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Tottenham Hotspur star Richarlison has discussed his mental health battles

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has revealed he contemplated driving into a wall while struggling with depression. The striker was profoundly impacted by the intense scrutiny following Brazil's elimination from the World Cup 2022.

On the surface, the World Cup proved a successful tournament for the 28-year-old, whose overhead kick against Serbia was the goal of the tournament. The Spurs star had been entrusted with spearheading the attack for the five-time world champions.

He scored three times overall but was unable to stop his nation from being knocked out by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals. However, the setback severely affected his mental well-being, with Richarlison now opening up about how his mindset worsened.

"One day, while driving, I thought about crashing into a wall," Richarlison told France Football. "Today, when I think about it, I tell myself it's pointless."

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He added: "After the 2022 World Cup, I fell into a depression. Every possible misfortune befell me: the elimination, my agent's betrayal, family problems, physical setbacks... For a year and a half, I suffered blow after blow every single day."

Having completed his move to Spurs from Everton in the summer of 2022, the forward finished his debut campaign with merely one top-flight goal. However, through sessions with a psychologist, Richarlison managed to regain a more optimistic outlook.

"It was the first time I had to deal with so many problems," he said. "In all that chaos, I met an honest lawyer who put my affairs and assets in order. I worked with a psychologist and, most importantly, I met my wife."

With World Cup 2026 on the horizon, the former Everton star intends to follow Manchester United midfielder Casemiro's guidance and avoid social media should he be selected in Carlo Ancelotti's squad. This isn't the first occasion that Richarlison has opened up about his battles with depression.

During a candid conversation with ESPN Brasil in March 2024, the Spurs forward admitted: "I was reaching my limit, you know? I don't know, I'm not going to talk about killing myself, but I was in a depression there, and I wanted to give up."

He continued: "Today I can say, look for a psychologist, if you need a psychologist, look for one because it's nice for you to open up like that, for you to be talking to the person.

"Today a (psychologist) came to thank me for taking this to the world of football, to the world, outside the pitch too, because it is very important and, whether we like it or not, it saves lives.

"I had this prejudice before, I thought it was nonsense, I thought I was crazy. In my family, there are people who think that anyone who goes to a psychologist thinks they are crazy, they think they are insane. But I discovered this and thought it was wonderful. The best thing, really the best discovery I've ever had in my life."

Richarlison has netted 10 goals in 38 outings for Spurs this season. He most recently featured for Brazil in October 2025.

Let's stare into the abyss if the worst happened and Tottenham's horrendous season ended with them plunging into the Championship

There would be a fire sale if Tottenham were to end this miserable season with their first relegation in almost half a century and then they would have to decide who they build a team around to battle back into the Premier League.

Spurs have had a disastrous campaign, without a win in 14 games in the top flight and just seven victories in the competition all season to their name. They sit 18th in the Premier League table and two points from safety with only six games remaining as Roberto De Zerbi tries to lift his downbeat squad before it's too late.

We want Tottenham to stay up and hope they wake up in time to save themselves but for the first time in decades relegation is a very real possibility if they don't. De Zerbi has promised on a couple of occasions now that he will remain in charge next season if the worst were to happen.

So what would a Spurs team look like in the Championship under the Italian? Who would stay? Who would have to be sold? Who would be loaned out temporarily in the hope that a year later Tottenham might be back in the Premier League? That's no guarantee in itself because the Championship is a notoriously difficult league and sometimes clubs just keep on sliding down.

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The Lilywhites would suffer reported losses of anywhere between £250million and £275million if they went down, regardless of the parachute payments, not to mention the job losses and sponsorship loss relegation would prompt within the company.

Most of the players have relegation wage cut clauses but many of the big names would still need to be sold to cover the huge losses and allow Spurs to buy players who could help them get back up to the top flight.

We're going to assume that the entire back four of captain Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie depart because of the prices they would fetch. Guglielmo Vicario, Rodrigo Bentancur, Djed Spence, Radu Dragusin and Pape Matar Sarr would also have suitors for reasonable fees.

Strikers also fetch a good price so Dominic Solanke and Richarlison would attract plenty of interest even if both would score plenty in the Championship. Decisions would have to be made over recent signings Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons as well with both big earners even with any potential wage cuts and likely to have interest from elsewhere.

Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani's loans would end and both would return to Bayern and PSG respectively, while decisions over Ben Davies and Yves Bissouma's expiring contracts would have to be made, with the latter containing an extension year.

Then there's the loaned out players. It could be the perfect time to bring back Luka Vuskovic to make him a mainstay of the defence for years to come but the flipside is that he's beyond this level now and is being eyed up by the biggest clubs in the world.

The teenager would like to play with his brother Mario next season at Hamburg. In a relegation scenario, perhaps Tottenham put off his return for a year to keep him happy. Or will they simply have to think of themselves and either bring him back or accept a huge bid for someone they haven't even played yet? It would be lucrative but crazy to develop a star player for someone else.

Vuskovic would be in our list but here are 11 other players Spurs might build a squad around. It's not a starting XI and you cannot predict what offers might come in for most of them or whether any might kick up a fuss and put in a transfer request. We'll explain as much as we can as we go along.

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Archie Gray

Let's start with Archie Gray. He only turned 20 last month yet has played 79 times already for Spurs. On Sunday he became the second youngest Tottenham player to make 50 Premier League appearances for the club, just 19 days older than Aaron Lennon was.

There will be a huge amount of interest in Gray from the top clubs because he's going to become a big player. That's why the north London club must keep hold of him. The midfielder has Championship experience, reaching the play-off final with Leeds, and has added to that with what he's gone through over recent seasons in the Premier League and in the Europa League and Champions League.

Tottenham would be absolutely mad to let him go as with a contract until 2030 he could be a future captain for them and would be a cut above in the Championship if they did go down.

Lucas Bergvall

The same again. Lucas Bergvall will have a long line of top level suitors across Europe looking to snap him up and benefit from the player he is going to become.

Tottenham though have the 20-year-old Swede on a very long contract until 2031 and he will not be one of their big earners. With players like Gray and Bergvall there would be a strong logic to the north London club handing them new deals, if they would accept them, to bolster their wages back up above any relegation clause cut levels to keep them happy as stars of the long-term.

Antonin Kinsky

With Vicario seemingly set for a return to Italy this summer, Antonin Kinsky showed on Sunday that he has plenty to offer and at just 23 would have the chance to stake a long term claim for the job between the sticks.

Whether they stay up or not, Spurs will likely want to bring an experienced goalkeeper in to compete with Kinsky but the step down might hand the young Czech, who also has a contract until 2031, more of a chance to come out on top depending on the level of the new arrival.

Kevin Danso

With the likely exodus of defenders any potential relegation would bring, Kevin Danso steps forward as a potential player to remain. His physical style would work in the Championship, even though he's better than that, and his character would be important to a rebuilt squad.

The Austria international would have the chance to make the spot his own and if Vuskovic were to stay then he would be an experienced guiding hand for the youngster as he would for someone like academy product Jun'ai Byfield.

Mikey Moore

This should happen regardless of what comes next for Tottenham but they have to get Mikey Moore back and involved again in the first team set-up.

He's still just 18-years-old but has had a hugely important loan move at Rangers with 42 matches under his belt in a season in which he had to overcome early hurdles with the fans unhappy with him in Russell Martin's struggling team. Then Danny Rohl came along and unlocked Moore and now the Rangers supporters adore the attacker and want him to stay next season.

As with Vuskovic, there could be some sense to sending Moore out again to continue developing at a higher level, but as a Tottenham academy product he's exactly the type of player who should be brought through if the worst happens.

James Maddison

James Maddison is nearing his return from eight months out with a cruciate ligament injury and De Zerbi will be hoping he might be able to play a couple of games before the Premier League season comes to a close.

But what about next season? Maddison will of course have his sights set higher than the Championship but in a season when he turns 30 and is going to be feeling his way back into football again he probably won't get a move to a club bigger than Spurs, even if they are in the league below. So it might not be the worst thing for him to stay and lead the north London outfit back up as captain.

Some clubs might be wary of signing a player so soon after a cruciate ligament injury as well so Maddison could end up being a star again for Spurs and if it must be in the Championship then it's a division he's played almost 50 games in so knows well.

Mathys Tel

There will be interest in Mathys Tel from across Europe, especially back in the Bundesliga, but the 20-year-old French attacker has taken Tottenham to his heart and is known to genuinely care about the people working inside the club and the consequences relegation would have.

If Spurs were to go down then he might be the kind of player who sticks around and really finds his feet in English football by taking a step down before flying into the Premier League the next time out.

Dejan Kulusevski

A bit like Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski has missed an entire season of his career so making a move this summer looks less likely than for others because of concerned suitors and also a need to gradually build back into the game.

The Swede's patella injury has been a complicated one and his return date has been pushed back and back. He still hopes to be back in time for the World Cup after a recent small procedure to clean out his knee and his potential involvement in that would help De Zerbi going into pre-season.

Kulusevski, still just 25 until later this month, would be a level above most Championship players if he could get anywhere back to where he was with Tottenham and that would help them in any potential quest to get back up.

Will Lankshear

Another academy player shining on loan who could get his big chance if Tottenham were to go down. Like Moore, Will Lankshear has enjoyed a big season of development and has done so in the Championship with struggling Oxford United.

The 20-year-old has scored 10 goals for the relegation battlers despite their struggles and has registered five goal involvements in United's past eight matches and is giving them a chance of avoiding the drop. If Spurs were to go down then Lankshear would be perfectly placed to benefit from any striker sales at the club.

Mohammed Kudus

There's always at least one big star player who stays after a relegation and Mohammed Kudus might be the one for Tottenham if they do go down, depending on when he returns from his injury.

The 25-year-old suffered a setback last week as he returned to training following his quad injury suffered in January. Spurs confirmed that the Ghana international will require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery, which means it could be months out again.

If Kudus misses the World Cup and does not return until closer to next season then any summer suitors might be concerned. Also Tottenham spent £55million on Kudus and they would have to recoup or better that to consider selling him.

Wilson Odobert

Spurs' injury list is so long that a number of long-term absentees might end up returning to a club in a different division. That could be the case for Wilson Odobert who is unlikely to be back in action after his cruciate ligament injury until towards the end of this year.

The 21-year-old was just starting to find his feet for Tottenham before that injury in February and he did play one game in the Championship for Burnley before signing for the north London club.

The others

Let's make it clear. We're not saying the players who aren't in this list are desperate to go or the ones above will be desperate to stay. Others mentioned before the list may well end up staying at Spurs next season regardless of what the next six matches bring and some above may depart. It being a World Cup summer also makes sales (and signings) that little bit trickier.

There are also others out on loan or in the academy who could become big players for the club if they were to go down. Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips and Jamie Donley are experienced and talented Championship players, while Manor Solomon starred in the league for Leeds.

Kota Takai and Yang Min-hyeok could also break through for Tottenham, although their struggles in Germany and the Championship have not helped their cause. Dane Scarlett will be hoping his time is still to come although it feels like his future may lay elsewhere after another tough season.

Mason Melia, James Wilson, Luca Williams-Barnett, Tynan Thompson and Byfield will all be looking to break through from the academy, while George Abbott, Tyrese Hall and Yusuf Akhamrich have all shone lower down the Football League.

Hopefully Spurs do not get relegated but one thing is for certain, it will be a very different looking Tottenham Hotspur if they do.

Brighton will be no pushovers when they face Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea later this month.

Diego Gomez will be available for selection when Brighton face Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea later this month. The 23-year-old midfielder escaped a booking during the Seagulls' win over Burnley, meaning he's avoided a two-match ban in the Premier League.

Had Gomez been shown his 10th yellow card of the campaign at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon, he would've been suspended, ruling him out of clashes against the Lilywhites and the Blues.

The FA's disciplinary rules state that players who are cautioned 10 times in matches up to and including their club's 32nd fixture of the English top-flight campaign will serve a two-match ban in the same competition.

As a result, the Paraguay international will be available for selection when Brighton face Roberto De Zerbi's side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, April 18, and the Club World Cup winners at the Amex on Tuesday, April 21.

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Gomez has established himself as an important player in Fabian Hurzeler's side this season, playing in all but three games across all competitions. The Paraguayan has featured 34 times, scoring 10 goals and providing one assist.

He's helped Brighton mount a bid for European football, with only a point separating them from Brentford in seventh. Hurzeler has been delighted with Gomez's progress on the south coast, so he'll be glad the midfielder is available to face Tottenham and Chelsea.

Last month, following a home win over Forest, the Seagulls boss said: "He's a South American and South Americans are very passionate about football.

"He's passionate about improving, passionate about getting better every day, and I think we see it with his effort. He never rests; he's always there for the team, he's a hard worker, and on top of that he has some really good quality.

"He has an amazing finish, he has a good understanding of the game, he attacks the box well, and he's always keen on learning. He's a really good listener, he tries to adapt to the new culture as quickly as possible, he's learning English, so overall I really enjoy working with him."

Hurzeler has since set his sights on qualifying for Europe. Lighting a fire beneath his players ahead of clashes against Spurs and Chelsea, the Brighton boss said: "What I want to say, regarding our run, is that we are now better at managing the key moments.

"The results will always come if, daily, we have the right work ethic and the right behaviour. Now we try to go all in and play every game like it is a final.

"I’m not a big fan of talking about Europe, but we are known as a well-structured and well-run club. On the other side, we are also ambitious and we want to keep improving.

"Most importantly, we need to earn the right to compete with the top teams and if we show that right then we can always be confident."

Cristian Romero could be out for the remainder of the season following his collision with Antonin Kinsky during Tottenham Hotspur's defeat to Sunderland.

The Argentina assistant head coach, Roberto Ayala, has provided an update on Cristian Romero. The 27-year-old defender suffered a knee injury during Tottenham Hotspur's defeat to Sunderland at the weekend, and he could be out for the remainder of the season.

Midway through the second half, Romero was shoved into Antonin Kinsky by Brian Brobbey. As the Argentine shepherded the ball back to the 23-year-old goalkeeper, he was pushed, jarring his leg.

Romero and Kinsky both required on-field medical attention, while the Black Cats striker got off scot-free without even a talking to from the referee. After a lengthy break in play, the Lilywhites skipper climbed to his feet and, as he left the pitch to make way for Kevin Danso, the tears flowed.

Speaking to Cuadro Técnico, a television show on Fox Sports, Ayala provided an update on Romero. As quoted by Argentine outlet Olé, the Argentina assistant head coach said: "This morning we found out the results of Cuti’s MRI.

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"Thank God, in quotes, that there’s nothing else wrong with his knee. Now they’re going to immobilise it and will likely give him platelet-rich plasma treatment, which is what’s being used now. We’ll see what happens after that."

Ayala added that the Argentina coaching staff have been in regular contact with Romero and the rest of the squad ahead of the World Cup in the summer. Lionel Scaloni's assistant said: "We started praying every weekend that nothing happens to anyone, that they finish their matches.

"We’re communicating with everyone via Zoom or directly by phone to see how each one is doing. The coaching staff has divided up several players, and we’re in charge of monitoring them.

"If there’s anything that requires the doctor to come in, he’ll take care of it. What we did, Leo [Scaloni] told them at some point: ‘Think about the national team’. When you think you have to… think a little bit."

As it stands, the severity of Romero's injury remains unclear, with De Zerbi expected to provide an update ahead of this weekend's clash against Brighton. Following the defeat to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, the Italian told football.london that Tottenham need the Argentine to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

"We don't know yet. We have to see in the next few days," said De Zerbi. "I hope for us it's not an important problem because he's a crucial player for us. A good guy, top player, big personality and we need him to finish the season and to achieve our goal."

Tottenham Hotspur players are set to receive a major blow to their income if they suffer relegation this season

Tottenham players will take a massive hit to their earnings if the club suffers relegation this season. It was unthinkable prior to this season that Spurs would actually find themselves in a relegation dogfight, even with their 17th-place finish last term as a result of an injury crisis.

But after two managerial sackings and 32 games played, Tottenham are now 18th in the Premier League and two points away from safety. Even the recent appointment of Roberto De Zerbi did not pay off as the Lilywhites suffered a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland at the weekend, which saw them officially slide into the relegation zone for the first time.

With captain Cristian Romero walking off the pitch injured in tears, there is very little to be optimistic about for a team which has not won a Premier League game in 2026. But there is still plenty of incentive for the players to fight on in the last six games of the season - not only for the sake of their own pride but also financially.

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That’s because Spurs bosses have implemented a stringent financial contingency plan which would see their squad of stars take a huge hit to their earnings if they are relegated to the Championship. Should the unthinkable happen, the players who remain at the club would see their weekly wages slashed by as much as 50 per cent, according to The Athletic.

For example, summer signing Xavi Simons and skipper Romero would see the biggest drop in wages, with their respective current £195,000 deals becoming a £97,500 per week contract.

This ‘relegation protection’ measure is in place to ensure the financial books stay balanced. It is understood to be a significantly higher reduction than the standard industry average, which usually sees players lose around 20 to 30 per cent of their salary following a drop to the English second tier.

Players would have been aware of such clauses relating to poor on-pitch performance when signing for the club or signing a new contract. The measure would also mean Spurs are under less pressure to suddenly offload players if they are relegated - but there is a real chance several players would not accept such a drastic decrease in their pay package and may seek a move away.

football.london now takes a look at Spurs' wage bill in comparison to what it could look like by the summer following a 50 per cent decrease on all player earnings, with the current 2026/27 payroll figures provided by Spotrac:

Xavi Simons: £195,000 > £97,500

Cristian Romero: £195,000 > £97,500

James Maddison: £170,000 > £85,000

Conor Gallagher: £160,000 > £80,000

Mohamed Kudus: £150,000 > £75,000

Dominic Solanke: £140,000 > £70,000

Dejan Kulusevski: £110,000 > £55,000

Micky van de Ven: £90,000 > £45,000

Richarlison: £90,000 > £45,000

Pedro Porro: £85,000 > £42,500

Radu Dragusin: £85,000 > £42,500

Guglielmo Vicario: £75,000 > £37,500

Destiny Udogie: £75,000 > £37,500

Archie Gray: £75,000 > £37,500

Pape Sarr: £70,000 > £35,000

Kevin Danso: £65,000 > £32,500

Manor Solomon: £60,000 > £30,000

Lucas Bergvall: £60,000 > £30,000

Mathys Tel: £55,000 > £27,500

Djed Spence: £40,000 > £20,000

The new Tottenham head coach cannot stick with the same team for Saturday's crunch Premier League clash against his old team

Roberto De Zerbi did not get the instant impact he wanted on his Tottenham debut in the dugout and his team selection for his first home game is going to be crucial.

Spurs are in huge trouble in the relegation zone as they lie 18th and two points from safety with all of their rivals above picking up points at the weekend as the north London club lost under their new head coach at Sunderland on Sunday to Nordi Mukiele's deflected winner.

Up next is De Zerbi's old team Brighton, who will arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday on top of the form table with five wins from six matches. Spurs are rock bottom, as they have been for months.

It felt like the Italian played it safe with his first team selection at the Stadium of Light and the 46-year-old will have to take the handbrake off if his new side are going to start scoring the goals that their rivals above are.

Here's the starting XI we would like to see De Zerbi select for the huge game on Saturday and we're going for a kind of a hybrid 4-3-3/ 4-2-3-1 formation.

Antonin Kinsky

The 23-year-old Czech goalkeeper showed plenty of guts to put his horror show in Madrid behind him with a solid display at the Stadium of Light. He made a big save from the Brian Brobbey before taking a whack to the head when the Sunderland striker shoved Cristian Romero into him just after the hour mark.

With De Zerbi hoping that Guglielmo Vicario would be back in training this week, Kinsky's assured performance, albeit needing to be a bit more dominant at set pieces, could allow the Italian to be eased back gradually into action after his hernia surgery.

The only thing that might see De Zerbi look to Vicario is the loss of Romero because his compatriot would then offer a big voice in the backline that has been lost with the captain's exit for the remainder of the season.

Pedro Porro

You can quibble about Porro's defensive ability at times, but if Spurs want to score goals then he's one of the main creators they have available.

He's made far more successful crosses by a landslide than anyone else in the squad and is second only to Xavi for expected assists at Tottenham.

Djed Spence offers more pace and can beat a man, but when it comes to playing a ball into the box for a Spurs team-mate there's no real comparison.

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Kevin Danso

With Romero out it's time for Danso to step up as he has done on a number of occasions this season. He does not have the Argentine's ability to play the ball between the lines but he will give absolutely everything to the cause for the remaining six matches of the campaign.

He also brings with him the threat of that long throw which Spurs need to make far better use of than they have for all the talk of it this season.

Micky van de Ven

The Dutchman could take the armband in Romero's absence and he needs to rise to the occasion. Spurs have been stuck in a rut this season and Van de Ven has been right in there.

He started the season so well and was scoring goals to help out at the other end. He's got seven this season as well as one assist, but he's just fallen out of his rhythm in recent months as the club has.

Van de Ven has the ability to be a top centre-back and he needs to shake the disappointment off and show it in the final weeks of the season.

Destiny Udogie

When fit the Italian brings balance to Tottenham's play down the left. Like Spence, he needs to increase his involvement in the final third but he does carry the threat of being able to get to the byline.

He wasn't helped on Sunday by playing alongside Richarlison, who struggled on that flank, and a more natural winger in front of him might bring more joy as a combination but also more work for Udogie to cover in behind.

Archie Gray

Before Sunday's game, De Zerbi's staff put together a big rondo to prepare the players to bait and play around the Sunderland press. Everything during it went through Gray. While the others had bibs and switched to the inside of the rondo when they lost the ball, the 20-year-old was the sole go-to man in the middle for anyone looking for a pass.

He was the hub of it all, with De Zerbi watching on the whole time, and it hinted at a tactic that was never realised. Gray was mostly bypassed by his team-mates on the day as Tottenham did not use the clever young midfielder in any progressive way. He touched the ball just 23 times, which made a big part of the team's pre-match warm-up all the more confusing.

Gray is a fighter and has been one of the few Spurs players in better form in recent months and that has to be tapped into.

Yves Bissouma

This might be a bit of an unexpected choice but De Zerbi needs a progressive ball player in the middle of the pitch. Right now that's not Joao Palhinha and it's not the out-of-sorts Conor Gallagher.

Bissouma has been in and out of the team this season - just the eight appearances - and his future at Spurs remains unclear, but he will move the ball quickly and forward to where the team need it to be.

Yes, he can also make a daft mistake or two but taking on his old side Brighton will bring with it a further point to prove and when he's on song, Bissouma can be superb as he was in the final stages of the Europa League last season.

Lucas Bergvall

We're mixing it up a little here and we're going to play Lucas Bergvall on the right of the midfield, at times on the right of a central three and at times pushing up to make a three behind the striker.

The young Swede can then dovetail with both Porro, helping to cover him, but also come inside to allow others to burst forward. We know he's not an ideal wide man but Bergvall has played this role with some success, albeit occasionally on the left, and can also put in some good crosses from the right.

Randal Kolo Muani was probably the most threatening of Spurs' attackers on Sunday, which isn't saying much, but with the other two players we're picking in the attacking midfield areas, we need a battler and worker like Bergvall. Gallagher has played this role on the right but with little to no effect.

There's also the option to play Spence or Porro as a right winger but that hasn't particularly worked in the past.

Xavi Simons

Spurs desperately need to create chances and score goals. Xavi has created more chances for the north London side than any other player this season. He's played more than double the amount of through balls than anyone else in the Tottenham squad, he's won the third most duels and his expected assists tally (3.56) is far beyond anyone else in the team.

The Lilywhites have only won three games when Xavi has been on the bench and his impact is often missed in the build-up to moves as he knits together the midfield and attack.

He needs to be in the team and can dovetail with Bergvall with one or the other taking a more central number 10 position or drifting out to the right flank.

Mathys Tel

Richarlison is just not as particularly effective a left winger as he is a striker. He does not have the ability to regularly beat a man down the flank nor the pace to be take advantage when he actually does. Tel can do both of those and is currently Spurs' most effective wide man.

When he came off the bench on Sunday he soon whipped in a good cross that Dominic Solanke should have done better with. Tel seems less confidence-drained than others and that's crucial for these remaining games as he can create something out of nothing and works well with Xavi.

Dominic Solanke

This really could be an either or with Richarlison because Solanke has not looked great in recent games, but De Zerbi rates him highly and said he is crucial to the team.

The head coach could play him and Richarlison up top together or choose one or the other. Either way, whoever plays up front needs service which they should get more of from that team behind them.

It's time for a new episode of Talking Tottenham with our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor as they discuss a big week at the club

Roberto De Zerbi now knows what the Tottenham Hotspur experience is all about after a bruising first week in charge of the north London club.

The Italian only took the helm in N17 last week yet within days lost Mohammed Kudus, a player he had pinned his hopes on, for the remainder of the season after the Ghana star suffered a setback immediately on his return to training following a long-term quad injury.

Then De Zerbi lost his first game in the dugout as Spurs went down 1-0 at Sunderland with Nordi Mukiele's deflected effort deciding the encounter. Things got even worse on Monday when a scan revealed that Tottenham captain Cristian Romero had injured the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the game and will miss the remainder of the 18th-placed club's relegation battle.

Romero had been shoved into the onrushing Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky by Black Cats striker Brian Brobbey and the Argentinean's knee collided with the Czech's head. The skipper hobbled off the pitch in floods of tears and now De Zerbi will be without him for the final six games.

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It was a triple blow for the new man in the dugout and our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor discussed all of the above as well as De Zerbi's approach and team selection for the game at the Stadium of Light, including the decision to leave out playmaker Xavi Simons.

Both of them felt it was a mistake to leave the club's most creative player right now sitting on the bench and Tottenham duly struggled to find the net.

The Italian was unable to make an impact during his Tottenham debut in the dugout and he will have to take on the lessons learned quickly

Roberto De Zerbi was unable to mark his Tottenham debut with a victory and he will have to heed the lessons learned quickly before it's too late.

Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday afternoon thanks to Nordi Mukiele's hugely deflected effort and that ensured the north London club remain in the bottom three in the Premier League and stretched their dreadful run to 14 games without a win in the competition.

De Zerbi has just six games to save the club from dropping into the Championship and he was asked after the game what he learned about his players during the encounter.

"You know me as a coach, but one very important part for me, for my style of being a coach, is the mental part, is to transfer the confidence of the players, to give them what they need in terms of mentality, in terms of confidence," he said. "And for that I said we could play better because during the week they play better because they are clear with their head, and during the game it's different for sure. And my work is to help them to show what they do during the week, on the game, during the game."

The 46-year-old is unlikely to publicly state some of the things he learned from his debut as Spurs boss so here's what we, as unqualified mind readers, reckon was actually going through his head.

It's a huge job

De Zerbi's predecessor Igor Tudor made it very clear that what he assumed from the outside and presumably what he had been told about the job was nothing compared to what he discovered when he actually walked through the door.

The current Spurs boss had nine days to work with the squad on the training pitches of Hotspur Way but seeing them in action in a match against opposition players is a very different thing. De Zerbi will have learned about the fear that exists within this group in the way they play and their lack of character in fighting back.

Tottenham are one of only two teams with Wolves that are yet to win a game this entire season after falling behind and that says everything about the way they respond to setbacks and it was something that Thomas Frank also spoke about being a problem. De Zerbi must find a solution and fast.

Make it his team now

The Italian has made a big case for simply being at Tottenham this season for the vibes more than anything else, as a motivator more than a coach.

"I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach. They don't need to improve football. They can play better and they will play better once we reach a different level of confidence," De Zerbi said after the game.

The Spurs head coach told football.london on Friday that he only brought in two of his usual coaching staff rather than the seven he normally brings because he does not want to confuse the players by launching into his complicated brand of attacking football.

The problem is that what Tottenham have been doing all season just hasn't worked. So why not try something completely different? It might lead to mistakes as they try to take it on board but they're making mistakes anyway. It's better to get them playing in an attacking style they know will be the one they'll use going forward so they can believe in it. Players need an idea to get behind rather than a compromise.

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Use Xavi

Three head coaches in a season all choosing not to use Xavi Simons has to be taken into account, but in De Zerbi's case if felt more like safety first in his opening game and it didn't work out for him.

Spurs desperately need to create chances and score goals. The Dutchman has created more chances for the north London side than any other player this season. He's played more than double the amount of through balls than anyone else in the Tottenham squad, he's won the third most duels and his expected assists tally (3.56) is far beyond anyone else in the team.

The Lilywhites have only won three games when Xavi has been on the bench and his impact is often missed in the build-up to moves as he knits together the midfield and attack.

De Zerbi did not bring on Xavi, who has three Champions League man of the match awards this season, until the 85th minute on Sunday, despite the attackers being starved of service and his side desperately needing a goal.

"Yes, why? Why? Because I changed three players, then after Romero's injury there was on the pitch Kolo Muani and Udogie," he said. "I didn't know when Udogie could finish, the energy to play, just for it. Without Romero's injury, Xavi would have come on before."

De Zerbi has another five days to work with Xavi and he needs to fit the 22-year-old into his system. The handbrake must come off.

Richarlison is not an ideal winger

It's understandable that De Zerbi would want to get Richarlison into his team somehow because the Brazilian is Spurs' top scorer and he's a battler. He's also been in a relegation scrap before with Everton and fired them out of it.

However, the 28-year-old is just not particularly effective as a left winger. He does not have the ability to regularly beat a man down the flank nor the pace to be take advantage when he actually does. Mukiele had such an easy time against the Brazilian that he decided to go up the other end of the pitch and show him how to score himself.

Using Richarlison as a winger ensured Spurs' most effective wide man, Mathys Tel, spent much of the game on the bench before finally coming on and whipping in a good cross that Dominic Solanke should have done better with.

De Zerbi rates Solanke highly so will either have to play him and Richarlison up top together or choose one or the other. Either way, whoever plays up front needs service.

He needs leaders

De Zerbi lost both Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero for the remainder of the season in his first week in charge. Such is life at Tottenham Hotspur.

football.london understands that Romero will miss the rest of the season with the medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee and the new head coach will have to turn to others to lead the team now that the World Cup winner is out of the relegation fight.

Unfortunately that's something Spurs are lacking in. Micky van de Ven could take the armband, while Rodrigo Bentancur will be an experienced head when he fully returns to training as will Guglielmo Vicario.

Conor Gallagher was brought in as a potential leader but he is having enough trouble with his own game to lead the team. De Zerbi talked up the midfielder before the game, having wanted to sign the England international from Chelsea back in his Brighton days. Yet the 26-year-old huffs and puffs without blowing anybody's door down. On Sunday, he gave the impression of always looking busy but you'd be hard pressed to note down anything worthwhile he actually contributed to the cause.

De Zerbi must work out if there is anyone inside the squad who can step up and lead it. The summer transfer window will require leaders as a priority, with Scotland captain Andy Robertson still on the radar if Spurs stay up, but they need someone to lead the charge now before it's too late.

The Tottenham centre-back went off in tears during Robert De Zerbi's debut defeat at Sunderland with fears over a knee injury

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is set to undergo an MRI scan on his knee on Monday, claim media back in his native Argentina.

Just after the hour mark of Spurs' 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday, the 27-year-old centre-back was shoved forward by home striker Brian Brobbey into Antonin Kinsky as he shepherded the ball back to the 23-year-old goalkeeper. As the Argentine was flung forward, Kinsky's head and shoulder rammed into the side of his right knee, jarring his leg.

Both defender and goalkeeper required lengthy treatment on the pitch and when the Tottenham skipper stood up he clearly felt something was not right in his knee and the tears flowed, fearing perhaps that he may not only miss the fight to keep the club in the Premier League but also the World Cup this summer.

Romero's Tottenham team-mates could be seen consoling him on the pitch, all coming over to him as he hobbled off the turf. Waiting for him in the mouth of the tunnel was his fellow centre-back Radu Dragusin, who had left the bench to speak to him. The Romanian has known his share of injury pain in recent seasons after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury last year.

It was Roberto De Zerbi's debut in the dugout and having lost Mohammed Kudus earlier in the week, the new Spurs head coach is facing up to potentially losing his captain just days after saying how crucial the Argentine is to the team.

"We don't know yet. We have to see in the next few days," De Zerbi told football.london of the injury. "I hope for us it's not an important problem because he's a crucial player for us. A good guy, top player, big personality and we need him to finish the season and to achieve our goal."

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Argentinean media outlet TyC Sports stated in the immediate aftermath on Sunday that Romero felt pain and instability in his knee and the club would run tests on it to see if the medial collateral ligament has been injured or if it was just sore from the impact.

Advanced scans are often carried out once swelling subsides to get a clearer image but initial ones can be done sooner and another Argentinean outlet Ole claimed that Romero will undergo an MRI scan on his knee on Monday.

If it is MCL-related, then medical studies show that such injuries are graded in four ways from a slight stretch to a complete tear. The first keeps a player out for one to three weeks while a complete tear (grade four) would keep them out for 10 to 12 weeks on average.

Media in Argentina have since claimed it is in the middle grades of that meaning Romero would miss between five to eight weeks, so be unavailable for Tottenham's run-in but back for the World Cup.

Alex Scott hit the winner for Bournemouth at Arsenal to deal the Gunners a major blow in the Premier League title race

Tottenham fan Alex Scott admitted he fulfilled a boyhood dream by netting Bournemouth's priceless winner at Arsenal on Saturday.

The Cherries playmaker also revealed he immediately text his good friend Antoine Semenyo after the game after doing his mate a big favour in the Premier League title race.

The 22-year-old said: "Antoine's now at Man City, so I'm happy for Antoine. Arsenal have been brilliant all year, so whoever wins the title, they will thoroughly deserve it.

"I texted him afterwards and obviously he's really happy with us winning. We're all still really good friends, he's one of my best mates in football, so he was always going to text me after that one. Obviously I'm really happy with the goal and obviously the win as well.

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"The table says they're the best team in the league at the moment, so to come here and win like that is a big statement. Hopefully we can keep on from that now."

Scott also received an array of other messages after delighting his Spurs-supporting family including his Tottenham-mad dad Noel. He makes no secret of the fact he's a Lilywhite, either.

The midfield technician continued: "Yes, I support Tottenham, though that doesn't have much to do with today. But growing up as a kid, it was definitely a dream for me [to score against Arsenal].

"Bournemouth are my team at the minute but I was a Tottenham fan growing up, so as a kid growing up, I would have been really happy with that.

"My dad's Tottenham, yes. A few of my friends were here today and they enjoyed the game as well. So, yes, it's nice to have everyone here today too."

Scott was named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad last November but did not make the cut for international friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.

While he's dreaming of clinching a place on the plane to North America, he's not putting too much pressure on himself, explaining: "Of course, it's a target, I think every player wants to play in the World Cup.

"Thomas called me before the last camp and just said: 'Look, this time you're not going to be in, we're going to have a look at a few other players' but I'll keep focusing on myself and keep playing as well as I can.

"Hopefully, I'll put myself in the best possible picture for the summer. To even be even in the conversations to possibly go is a huge honour for me.

"Of course, it would be a dream to play for my country and play at a World Cup but it's definitely not something I'm too focused on at the moment."