At least eight players are expected to miss Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United, with both managers providing updates on their squads ahead of the weekend showdown.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham are preparing for their first Premier League home game of the season against a revamped and confident Newcastle side. The Magpies came agonisingly close to defeating Liverpool in their opening fixture, while Spurs will be looking to respond after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brentford.
There is, however, some positive news for Tottenham. Mohammed Kudus has made significant progress and could be in contention for his first Premier League appearance since January. De Zerbi may still decide not to take any unnecessary risks with the Ghanaian.
Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert remain long-term absentees. Both players are recovering from ACL injuries suffered last season, with Simons expected back around February and Odobert potentially returning in December.
Dejan Kulusevski is also unlikely to feature, although De Zerbi revealed that the midfielder is making good progress in his recovery. The Spurs boss praised Kulusevski’s importance to the squad but stressed that he does not want to rush his rehabilitation.
Newcastle are also dealing with a lengthy injury list. Matthias Jaissle confirmed that Joelinton is expected to spend around two weeks on the sidelines, while William Osula’s situation remains under assessment. The Newcastle boss suggested Osula’s injury does not appear to be particularly serious and hopes he can return soon.
England international Dan Burn is another significant absentee, with Jaissle confirming that the defender will miss at least the next couple of weeks.
Tino Livramento has returned to training, but Saturday’s Tottenham clash is expected to come too soon for the full-back.
With both teams carrying several injury concerns, De Zerbi and Jaissle will have important decisions to make before naming their starting XIs.
