Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has played down injury concerns over Andy Robertson, Tosin Adarabioyo and Omar Marmoush after his side secured their first Premier League win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Coventry City on Monday.
Goals from James Maddison, Marmoush and Ben Davies secured the morale-boosting win in north London, with Maddison making his first Premier League start in over a year and scoring a brilliant goal. Dejan Kulusevski also returned from the bench, appearing for the first time since May 2025.
However, the night was overshadowed by the sight of Robertson, Adarabioyo and Marmoush all limping out of the game in the second half. Robertson, in particular, looked to be in trouble as he sat on the pitch and signalled that he needed to be substituted.
De Zerbi's assessment
Speaking after the match, De Zerbi was upbeat about the condition of the three players, insisting there was little cause for concern. 'No, no, no, I think there are no injuries, nothing important,' said the Italian.
Spurs return to action on Saturday against Chelsea, and they already have a number of players ruled out of that match through injury. Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Savio, Lucas Bergvall and Mykhailo Mudryk are sidelined, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended. Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro were not fit to play on Monday night, but could return for the weekend.
A night of positives
De Zerbi was understandably pleased with the result after a difficult start to the season, praising both the performance and the returning players. 'Very happy for the result, very happy for Maddison, very happy for Deki Kulusevski,' he said.
He acknowledged that his side had played better in other games despite not getting results, citing matches against Old Trafford, Aston Villa, Everton and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. 'But we didn't play so well, not for our responsibility. But for their credit, for the Coventry credit, because playing against one team who defend so close, so compact with low block, it's always a very, very tough game,' he added.
De Zerbi also explained his decision to play three at the back, citing injuries in midfield. 'Conor Gallagher came back two days ago, and at the beginning of the week, the medical staff told me maybe he could be not available to play. Bergvall was injured, Mateus Fernandes worked just the last two days because of his [newborn] son, and I thought three at the back was the best solution to defend the counter-attack, to have more control of the game,' he said.
Kulusevski's return
De Zerbi admitted he brought Kulusevski on late for Mohammed Kudus not out of necessity, but for the fans. 'Listen Kudus, I thought he was playing well, I think he could finish the game, but I thought of Kulusevski just for the fans,' he said. 'Just for the fans because they waited (for) him on the pitch and in the last 5-10 minutes for extra time, we needed the support of the fans.'
He added: 'And they are fantastic with Kulusevski, with us, they suffered too much in the last three-four seasons, I don't know, but they deserve to celebrate many, many wins.'
