Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali and James Maddison are available for Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime.
Spurs welcome Unai Emery's side to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as both sides look for their first league victory of the season. De Zerbi has admitted results have not met expectations but maintained his confidence in the players, saying the work being done behind the scenes will eventually pay off.
The Italian Head Coach provided an update on the injury front during Friday's press conference.
"Porro, Tonali, Maddison, all are available to play." De Zerbi said.
Maddison has trained with the group for the last two weeks but still needs time to regain full match fitness. De Zerbi believes the midfielder will eventually become an important figure because of his personality, experience and ability to play incisive passes in attacking areas.
The Spurs head coach also identified Mohammed Kudus and Mateus Fernandes as alternative options behind the striker. However, the belief is that Fernandes must improve his decision-making when choosing whether to shoot or deliver the final pass.
Dejan Kulusevski has also returned to training following his lengthy injury lay-off. Tottenham must manage the Sweden international carefully alongside the club's medical and performance departments rather than rushing him back into competitive action.
De Zerbi described Kulusevski's eventual return as being like another new signing. He also praised the attacker's character and professionalism, saying he didn't need encouragement because he remained an example to his teammates throughout his recovery.
The forthcoming international break could be especially important for Kulusevski, Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Dominic Solanke. Individual programmes have been prepared for the players remaining at Hotspur Way, with De Zerbi determined to improve the squad's physical condition before the Premier League resumes.
Attention remains on Aston Villa. Despite Villa collecting only one point from their opening matches, De Zerbi refused to underestimate Saturday's opponents. He described Emery as one of the world's best coaches and highlighted Villa's clear playing identity, promising young players and extensive summer changes.
Tottenham enters the game without a Premier League goal this season, but De Zerbi believes the team showed encouraging attacking signs in the 3–1 Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool. Spurs created two clear chances early and responded well after falling two goals behind.
"You have to stay calm, to be confident in what you are doing."
Academy prospects Luca Williams-Barnett and Malachi Hardy also remain under consideration. De Zerbi views Williams-Barnett as a potential top-level player but believes Tottenham must choose the right moment to introduce him, protecting the youngster without allowing his development to stall.
Spurs are still searching for a league win of the season, but so are their visitors on Saturday lunchtime, both sides will want to head into the international break with their first victory of the season on the board, to ease some pressure.