuries, with both players facing lengthy rehabilitation periods.
Their absences could deprive De Zerbi of important attacking options just as he attempts to build a completely new Tottenham side capable of competing at the highest level.
Dejan Kulusevski is another major name still working his way back from a knee problem, with his potential return currently expected around September.
Mohammed Kudus is also continuing his recovery from a quad issue and could potentially return in August, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is recovering from an ankle sprain.
That leaves De Zerbi with a growing list of fitness decisions to make before the opening weekend.
Tottenham’s current injury list
– Wilson Odobert – Knee – November 2026
– Dejan Kulusevski – Knee – September 2026
– Mohammed Kudus – Quad – August 2026
– Xavi Simons – Knee – 2027
– James Maddison – Knock – August 2026
– Micky van de Ven – Fitness – Soon
– Destiny Udogie – Fitness – Soon
– Guglielmo Vicario – Ankle sprain – August 2026
De Zerbi faces a race against time
For Tottenham, this is becoming more than a simple pre-season fitness issue.
De Zerbi has inherited a squad that has already suffered heavily from injuries, and the new manager will know that another injury crisis could seriously disrupt his plans before the season has even properly begun.
The good news is that several players are expected to return soon, meaning Tottenham supporters have plenty of reason to remain optimistic.
But with the Premier League opener now getting closer, every training session and every pre-season match suddenly carries enormous importance.
De Zerbi will undoubtedly want to see Maddison, Udogie and Van de Ven back on the pitch as quickly as possible—but without taking unnecessary risks.
After last season’s brutal injury problems, Tottenham simply cannot afford another nightmare.
The countdown has begun, and De Zerbi’s biggest challenge may be keeping his squad fit long enough to unleash his new-look Spurs side.
