Ahead of Tottenham’s clash against Everton, we have highlighted five things we want to hear Roberto De Zerbi address in his next press conference.
Tottenham Hotspur are not back in action until the weekend as they are not involved in the Champions League this season following their 17th-place finish in the Premier League last campaign.
This Saturday, however, when they return to action, the Lilywhites are set to take on Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they search for their first point in front of their home fans.
Spurs are without a win this season and find themselves in 18th place, a spot they will be hoping to stay clear of after their relegation scrap last campaign.
Everton, on the other hand, are no pushover, with David Moyes’ side unbeaten so far this season after winning their opening game and drawing their last two matches.
De Zerbi certainly has a big task on his hands ahead of the weekend, and he just might feel confident about his chances after Spurs ended a run of two defeats in a row with a draw against Nottingham Forest.
His press conference is sure to come before Tottenham take to the field, and Spurs Web have now highlighted five things we would love to hear from the Spurs boss.
Positive James Maddison injury update for Tottenham
James Maddison is yet to manage a start for Tottenham this season because of injuries, although he did feature from the bench in the clash against Brentford in matchweek one.
His brief cameo at the Gtech Community Stadium saw the midfielder pick up a shoulder injury that has kept him out for two weeks.
That meant the clash against Nottingham Forest came too soon for the midfielder, who also missed out against Newcastle in matchweek two.
The expectation is that he makes a return this weekend, and eyes will be on Roberto De Zerbi’s update on the Englishman.
A return timeline for Dejan Kulusevski
Not only are Tottenham fans keen on seeing Maddison return to the first team squad, but many supporters would also love to see Dejan Kulusevski return to match action.
The Sweden international has been out for close to two years, but Spurs finally received a positive injury update last month when De Zerbi revealed the 25-year-old had returned to first-team training.
However, the manager has yet to provide a clear timeline for when the midfielder is expected to return to action.
Roberto De Zerbi did reveal last week that Kulusevski picked up a minor knock following his return to first-team Tottenham training, although he stated it was nothing serious. In his next presser, the hope is that a return timeline is shared for Kulusevski.
Hint that Mateus Fernandes will start for Tottenham vs Everton
While Tottenham managed not to concede at the weekend against Nottingham Forest, their attack looked rather toothless.
There was a clear need for creativity, which was lacking particularly from the middle of the park without James Maddison, Xavi Simons or Kulusevski in there.
The only other player who offers some creative spark is Mateus Fernandes, who has been used in that number ten position in his last two outings for Spurs, but he missed out from the off against Forest.
His absence was certainly felt, with Tottenham not creating enough chances to threaten the Forest backline.
De Zerbi did state that Fernandes’ absence was down to his tactical setup, which saw him opt for Conor Gallagher in that number ten spot.
With a home clash against Everton up next, fans will certainly be keeping an eye on what the Spurs boss says about Fernandes’ chance of playing.
De Zerbi certainly rates the youngster, with the Tottenham manager describing Fernandes as the future of the club.
An answer to the Tottenham’s attacking problems
Three games without a goal is far from ideal for Tottenham, but that is where they are this season even after bolstering their attack in the summer.
Last time out, all three new forward additions featured, with Savio off the right, Omar Marmoush down the middle and Mykhailo Mudryk coming in as a sub on the left.
But that was not enough to see Tottenham find the back of the net. Following the match, De Zerbi remained adamant that his side created chances even though Spurs did not play a shot on target.
That certainly needs to improve, and it would be interesting to hear what the manager and his players have been working on in training.
No further Spurs injuries
Of course, the biggest thing fans will be keen on hearing is that there are no injury concerns heading into the Everton clash.
Last week Spurs received a big injury boost, with the number of injured players down to just three – Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison.
This week, the hope will be for that list to shrink further to two, with Maddison passed fit to be involved in the matchday squad.