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De Zerbi will, though, have to weigh up whether to start him in place of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, or name him on the bench.

Savio is also in line to make his full debut. The Brazilian, signed from City in a deal worth up to £85m earlier this week, made a dream start to life in north London by scoring and assisting against Charlton in the Carabao Cup second round.

Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro were given their first minutes of the season off the bench against Charlton, and De Zerbi revealed that both of them are in contention to start against Newcastle. Mohammed Kudus is pushing for a place on the bench.

Van de Ven, though, has been managing an injury and may not be risked, with De Zerbi erring on the side of caution with the Dutch defender, who has struggled with muscles injuries throughout his Spurs career.

“Van de Ven is right to play. We have to look, we have to understand the beginning part of the game. Like Savio, like Pedro, Marmoush is available to play, maybe also the beginning of the game. Robertson is like Udogie. Udogie is a good news for us because Udogie is very important and he played well 60 minutes, like was the plan,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference.

Asked if supporters would have to be patient with Maddison as he tries to put a consistent run of games together, De Zerbi said they were working on a plan to ensure the 29-year-old returns in the best condition and is not rushed back.

Call for former council chief to be stripped of OBE honour following conviction

Call for former council chief to be stripped of OBE after conviction

Call for former council chief to be stripped of OBE honour following conviction

Call for former council chief to be stripped of OBE after conviction

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New Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi sweating over fitness of some key players

Latest: Guglielmo Vicario, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski

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Roberto De Zerbi has taken over a Tottenham squad still battling an injury crisis as he bids to save them from relegation.

De Zerbi is due to start work at Hotspur Way on Thursday, when Spurs players who have been away on international duty will be returning to the training ground.

Spurs have a week and a half to prepare for his first game in charge, away to Sunderland on April 12, and De Zerbi will hope to have some key players back for the run-in.

But De Zerbi has been dealt a fresh injury concern to add a lengthy list of players who have been missing.

With that in mind, Here’s all the latest Tottenham injury news and potential return dates...

Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus is closing in on a return after being sidelined since January with a hamstring injury.

The winger was injured against Sunderland on January 4 but is back in training as he targets a comeback.

Mohammed Kudus has been out since January with a hamstring injury

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Igor Tudor said on Kudus before the international break: “Probably [be] some part of the things with the squad, maybe 10 days. I don't know, I'm not sure, we need to check.”

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It was not clear exactly what Tudor meant but it has been reported that Spurs insiders felt he meant Kudus would be back 10 days after the end of the international break.

That would rule him out of games against Sunderland away and then Brighton at home. Spurs then face Wolves at Molineux on April 25.

Potential return date: April

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario is recovery from hernia surgery.

Spurs announced on March 20 that the operation had been “timed” for the international break in order to “have as minimal impact as possible”.

Guglielmo Vicario is recovering from hernia surgery

Getty Images

The club said their hope was that Vicario “return to action within the next month” but Antonin Kinsky seems set to play in goal at Sunderland.

Spurs will hope Vicario can make a swift recovery, given Kinsky’s nightmare night against Atletico Madrid.

Potential return date: Saturday, April 15 vs Brighton (H) or Saturday, April 25 vs Wolves (A)

Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski has raised hopes that he is finally closing in on a return by outlining his aim to make the Sweden squad for the World Cup this summer.

Kulusevski has been out since last May with a patella injury and his recovery has been hit by several setbacks.

Dejan Kulusevski has just undergone fresh surgery

Instagram/@dejan.k10

This week, Kulusevski visited the Sweden camp before their World Cup play-off win and inadvertently sparked more fears over his fitness after seen limping badly.

Kulusevski confirmed he has recently undergone another surgery but claims he has "never felt better" as he targets the World Cup.

“I understand that people were worried [by the limping], but it was really for the wrong reason," he said. "It was really positive that I did this little procedure and that we were able to find the problem.

"Now everything should be good. It’s just a matter of slowly and surely coming back. I can see the light. It feels better now.

"I really have a positive feeling about [the] World Cup in two or three months. This is how the book and the chapter will end. I’m convinced of that … I'm very confident with where I am today."

Potential return date: Unknown

Pape Matar Sarr

De Zerbi has already been dealt an injury concern after Pape Matar Sarr was unable to feature for Senegal in their friendly with Gambia on Tuesday.

Sarr joined up with Senegal last week and featured in their 2-0 win over Peru on Saturday but was left out of the squad to face Gambia on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury.

De Zerbi will next provide an update on the injury situation at Spurs next week when he holds his press conference ahead of the Sunderland game.

Potential return date: Unknown

Mathys Tel

The French forward Mathys Tel withdrew from France’s Under-21 squad this month with a groin injury.

It comes at a hugely frustrating time for the youngster, who had started to impress under Tudor.

Now, however, that progress could be stunted with an absence, although there is belief that he could be back within the next few weeks.

Potential return date: Sunday, April 12 vs Sunderland (A)

Mathys Tel’s injury before international break is Spurs’ latest blow

REUTERS

Rodrigo Bentancur

Key midfielder Bentancur has been sidelined with a torn hamstring that he had surgery on after he sustained the issue against Bournemouth.

Tudor said that the Uruguayan had been “progressing” with the ball at his feet as he continued his recovery, and the former Juventus man could be set for a return to action this month if things go to plan.

Potential return date: April

James Maddison

While the attacking midfielder has posted videos of himself upping his recovery on YouTube and TikTok, it still remains unlikely that he will feature at all this term after his ACL injury that he suffered in pre-season last summer.

Potential return date: June

Wilson Odobert

Another whose campaign is over is the young French forward Wilson Odobert, who also tore his ACL against Newcastle earlier this year.

He underwent surgery in February and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Potential return date: November

Ben Davies

Welsh veteran Davies is likely to have played his last game for the club after he broke his ankle against West Ham.

The defender was stretched off in the defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It could well be his final match in north London, with the 32-year-old out of contract come the end of the season.

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Man City face Spurs on Sunday seeking to record successive Premier League wins after beating Wolves last weekend to end a four-game winless run in the competition.

However, City preparations for their showdown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been slightly disrupted with Guardiola not able to fulfil his media duties ahead of the game.

In Guardiola’s place on Friday afternoon for the pre-match press conference was his assistant Pep Lijnders and he explained the Spaniard’s absence as well as confirming the City boss is expected to be in the opposing dugout on Sunday.

“The manager is good as always, full of ambition and passion but he is in a personal matter,” Lijnders told reporters.

Man City will also be boosted by the returns of Rodri, Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo against Spurs after all three missed the 2-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray in midweek.

Rodri served a one-match ban following his red card in the shock loss to Bodo/Glimt last week, while Guehi and Semenyo had not been registered in City’s Champions League squad after their arrivals this month.

City, though, will be without a host of senior players against Tottenham - including Oscar Bobb after his £27million transfer to Fulham was confirmed on Friday.

Jeremy Doku picked up a calf injury on Wednesday night to join John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho in the treatment room.

This weekend’s game comes too soon for Ruben Dias to make his return to action as he is pencilled in to take part in team training at the beginning of next week.

In the new league phase format, which came into play last season, the top eight teams progress straight through to the last 16 and avoid a two-legged knockout play-off tie.

Tottenham, despite their struggles in the Premier League and both domestic cup competitions this term, have been good in Europe and qualified for the knockout phase with a game to spare.

In fact, Spurs won all four home games under Thomas Frank without conceding a single goal against Villarreal, FC Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Borussia Dortmund.

Furthermore, two points from a possible nine on the road left Tottenham with a great chance of sealing a top-eight finish ahead of their final league phase fixture away at Eintracht Frankfurt, which they won 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham’s progression straight through to the last 16 means they will not face fixture congestion in February.

The last-16 draw will take place on Friday, February 27. The first leg of those ties will be played on either March 10 or March 11, with the return fixtures a week later.

As a result of finishing fourth in the league phase, Tottenham will either face the winners of the knockout phase play-off between the 19th and 20th seeds, or the 13th and 14th seeds.

Randal Kolo Muani put an eventful couple of days behind him with a goal to send Tottenham through to the Champions League last-16 with a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Kolo Muani was an unused substitute during Spurs' disappointing 2-2 draw at Burnley on Saturday amid speculation former club Juventus wanted to bring the France forward back this month before he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday.

The Paris St Germain loanee was fine and despite a late arrival in Germany, he grabbed the crucial 47th-minute opener against his old team before Dominic Solanke added a second to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Thomas Frank, with Tottenham remarkably able to finish fourth in the league phase of the competition.

Spurs were without 14 players for this tie in Germany, which was untimely for Frank after he faced more criticism from his own supporters on Saturday after the draw with Burnley made it two wins from 14 in the Premier League.

Kolo Muani got the nod against his old club and despite being heavily booed, his first involvement nearly produced the opener.

After getting in down the left, his cross was spilled by Kaua Santos and Xavi Simons fired home, but away celebrations were cut short with Destiny Udogie adjudged to have committed a foul in the build-up.

Tottenham regrouped but not long after Joao Palhinha had seen a header tipped wide, results elsewhere meant the Premier League club had dropped to ninth in the league phase.

A flurry of chances followed with Udogie inexplicably unable to get a touch on a Kolo Muani cross with the goal at his mercy before a smart turn and shot by Wilson Odobert from 20 yards smashed against the inside of a post.

Simons should have scored on the half-hour mark too when he stole in after a poor pass by Santos, but the Frankfurt goalkeeper made amends with a vital save.

Frankfurt issued a warning sign on the stroke of half-time when Hugo Larsson fired over via the crossbar after beating Tottenham's offside trap.

It ensured it stayed 0-0 at half-time, but the opener arrived just 66 seconds into the second period.

A set-piece did the trick with a short free-kick routine able to create space for Simons, who chipped in for Cristian Romero and his header found Kolo Muani to bundle home from close range.

A poor touch by Frankfurt's Aurelio Buta squandered a good opening for the hosts shortly afterwards before Kolo Muani sent his latest effort wide.

Santos was called into action by Pape Sarr's curler before Frank turned to his bench, with Solanke introduced for the bright Odobert in the 73rd minute.

Four minutes later and Solanke secured Spurs' place in the last-16 with the striker able to run through and drill the ball into the bottom corner to earn a fifth victory in the competition and secure fourth spot.

Pep Guardiola is not expected to have Jeremy Doku available as Manchester City visit Tottenham on Sunday.

The Belgian winger started as City breezed by Galatasaray on Wednesday night, but lasted just 37 minutes before being withdrawn with a calf injury.

Speaking at full-time, Guardiola said: “[He is] Injured. The calf. He felt something.”

Asked whether he would miss the Tottenham clash, he responded: “I think so. Not just tonight all season but he has these problems, muscular. Hopefully in March he can be ready.”

Should he be ruled out, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo should take on the wing positions, with Tijjani Reijnders and Bernardo Silva operating in the central positions.

Rodri played no part against Galatasaray as he served a suspension and should be restored to the side in defensive midfield here, allowing Nico O’Reilly to return to his native left-back.

Guardiola’s injury headaches persist in defence, despite Matheus Nunes’ comeback. He may be forced to continue in Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones’ absence, though Marc Guehi’s availability will provide another boost - he is not yet eligible to play in the Champions League.

Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov got the nod against Galatasaray, with the former most likely to keep his place against Tottenham. Max Alleyne, recently recalled from his loan to Watford, is also an option.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is in no danger of losing his place, and Erling Haaland, who broke his goal drought on Wednesday night, should keep his place.