Southend Echo

Spurs have spent the majority of this week in a warm weather training camp in Marbella, but Savio was absent after he reported a “muscular problem” on Tuesday and Bergvall is sidelined for “two weeks” with a knee issue.

Those absences along with Kulusevski’s ever-improving fitness have opened the door for the Swedish playmaker to potentially play on Monday night after a serious knee injury has sidelined the attacker since the end of the 2024-25 season.

“Yes, Kulusevski on the bench. We had a meeting with the medical staff. They gave the OK and it’s great news. I think it’s one of the best news after Everton game last season because Deki he suffered too much. He deserves to feel emotion on the pitch,” boss Roberto De Zerbi told a press conference.

“Unfortunately Savio on Tuesday… before we leave for Marbella, he felt a muscular problem. We lost him for some weeks unfortunately.

“And Lucas Bergvall because he had a problem at the beginning of the game in Manchester.

“The day after Manchester (United), Sunday, he came to (the) training ground to our medical staff. And I think two weeks (out).”

De Zerbi provided a positive update on right-back Pedro Porro, who could be available for the trip to Chelsea next Saturday.

However, bottom-of-the-table Spurs will be missing seven players for the clash with Coventry with Rodrigo Bentancur suspended for a fixture where the hosts will be desperate to end a six-match winless start to the new Premier League campaign.

“Coventry is a good team. They played a fantastic Championship last season,” De Zerbi said.

“But we are Tottenham, keeping humility, keeping what you want, but we want to show to be good enough to win the games, especially if we deserve to win the games.”

Kulusevski could be required to help Spurs get off the mark in the league after a torrid spell on the sidelines with a patella injury, which required a second procedure in March to fix the long-standing problem.

After Kulusevski missed Tottenham’s Europa League triumph in 2025, the whole of last season and this summer’s World Cup, De Zerbi was delighted to tell the 26-year-old on Saturday that he would be in the matchday squad against Coventry.

De Zerbi revealed: “ I said to him, ‘I spoke with the medical staff and they gave me the OK’ and he smiled like this (wide).

“And we are happy. We are very, very happy. It’s not football. I’m not speaking about football. OK, he’s a special player, but we are speaking about different things. He suffered a lot and his reaction was great.”

Richarlison remains unavailable after he was left out of Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad following an eventful end to the summer transfer window – but featured and scored for the club’s Under-21s on Tuesday in a Jersey Mike’s Trophy match at Cheltenham.

On Saturday, Richarlison posted on his Instagram story “you are right” alongside a story where ex-Everton forward Duncan Ferguson criticised De Zerbi’s treatment of the Brazil forward.

But De Zerbi insisted: “It’s not my problem any more. You have to ask Vinai (Venkatesham), to Johan (Lange), it’s not my problem.”

Spurs remain winless in the Premier League after six matches, but produced an impressive display in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United – where Maddison was used off the bench for a fifth time this season.

The 29-year-old has struggled to get back to full fitness after two serious knee injuries in 2025, including a rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament, but Stevens, who was academy manager during Maddison’s time at Sky Blues, believes the playmaker can become Tottenham’s difference-maker again.

Ahead of Coventry’s trip to Spurs on Monday, Stevens told the Press Association: “His driver is, ‘am I playing 90 minutes and can I go and score some goals and ignite the fans,’ you know? So this injury would have hurt him a lot.

“Even in a 10-minute spell (now), when he comes on, he takes the ball and he makes things happen.

“He makes things tick and he gets the team playing forwards. He gets the team moving up the pitch.

“And good grief, Tottenham have had a tough time. They’re an unbelievable football club and you know the players they have, maybe he’s the bit that’s going to connect everything together.

“I hope he’s going to return and he’s going to connect everything together for Tottenham because I think he has that ability to do that.”

Stevens watched 52 youth prospects make their full debut for Coventry during 12 years in charge of the academy and can remember how a young Maddison “ran that group” to ensure certain standards were met.

Coventry’s financial plight more than a decade ago opened the door to youth-teamers and despite being sent off in his 12th appearance, Maddison grasped his chance and scored in a final day win at Crawley which kept his boyhood club in League One. Four years later and he had played for England.

Tottenham were interested in Maddison in 2016, but had to wait another seven years to secure his services and a rollercoaster spell in N17 has followed of 83 appearances, one Europa League triumph and a nervy relegation battle.

Ahead of Maddison’s third meeting with Coventry, Stevens can still recall the diminutive midfielder that caught the eye on his first day.

“James was under-11. We were away at MK Dons and there was this pitch behind me and there’s this little fella who just kind of carried the ball and twisted and turned,” Stevens said.

“We knew he was a good player. Every team we ever played against were always aware of him and they knew him. And, I’ve said it many times, he just loved football.

“Loved football, obsessed with it and no surprise he has had the career he’s had.

“If you see those pictures of that 2014-15 season, he does look like a boy, but he might have been a boy in his body, but he certainly wasn’t a boy in his mentality, in his understanding of the game and his courage.

“That goal at Crawley that year, the club were 20 minutes away from a pending relegation. And I remember he arrives in the penalty area and he punches one bottom corner.

“Local boy, lives 300 yards from the academy training ground… you couldn’t have wrote a more apt script really.”

Coventry fans only enjoyed Maddison for 42 appearances, but he can expect a special reception on Monday.

“He hasn’t changed,” West Brom academy boss Stevens insisted.

“He came into his box after a game (in 2024), jumped over the sofa and we’d not seen each other for two or three years. And it was like he’d never been away.

“You don’t forget that. That’s a boy that is really appreciative of all the things that staff of Coventry did for him.

“Everybody’s really proud and Coventry will be proud as well. They’ll be looking forward to playing against him, I’m sure.”

The 22-year-old was with the Shrimpers during pre-season but has linked up with the North London club’s under-21 squad.

Knightbridge had been at Oxford United for the past two years.

The goalkeeper joined them on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, following his exit from West Ham United.

Knightbridge signed his first professional contract with the Hammers in May 2022 and played for their under-21s in a 1-0 win at Newport County, in the EFL Trophy.

The event, "An Evening with Tottenham Legends", will take place at the Cliffs Pavilion on May 13.

It will feature former Spurs stars Glenn Hoddle, Michael Dawson, Gary Mabbutt, Sandro, Aaron Lennon, and Graham Roberts.

Together, the players made more than 2,000 appearances for the club.

The event will give supporters the chance to hear stories about their careers, training ground memories, matches, dressing room life and the managers they worked under.

There will also be an audience question and answer session, allowing fans to put questions directly to the players during the show.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available, offering a meet‑and‑greet and photograph opportunity before the start of the evening.

Regular and VIP tickets can be purchased through the venue box office.

The six former players appearing at the event include Glenn Hoddle, who scored 110 goals for Spurs, and former captain Michael Dawson, who lifted the League Cup in 2008.

Gary Mabbutt, a long‑serving defender who captained the side to FA Cup victory, and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Cup in 1984, will also appear.

He will be joined by Brazilian midfielder Sandro, winger Aaron Lennon, and fellow FA Cup and UEFA Cup winner Graham Roberts.

Sayers joined Spurs from the Shrimpers in December 2021 after making six first-term appearances while at Roots Hall.

The 20-year-old, from Wickford, played for both the under 18s and the under 21s while for Spurs and will now be targeting more first team appearances with Partick who are in the Championship.