Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi has offered an update on the squad's fitness ahead of their Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Spurs are yet to win a game or score a goal in the Premier League this season after four games, having lost to Brentford and Newcastle, while being held to 0-0 draws by Nottingham Forest and Everton. Their season got worse in midweek too, when they were eliminated from the EFL Cup thanks to a 3-1 defeat by Liverpool.
The manager has been without a number of first-team stars due to injury so far in this campaign, but was also able to welcome back the likes of James Maddison recently following a shoulder problem.
Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Xavi Simons (knee) and Wilson Odobert (knee) are yet to feature for the club this season as they continue to recover from injury, while Sandro Tonali, Pedro Porro, and Mykhailo Mudryk have also been unavailable.
The manager, speaking in his pre-match press conference, has confirmed that Simons, Odobert, and Mudryk are still missing, but Porro, Tonali, and Maddison are available to play.
"Porro, Tonali and Maddison all available to play. As normal, we have to understand them in terms of physical condition.
"We have to manage Deki [Kulusevski] in the best way we can, but this is a great thing for us because he is a good player and a good guy.
"He deserves to play again and we have to work day by day and also for Deki it is important the national break because when he is at top condition and over the injury, he will be like another new signing.
"James is working with the team the last 10 or 15 days. Maybe less than 15 days. He needs to be fit, to stay in a good condition. When he arrives in the best condition, he is very important for us.'
De Zerbi Could Hand Williams-Barnett a Chance
Tottenham have seen a number of players handed a chance to impress under De Zerbi, and the vast majority have failed to do so.
But one player who fans are desperate to see given an opportunity is young forward Lucas Williams-Barnett, who shone in pre-season despite being just 17 years old.
De Zerbi confirmed that while he has a number of attacking options available, he is considering giving the teenager a chance.
"Yes I have a big consideration because he's a good player and a potential big player. We have to understand when is the best situation for him and the team also. It's a different job to manage a young player, especially when they have the potential to be a top player. You can't put them in a bad condition but you also can't forget about them. I didn't forget about Luca and I didn't forget about Malachi but it's about the right moment.