Tottenham's Injury Update: Key Players Set to Return
Tottenham could be handed a badly needed lift this week after a wretched start to the Roberto De Zerbi era.
A 3-0 defeat at Brentford was about as bleak an opening-day statement as big-spending Spurs could have imagined. De Zerbi did not sugar-coat it either, openly questioning his squad’s fitness levels and insisting they are not yet ready to compete in the Premier League.
Seven first‑team players were missing at the Gtech Community Stadium. Now, with a Carabao Cup tie against Charlton on Wednesday and Newcastle visiting north London on Saturday for Spurs’ first home league game of the season, the medical room suddenly holds the key to how quickly this campaign can be steadied.
Here is where Spurs stand on injuries and when relief might arrive.
Micky van de Ven – new captain waiting to lead
The armband has been handed to Micky van de Ven. The view from the stands at Brentford, though, was all he could offer.
A pre-season injury in Australia wiped out his summer minutes and left him chasing sharpness while his team-mates were being taken apart in west London. De Zerbi, speaking last week, stressed that the problem was not serious but had been awkward enough to halt his work.
“He worked with the group [on Friday], he's going very well,” the head coach said. “He suffered a problem during the pre-season in Australia, I don't know, the flight, I don't know, something, not a big problem, but not right to work.”
The plan now is simple: build him up fast, but not recklessly. If all goes to schedule, the new captain should finally walk out at home.
Potential return date: Newcastle (H), August 29, 2026
Pedro Porro – vice-captain closing in
Pedro Porro, elevated to first vice-captain, also watched the Brentford defeat from afar.
His summer was longer than most. The right-back returned late after Spain’s World Cup triumph and never featured in pre-season. That delay has cost Spurs dearly in the short term, stripping De Zerbi of one of his key attacking outlets on the flank.
The positive for Spurs: Porro is back in full training and working through the final stages of his fitness build-up after three weeks off. Barring any setback, he is edging towards a return just as Spurs desperately need leaders back on the pitch.
Potential return date: Newcastle (H), August 29, 2026
Mohammed Kudus – “almost ready” after long lay-off
Mohammed Kudus has not played a competitive minute since January. That wait might finally be coming to an end.
The Ghana international has endured a gruelling spell, undergoing surgery on a quad injury and then briefly returning to his homeland last week following a family bereavement. De Zerbi, though, offered a clear note of encouragement.
“Kudos is almost ready, that is a big point for us,” he said, underlining how carefully Spurs must tread. “It's important also the management of the players, when the players have some problem, we have to stay calm, don't take risks.”
Kudus is back in training and, if his progress continues, could re-emerge in early September. For a team short on incision and personality at Brentford, that date cannot come quickly enough.
Potential return date: Nottingham Forest (A), September 5, 2026
James Maddison – fresh doubt after Brentford blow
James Maddison’s season is yet to catch fire and now there is another bump in the road.
The playmaker came off the bench at Brentford as Spurs chased a lost cause, only to land awkwardly on his shoulder. He finished the game but is now an injury doubt for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Charlton.
Maddison is still playing catch-up with his own conditioning, and a knock at this stage only slows that process further. De Zerbi will give a fuller update in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, but Spurs know they cannot afford to lose one of their primary creators for long.
Potential return date: Newcastle (H), August 29, 2026
Pape Matar Sarr – minor hamstring, major frustration
Pape Matar Sarr’s absence at Brentford removed energy and bite from the Spurs midfield.
The Senegal international, who did feature during pre-season and is attracting transfer interest, picked up a hamstring issue late last week and was ruled out of the opener. The club insist it is only a minor problem, yet De Zerbi refused to gamble.
“He felt pain in his hamstring two days ago,” the Italian said on Friday. “Nothing important, but we don’t take risk with him and especially in this moment.”
Spurs hope that caution pays off with a swift return, potentially in time for Newcastle’s visit.
Potential return date: Newcastle (H), August 29, 2026
Dejan Kulusevski – long road back for “special player”
For Dejan Kulusevski, the wait has been agonising.
It is approaching 18 months since the Sweden forward last played for Spurs. A serious knee injury has kept him sidelined, and while he is now back on the grass, he is still working individually rather than with the main group.
“He's working, not with the group but with the individual coach,” he said. “I'm observing him a lot, because first of all, he suffers too much, and as a human situation, it's been tough for him, and every one of us we are close with him for this period.
“Then he's a different player, he's a special player, if he's fit and he's available, he's a different player, like Xavi Simons."
Spurs will not rush him. The target remains a return at some point in the first half of the season, but no firm date has been set.
Potential return date: Unknown
Xavi Simons – ACL rehab stretches into next year
Xavi Simons could only watch from the stands at Brentford, another key figure reduced to a supporting role.
The Dutch star suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the closing stages of last season and faces a lengthy recovery. The timeline is brutal: around nine months out, with no expectation of a return before next year.
For now, his presence is symbolic more than tactical, a reminder of what Spurs are missing and what might still be waiting on the other side of this storm.
Potential return date: Early 2027
Wilson Odobert – aiming for late‑year return
Wilson Odobert is on a similar path, and it began even earlier.
He suffered the same ACL injury type a few months before Xavi Simons and is targeting a comeback before the end of 2026. That is the carrot at the end of a long rehabilitation, and Spurs will hope he can rejoin a very different, more settled side by then.
Potential return date: Late 2026
The damage at Brentford laid bare Spurs’ vulnerabilities. The next few weeks will show whether the returning core can turn an ugly start into a mere stumble, or whether this season’s story is already being written in the treatment room.
