Spurs have some good news heading into Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa: Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed Pedro Porro is back in contention after a muscle problem sustained in training kept him out of the last two games.
Asked directly whether Porro would be available against Villa, De Zerbi’s answer was simple: “Yes.” Small words, potentially big impact — Tottenham’s start to the season has been rough, with just two points from four Premier League games and no goals scored in any of them. Their only win so far came against Charlton in the League Cup, before Liverpool ended their run in that competition with a 3-1 win at Anfield on Tuesday. Porro missed that game too, along with the recent draw against Everton, having picked up the injury in training the week before.
What Porro adds going forward
Porro isn’t just a defensive presence — he regularly gets forward, links play down the right, and whips dangerous balls into the box. With Tottenham badly missing a cutting edge in front of goal, that attacking threat from full-back could matter a great deal. He’s built a reputation over the past couple of seasons as one of Spurs’ more productive wide players, chipping in with goals and assists even as the team around him has struggled.
De Zerbi still backing his squad
Despite the winless start, De Zerbi has continued to talk up the quality in his squad, name-checking players like Omar Marmoush, Savio, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, Dominic Solanke and Porro himself. His message is consistent: he trusts this group to turn things around once they find their rhythm — and Porro’s return could be a step toward that.
A big one against Villa
The timing matters. Aston Villa also haven’t won yet this season and sit just a point behind Spurs, making Saturday’s meeting an early relegation-six-pointer of sorts. Neither side will want to come away empty-handed. For Tottenham, it’s a chance to end the goalless run and finally give fans something to cheer; for De Zerbi, another opportunity to show the summer’s work is starting to pay off.
Porro’s return won’t fix everything on its own, but getting one of the squad’s most productive attacking outlets back gives Spurs another route to the goals, creativity and confidence they badly need — starting this weekend against Villa.
