Football London

Tottenham appointed Roberto De Zerbi as their third head coach of the season at the start of April following Igor Tudor's disastrous spell in charge

Glenn Hoddle has revealed he offered to manage Tottenham Hotspur for the final part of this season before Roberto De Zerbi took charge.

Hoddle is considered a Spurs legend for what he achieved at the club during his playing days, before going on to manage the club from 2001 to 2003.

And with Igor Tudor struggling, Hoddle has revealed he and Ossie Ardiles offered to take charge following the damaging 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on March 23.

“They never came to us. We did, Ossie (Ardiles) and myself, after the Forest game, we felt there was a real problem there,” he told The Jeff Stelling Show.

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“Ossie and I made it clear that we would go in there if they wanted us to go in there with probably a younger legend (as coach) as well.

“It felt at that time, at the end of the game, Tudor was in as the manager, but to lose 3-0 against a team down at the bottom – with you at home – was a bad sign.

“It looked to me as if it needed some love, like it needed some people to go in there and unite the fans, with the owners, with the team and that is why we said we would do it.

“They said they were looking elsewhere, so that was fine by me.

"I don’t care who, I’m a Spurs man through and through since eight years of age, so as long as they’ve got the right man in.

“De Zerbi has gone in and everyone’s got to unite and get together, but they’ve got a real task on their hands, haven’t they? I just want them to stay up, whether I was involved or I wasn’t.”

The Spurs hierarchy, though, opted to turn to De Zerbi in a last-ditch bid to prevent a first relegation in 49 years.

However, despite the former Brighton boss claiming his first win in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, his side are still in the bottom three, two points from safety with four games remaining.

Roberto De Zerbi is lacking in first team players right now and that means opportunities for some of Tottenham's young talents

Talented teenager Mason Melia has been training with Roberto De Zerbi's first team this week amid Tottenham's injury woes, football.london understands.

The 18-year-old forward arrived at Spurs in January after the north London club agreed a deal with St Patrick's Athletic in February last year, worth an initial £1.6million - a record transfer for the League of Ireland - with the potential for future add-ons to double that figure.

Tottenham fended off competition from various top Premier League and European clubs to sign a teenager considered to be one of the biggest young talents in Irish football. Melia put pen to paper on a long-term contract until 2031, but was not allowed by EU law to make the move to the Premier League club until he turned 18.

After arriving in January with a back injury and then picking up a chest infection, the Republic of Ireland U21 international would not make his debut until this month and scored within three minutes of coming off the bench for Spurs' U21s against West Ham.

Melia has now played four matches, starting three times, and after being involved in first team training earlier this month, the teenager is understood to have taken part again this week with De Zerbi low on attacking numbers due to Xavi Simons' ACL injury and Dominic Solanke coming off with a hamstring problem in the win at Wolves.

Melia does have plenty of senior experience despite his age, haven taken part in 98 senior matches, including Europa League games, and been directly involved in 33 goals, scoring 25 and recording eight assists. Both Melia and his fellow January arrival James Wilson, who came from Hearts, could be vying for a spot on the bench in the Premier League in the remaining four matches of the season.

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Another gifted young player hoping to be back in time to impress De Zerbi is Luca Williams-Barnett. The 17-year-old made his Tottenham debut this season in the Carabao Cup win against Doncaster Rovers and has been on the bench in the Premier League six times this campaign as well as on another four occasions in the Champions League.

However, like Melia, the attacker has been missing in recent months with back pain, as has fellow Spurs debutant Jun'ai Byfield. Back issues associated with growing pains are a common ailment for teenage footballers as they take on the load of training and matches while still developing.

Williams-Barnett is believed to be set to return to action in the coming days, while fellow 17-year-old Byfield is back on the grass but may be brought back slowly with pre-season in mind ahead of a big year expected for both young talents.

Winger Tynan Thompson, who turned 18 this month, will be hoping to get a chance to impress De Zerbi after returning with a bang to the U21s from his own injury in recent weeks. The teenager has scored in back-to-back matches as Spurs work their way through the Premier League 2 play-offs and he starred in the UEFA Youth League earlier this season with seven goals and two assists in seven matches.

The former Arsenal academy graduate, now Luton Town manager, was asked about the prospect of facing Tottenham in the Championship next season if his League One side secure a play‑off place

Jack Wilshere has played down the prospect of facing Tottenham in the Championship next season as his Luton Town side chase promotion to the second tier. While Luton remain in the hunt for a play‑off place, Tottenham are battling to avoid the drop with only four games left.

Roberto De Zerbi earned his first win as Tottenham manager at the weekend with a 1-0 victory away at Wolves, but the result was overshadowed by fresh injury blows to Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke. Spurs sit 18th, two points adrift of safety, as they battle against West Ham in the survival race.

Spurs travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, while West Ham head to Brentford. As for Luton, Wilshere is aiming to guide his side into the play‑offs. They sit seventh, just one point behind sixth‑placed Stevenage, with everything riding on Saturday's final fixture.

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Luton's play‑off hopes hinge on beating Bolton Wanderers and Stevenage slipping up against Wigan. With everything riding on Saturday, Wilshere appeared on talkSPORT Breakfast on Wednesday.

Ex‑Arsenal teammate Ray Parlour quizzed him on the possibility of meeting Spurs in the Championship next year. "I knew you were going to say that," the former midfielder replied.

"I knew you were going to say that. Listen, the focus is on us. We only focus on us."

Ahead of facing Villa, Spurs have a staggering 10 players sidelined. Wilson Odobert, Mohamed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr are all out at the worst possible time.

It is a far brighter picture at Kenilworth Road, where Wilshere has already lifted his first trophy after guiding Luton to victory over Stockport County in the EFL Trophy final earlier this month.

When asked about facing a play-off rival on the final day, Wilshere added: "It's still tight and I know they'll want to finish third because you obviously get a little bit of advantage. I believe that once you're in the play-offs the games are something special and it's about who the best team is on the day and who deals with that pressure the best.

"I can't see Bolton doing that [resting players] because they'll want to finish third and I think you get home advantage for the second leg. I think they'll be going for that and also you want to go into it in good form, you want to have momentum and they're a good team."

Appointed in October, the former Arsenal midfielder is thriving in his first permanent role in senior management.

Tottenham have injuries galore and just four Premier League matches left and that has left some wondering if reinforcements can return

Roberto De Zerbi has just four games to keep Tottenham in the Premier League but has an ever-decreasing squad of players to ensure it happens.

Spurs have lost Xavi Simons to the club's fourth anterior cruciate ligament injury in the past 15 months after the Dutchman was stretchered off in the second half of Saturday's victory at Wolves. Earlier in the game, De Zerbi also lost striker Dominic Solanke to a hamstring issue and the Tottenham boss is set to deliver the latest news on the England striker at his press conference on Friday afternoon.

That means De Zerbi is currently without Xavi, Solanke, captain Cristian Romero, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies, while Pape Matar Sarr, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Destiny Udogie were all unavailable for the game at Molineux.

If that situation continues into this weekend's match at Aston Villa, then that means 11 first team players remain unavailable for the Italian head coach and some supporters have asked whether this dire injury crisis can be eased by recalling some of the club's loan players after their final fixtures this weekend.

Will Lankshear has been earning plaudits aplenty with 12 goals for struggling Oxford United, despite their relegation from the Championship, and the in-form 21-year-old striker closes out his campaign with Spurs team-mate Jamie Donley at Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

There is also Mikey Moore, who has been nominated this week for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award after an eye-catching season at Rangers. The 18-year-old attacker won Rangers' Young Player of the Year award this week as well, but Rangers also have four big matches yet to play anyway in the coming weeks.

Between Moore and Lankshear alone, the duo have played 89 matches this campaign in a huge season of development for both. Other players who have EFL seasons that end long before Tottenham's include Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips, Yang Min Hyeok and Yusuf Akhamrich, who has been on fire for Bristol Rovers with a stream of spectacular goals in League Two.

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However, Tottenham are not believed to be able to go down the route of recalling anyone to play as Premier League loan players are essentially de-registered from the parent club and re-registered elsewhere and that cannot change back until the next registration period opens, which in this case would be the summer transfer window.

The guidance is that other than the early recall of a goalkeeper in exceptional circumstances, no other player on a long-term loan - full or half season - will be permitted to return to their parent club outside of a transfer window and play first team football. So if a loan recall happens outside a window, the player may train but not be eligible for matches until the next registration period unless special exceptions exist.

The rules do appear to have changed at some point in the past 10 years - there were a new bunch of them for the 2019/20 campaign - because way back in the 2013/14 season, midfielder Alex Pritchard came back from loan at Swindon when their season ended and came off the bench in the final game of the season for Spurs and made his debut against Aston Villa.

There have been some suggestions that loan rules were also different back then for youth players, which does not help injury-hit Tottenham in their current situation.

Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane were in a disagreement over comments made by the latter on the nine-goal Champions League thriller between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich

Wayne Rooney took issue with Tottenham icon Harry Kane's assessment of Bayern Munich's thrilling loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The two sides clashed in the opening leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday evening.

PSG secured a 5-4 triumph courtesy of doubles from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele, alongside a strike from Joao Neves.

Bayern responded with four goals themselves, including Kane's conversion from the spot, complemented by efforts from Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz.

Speaking post-match, Kane commended Bayern's defensive display, despite shipping five goals in the French capital.

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"You saw two high-level teams in attacking play and transition," Kane said on Amazon Prime Video's coverage of the game.

"Overall, we look at their goals, the penalty was harsh but we could have killed the game earlier on.

"We fought and we clawed and we're back in the tie. I thought there was amazing defending, even though there were nine goals. Sometimes the forwards will come out on top, but the back line was outstanding today.

"You will always feel there are areas to improve on. We go to the Allianz with nothing to lose, we're at our best when we're intense and physical.

"It'll be who takes their moments next week, with the crowd behind us, we hope that can push us over the line."

Rooney was serving as a pundit for Amazon's broadcast, and proceeded to challenge Kane's observations about Bayern's defensive display.

"I love Harry Kane but there is no way he can be praising his defenders [in his post-match interview]," Rooney said. "The defending from both teams was really bad from both teams, I think he is being modest there."

The return fixture between PSG and Bayern is scheduled for the Allianz Stadium on May 6, with a spot in the final at stake.

The victor of that encounter will meet either Arsenal or Atletico Madrid in the final in Budapest next month. The semi-final first leg between the Gunners and the Spanish side takes place on Wednesday evening at the Metropolitano Stadium.

An update has emerged on the fitness of Dominic Solanke after the Tottenham striker suffered an injury during the weekend's win over Wolves

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed potentially another major injury blow as they battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Spurs are currently in 18th place and have four games remaining to avoid dropping into the Championship.

Roberto De Zerbi won his first match as Tottenham boss over the weekend with the 1-0 victory away at Wolves, but has been handed some fresh injury concerns since the win.

A report in The Telegraph has claimed that Dominic Solanke has suffered a hamstring injury that could keep the striker on the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

Solanke was substituted during the win over Wolves due to injury and was replaced by Richarlison, and it seems that the striker could be set for a spell on the sidelines.

The report claims that Solanke has suffered a grade two hamstring injury, which could force the England international to be on the sidelines for anywhere between three and eight weeks.

As a result, even if Solanke is ruled out for three weeks, he would miss a sizable amount of Tottenham’s run-in and quest to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

If Solanke is ruled out for eight weeks, then he would miss the remainder of Tottenham’s season and see his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup be in doubt.

The update on Solanke follows the news that Xavi Simons suffered an ACL injury during Tottenham’s win over Wolves and faces several months on the sidelines in recovery.

Cristian Romero will also miss the rest of the season through injury, while Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies are long-term absentees.

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Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend as they face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, and will hope to have some players return to the squad from injury.

Guglielmo Vicario has been recovering from a hernia procedure, while Pape Matar Sarr missed Tottenham’s win over Wolves with a shoulder injury. Destiny Udogie was also absent for the trip to Molineux due to a muscle injury, but could be in contention to feature for Spurs at the weekend.

De Zerbi will be expected to provide an update on Solanke and the fitness of the whole Tottenham squad when he speaks to the media later in the week ahead of the match against Villa.

Tottenham have four matches to secure their Premier League status, but are currently in 18th and two points adrift of safety with four matches left to play.

After facing Villa, Spurs will take on Leeds United (May 11), Chelsea (May 19) and Everton (May 24) in their remaining three fixtures.

Tottenham have reportedly shown an interest in signing Marcus Rashford this summer, with Barcelona yet to commit to a permanent transfer for the Manchester United loanee

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford this summer should the Manchester United loanee fail to complete a permanent switch to Barcelona. Rashford's temporary stint at Barca expires at the end of the season, with doubts now emerging over his long-term plans.

Rashford has previously spoke about his ambition to make his Barcelona move permanent this summer, having thrived during this campaign. The England international has registered 13 goals and 13 assists across 45 outings for Hansi Flick's outfit and is not expected to return to the United squad.

Despite his excellent form, Barca are proving hesitant in discussions with United. The Spanish giants are said to be reluctant to meet the £26million fee required to convert his loan into a permanent deal and are instead pushing for another temporary deal for the 2026/27 campaign.

United are determined to secure a permanent departure for their academy product, who still has two years remaining on his contract. They are maintaining their position with Barca - and the ongoing impasse could create opportunities for rival suitors.

Spanish news outlet Sport have reported that Tottenham have demonstrated 'genuine interest' in signing Rashford and could disrupt proceedings - on the condition they preserve their Premier League status.

Spurs are currently 18th in the table, two points adrift of safety, with four fixtures remaining. Barcelona are making Julian Alvarez their primary transfer target this summer and are fully aware that securing the Argentina international will require a substantial fee.

As a result, Barca are reportedly cautious about committing large funds to Rashford, who is not considered a like-for-like replacement for departing veteran striker Robert Lewandowski. Atletico boss Diego Simeone confirmed on Tuesday that Barca are among the clubs pursuing Alvarez.

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"It's normal that an extraordinary player like Julian Alvarez is wanted by Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona," Simeone said. "It's normal because he's very good."

All of this complicates matters for Rashford, who is reported to be remaining composed as he pursues a dream transfer to Barcelona, where he has settled comfortably and is enjoying his time at the Camp Nou.

The 28-year-old enjoys a strong rapport with Flick and is optimistic that the German coach's backing will prove a decisive factor.

Chelsea's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur has been rearranged given the Blues have made the final of the FA Cup thanks to a 1-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday

The Premier League have revealed a new date for Chelsea's clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The two sides were initially scheduled to play in their penultimate league match on Sunday, May 17.

However, as a result of Chelsea making it to the final of the FA Cup, which will be played a day earlier than that, their game has now been moved to Tuesday, May 19 (8:15pm kick-off). Chelsea will take on Manchester City at Wembley next month as a result of Sunday's 1-0 win over Leeds United - Enzo Fernandez scoring the decisive goal.

City, meanwhile, enjoyed a 2-1 win over Southampton to stamp their place in the all-Prem final on Saturday. It comes as Chelsea will endure a slightly more congested period of play in May than Spurs, who will need as much of an advantage as they can get as they hope to avoid their first-ever relegation from the Premier League since its inception in 1992.

Roberto De Zerbi's side currently sit 18th in the standings, two points adrift of safety as they head into their final four with Aston Villa, Leeds, the Blues and Everton. Chelsea, meanwhile, are vying for a spot in the Champions League next term, currently 10 points off the top five in eighth.

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Up next for the Stamford Bridge elite is a home clash with Nottingham Forest come Monday, May 4. They will then travel to Anfield to face a resurgent Liverpool side just five days later.

On top of their FA Cup final with City on May 17, and their subsequent return to Premier League action against Spurs, Chelsea will run out against Sunderland AFC in their final match of the season. Below is the full list of amended fixtures:

Wednesday, May 13

Man City v Crystal Palace

Friday, May 15

Aston Villa v Liverpool/Manchester United v Nottingham Forest

Sunday, May 17

Aston Villa v Liverpool/Man United v Nottingham Forest

Brentford v Crystal Palace

Everton v Sunderland

Leeds v Brighton

Wolves v Fulham

Newcastle v West Ham

*If Villa/Forest reach the Europa League final, their PL match will move to Friday, May 15.

Monday, May 18

Arsenal v Burnley

Tuesday, May 19

AFC Bournemouth v Man City

Chelsea v Spurs

Chelsea have handed Calum McFarlane the reins until the season's end, following the sacking of Liam Rosenior last week. Rosenior managed just three months of his staggering six-and-a-half-year deal in West London before he was handed his walking papers, following a diminished run of form.

A statement from the club read: "Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Liam Rosenior. On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club.

"Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season. This has not been a decision the Club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season.

"Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future. Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach until the end of the season with support from existing Club backroom staff, as we strive to achieve European qualification and progress in the FA Cup.

"As the Club works to bring stability to the Head Coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment."

Tottenham face Aston Villa in their next Premier League clash and Randal Kolo Muani is set to feature with injury claims not believed to be true

Reports that Randal Kolo Muani has suffered a hamstring injury are believed to be wide of the mark, football.london understands. There had been some suggestions he would miss a few weeks due to a hamstring issue, but it is understood that the Tottenham attacker is expected to be available against Aston Villa this weekend.

Xavi Simons is one player that will not feature in that clash or for the next nine months after he ruptured his ACL during Sunday's huge win at Molineux. The Dutchman and Spurs have since both released statements on his injury with Simons the fourth Tottenham player to suffer a major knee injury in the last 12 months.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday evening, Simons said: "They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

"All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer…just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best teammate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.

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"I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there. Be patient with me. TTP. COYS."

Kolo Muani was also withdrawn at Molineux and though Roberto De Zerbi did not confirm it was due to injury, he did share a concerning verdict.

He said: "I want to be positive, Mathys Tel played 45 minutes very well. At the beginning of the first half also Kolo Muani started very well the game and then he lost I don’t know confidence.

"We have to go every day for lunch with Kolo Muani this week. Every day breakfast, lunch and dinner because he is a top player as potential and he plays the better he feels and (feel) better on the pitch he tried to go one v one, to shoot, to do something more with more energy because he can do. He can do that."

It has been a disappointing loan spell for Kolo Muani in north London but he could still have a big role to play with Dominic Solanke an injury doubt for the trip to Villa Park even after De Zerbi's positive update.

Speaking on the striker, who was taken off in the first half against Wolves, he said: "For Solanke it is not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him."

James Maddison is expected to again be in the matchday squad having been on the bench against Brighton and Wolves.

It is still unclear when exactly or if he will be able to return this season with the likelihood of that seemingly decreasing after De Zerbi revealed a slight setback in his recovery last week.

Pape Matar Sarr, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie are the other injured Tottenham stars hoping to return this weekend.

Simons joins Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus as players to be ruled out for the season since De Zerbi's arrival. Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski are others still unavailable with long-term issues.

Xavi Simons's ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament was Tottenham's 36th separate injury of this disastrous season and parts of the Spurs fanbase have been scrutinising the role played by the medical staff during Saturday's game.

Shortly after the 23-year-old midfielder fell to the ground, he climbed to his feet and attempted to run off the injury. Xavi collapsed in front of the Spurs medical staff and subsequently left the field on a stretcher.

Videos of this incident have been posted on social media by Spurs fans, with many joining in a debate over why their side have been dogged by serious injuries across consecutive seasons.

On Monday morning, the north Londoners confirmed that the Netherlands international will undergo surgery in the coming weeks before beginning a rehabilitation programme. Simons has become the fourth Tottenham player to rupture an Anterior Cruciate Ligament since the start of last year, and the seventh to suffer a knee injury during the same period.

This is the second successive season Tottenham have had a crippling injury list, spanning three different permanent managers and playing styles, under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Robert De Zerbi - with a handful of matches under interim Igor Tudor as well.

Speaking to football.london, Ben Dinnery of PremierInjuries.com has broken down the numbers around Tottenham's two seasons of injury woe and explained why there are multiple factors to consider.

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What is the key injury data?

Premier League – 2024/25

Only Brighton chalked up more days lost to injuries (1944) than Tottenham (1553) in the Premier League.

The Seagulls were also the only team to suffer more time-loss injuries (48) than Spurs (41).

Premier League – up until gameweek 32 of 2025/26

Only Arsenal have suffered as many injuries as Tottenham (32). However, Spurs have since sustained five more, losing Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr, Dominic Solanke, and Simons to the treatment room.

Of the 37 injuries this season, at least 22 were muscle injuries and strains or knee injuries.

The Lilywhites have tallied more days lost due to injury (1278) than any other club; they're closely followed by Newcastle United (1106) and Arsenal (974).

When quizzed on the social media criticism of Tottenham staff, injury analysis expert Dinnery said: "It's something that's always levied at the backroom team when we see high amount of incidents.

"Initially, when people see a high number of injuries, they instantly default back to the club's medical staff.

"The reality of the situation is depending on the types of injury and depending on the mechanism of that injury, i.e. how it happened, it will have little or absolutely nothing to do with the medical staff. For the most part, they're reactive.

"So, injury occurs, they are then passed on to physiotherapists and club doctors. It's just people not really understanding the whole process."

According to Premier Injuries, only Brighton chalked up more days lost to injuries (1944) than Tottenham (1553) in the Premier League last season. The Seagulls were also the only team to suffer more time-loss injuries (48) than Spurs (41).

Dinnery highlighted the case of Dejan Kulusevski, saying: "Long-term injuries, the road to recovery is rarely smooth and straight."

The Tottenham midfielder suffered a complicated knee injury during a clash against Crystal Palace back in May 2025, and hasn't featured since. Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash against Wolves, Roberto De Zerbi described Kulusevski as one of his 'perfect players'.

"There will be peaks and troughs, setbacks along the way," added the injury analysis expert. "Obviously, some injuries are a little bit more complicated than others.

"There's definitely been a move away from sort of time-based recovery programmes. So, in the past, you may have seen things around, players with an ACL injury will look to maybe that 12-week mark for running. Now, it's a lot more criterion-based, where they will look at certain activities, certain exercises for players to move and progress on to."

Dinnery also pointed out that recovery time varies from player to player. He said: "It's based on the individual, how their response is to that treatment and whether they suffer any reaction along the way. If all is well and they progress and they move and they get a green light, then they move on to the next stage of that recovery and rehab programme.

"If it's not, if there's an adverse reaction, they take a step back. So, we're moving away from those sort of set-in-stone timelines. We have a good understanding of how long, in theory, these recovery timelines should take based on big data sets.

"But like I said, it's down to the individual. The Kulusevski one was a fairly complex injury. And again, if you were to look at that, then people can look at maybe the James Madison one, if you want to think about those timelines.

"And based upon what we've seen across the Premier League over the last maybe 15 years, then James Madison has returned ahead of schedule. Around sort of two to three weeks [early]."

Maddison, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the summer, has only recently returned to first-team action. The 29-year-old midfielder has been named in the matchday squad in each of Spurs' last two Premier League games, but he's yet to take to the field.

Dinnery continued: "I think Maddison has done maybe 250-ish days for an ACL recovery, whereas Premier League averages in the 270 to 280 range. There's never one magic bullet that solves everything. They are typically multifactorial.

"There will be several influencing factors. And so to sort of generalise across the board is probably a little bit lazy and a little bit naive. If you're going to start taking aim, then really you need to understand the types of injuries, where they occurred and how they occurred.

"And look at the likes of player loading, et cetera. Because, like I say, football ultimately still is a contact sport, so there are going to be injuries.

Dinnery added: " Take Destiny Udogie. One of the biggest risk factors or predictors of injury risk is history, so you tend to see players who've had injuries in the past will be more susceptible and carry a significant risk of suffering injuries in the future.

"Dominic Solanke. He's coming back as well off several injuries this season and getting himself back up to full fitness. Pape Sarr, that was a shoulder injury. The initial problem was done while on international duty."

Managerial change can increase injuries

Last month, De Zerbi became the third head coach to take the hot seat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

In terms of playing styles and intensity, Tottenham have lurched between approaches, with Postecoglou's high-press style frequently blamed last season as a key factor for muscle injuries.

There have also been changes behind the scenes with managers or head coaches bringing in their own backroom teams.

Dinnery said: "There was a body of research that was done with regards to managerial changes or the replacement of key staff within the clubs, and the impact that it would have on injury incidents and specifically they looked at hamstring injuries, and they did vary.

"Ultimately, there was an increase. How big that increase was would be dependent upon at what point the new head coach came on board, so Thomas Frank before the start of the season.

"Those [injury] numbers will grow further if those new coaches brought in new heads of fitness or performance or doctors, head of medical departments, etc.

"The obvious one for performance is the old 'we need the players to work harder' edict, so you're talking about different methodologies, different philosophies, the physical demands placed upon the players, slightly different roles, all of those are considerations to make.

"Then, if you're talking about [a change of] head of medical, head of performance, it just takes time to build up those relations as well with the players and understand where they are, their needs, and there needs to be that level of trust.

"So again, all of these things seem to be coming together to create that little bit of a perfect storm..."