EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham suffer Mykhailo Mudryk injury blow as Roberto De Zerbi learns return timeline
Mykhailo Mudryk has picked up an injury in Tottenham training and faces a spell on the sidelines
Tottenham winger Mykhailo Mudryk has suffered an ankle injury in training and is expected to be sidelined until after the international break.
Mudryk reunited with old Shakhtar boss Roberto De Zerbi at Spurs after he moved across London on a season-long loan from Chelsea on transfer deadline day.
The move came just a matter of weeks after a 20-month ban for returning an “adverse finding” for banned substance meldonium was lifted.
The Ukrainian then made his debut last weekend when he came on as a second-half substitute in the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest for his first match in 646 days following the overturned drugs ban.
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But football.london understands that Mudryk has picked up an injury during a Spurs training session. He's out of action until after the international break, meaning he will miss this weekend's clash with Everton, as well as the Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool and the league showdown with Aston Villa.
It will be a blow for De Zerbi and Mudryk, who is looking to get his career back on track after a tough spell both on and off the pitch.
The Ukraine international signed for Chelsea at the start of 2023 for £89m, but has struggled at Stamford Bridge and scored only 10 goals in 73 appearances.
After making his debut for Spurs, De Zerbi admitted that Mudryk will need time to show his best after making his first appearance in almost two years.
Mudryk, whose last appearance was in November 2024, replaced Mathys Tel in the City Ground stalemate, but De Zerbi is willing to be patient.
“He’s not ready yet. He’s working to reach the best physical condition,” the Italian said. “He needs time, he needs work. In that position, we have Mathys Tel, big potential. But also Mathys takes too many wrong decisions, and Mudryk. So, two big players, two big potential players.”
After joining Spurs, an injury expert said that Mudryk can expect setbacks on his return to competitive action - but backed him to get up to speed quicker than an injured player.
Injury expert and founder of Premier Injuries website Ben Dinnery told the Press Association: “He hasn’t been playing within an elite professional environment, but that’s not to say he hasn’t had some kind of exposure to game play in that time.
“Mudryk should be better placed because he hasn’t been inhibited by any injury setback, it is more around the rules and regulations and governance of the game which hasn’t allowed him to perform at peak level and at the top level. He did have the ability to undertake alternative ways to maintain fitness and focus.
“That transition from working in isolation and on an individual programme, to then into team training and then finally crossing the white line into a highly competitive and intense environment of the Premier League, rarely are you going to move across and it go smoothly.
“It is rare you have a straight line from A to B and there will be setbacks and bumps along the road, particularly when you’re talking about a player like Mudryk who is highly explosive with dynamic movements.
“So, yes, he should (get up to speed quickly), but am I expecting that seamless transition into first-team and optimum levels of performance on a consistent basis? Absolutely not. It could still be several games or even several months depending on how much exposure he will be afforded by Roberto De Zerbi.”