Roberto De Zerbi reveals Tottenham boost and laments 'stupid' injury in new four-man update

Mixed news for winless Spurs ahead of Everton clash in Premier League

Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that James Maddison will return for Tottenham against Everton, as he lamented the “stupid” injury to Mykhailo Mudryk and revealed that Dejan Kulusevski is not currently training with the team.

Maddison has not played for Spurs since suffering a fractured shoulder last month after coming on a second-half substitute in a dismal 3-0 defeat by Brentford on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

It was another frustrating setback for the midfielder, who missed most of last term with an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during the summer.

However, after sitting out the games against Charlton, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as Tottenham’s revamped medical department take a more cautious approach to injuries this season, Maddison is back in contention to face Everton on Saturday evening.

“Maddison, yes (he will be back),” Spurs boss De Zerbi said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Asked if Maddison could start, he added: “I’m happy when all my players are available. It is maybe a problem for me because my decisions are not easy. But I want to manage all players together.”

Spurs will be without Mudryk for between four to eight weeks as the result of an injury sustained after his debut off the bench in the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest last weekend, his first competitive appearance since November 2024 after resolving his anti-doping disciplinary proceedings with the Football Association (FA).

Out of action: Tottenham loanee Mykhailo Mudryk could be sidelined for up to two months

PA

The Ukrainian winger sustained a blow to his left ankle in training earlier this week and has been pictured wearing a protective boot.

The injury comes just over a week after Mudryk joined on a season-long loan from rivals Chelsea and leaves Spurs short of options in attack, having also sanctioned the loan departure of Mikey Moore to Cologne on Deadline Day.

“He felt pain in his ankle, and then after two days he made the medical check, and we knew the problem,” De Zerbi said. “But after a long time we knew.

“Stupid injury, but we are not stupid. We knew when we signed Mudryk, we knew it could be difficult to come back as a normal player.”

Hopes over an imminent return for Kulusevski were raised earlier this week when Sweden manager Graham Potter stated that he was “very close” to playing after being kept out since May 2025 by a serious patella injury.

The former Juventus star had returned to full team training with Tottenham at the start of last week and was subsequently named in De Zerbi’s Premier League squad, though had to stop a few days later due to a small issue.

17th-place Spurs remain winless and without a single goal to their name in the Premier League this season despite a lavish summer spending spree, with the visit of Everton to north London evoking memories of their dramatic victory on the final day of last season that saw them narrowly avoid a disastrous relegation to the Championship at West Ham’s expense.