Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Brighton and Hove Albion is fast approaching, and all eyes will now turn to Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-match press conference, where several key questions are expected to be addressed.
Tottenham Hotspur’s encounter with Brighton and Hove Albion is now only a few hours away, with the two sides set to lock horns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in what will be Roberto De Zerbi’s home debut as Spurs boss.
Tottenham simply need to secure a victory if they are to keep their hopes of survival alive, but doing so against the most in-form side in the league at the moment is a big ask.
Regardless, preparation for the crucial encounter has since begun, with first-team training already having taken place at Hotspur Way.
Next on the agenda is a pre-match press conference where De Zerbi will face the media and answer several questions regarding his side, and we have now identified three that many Spurs fans will be eager to get an answer to.
Will Tottenham welcome Rodrigo Bentancur back to the squad?
No doubt, one question that will be on the minds of many Tottenham fans is whether Rodrigo Bentancur will make the matchday squad on Saturday.
The Uruguayan has missed the last three months because of a hamstring injury but returned to first-team training this week ahead of the Brighton encounter.
Many Spurs fans have reacted positively to Bentancur’s return, seeing it as a boost for the Lilywhites, who could do with some composure in midfield.
However, what Tottenham fans will not want is another setback, with the Uruguayan so close to a return. We expect to learn more from De Zerbi about the midfielder’s chances of featuring on Saturday.
Spurs goalkeeper situation: Guglielmo Vicario or Antonin Kinsky to start?
While the likes of James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur were spotted in training in the last couple of days, Guglielmo Vicario was nowhere to be seen.
We do know that Vicario – who has played through pain for most of the season – is recovering from hernia surgery, which is why he was absent from last week’s game.
In the Italian’s absence, Kinsky was in goal and did put in a solid display against Sunderland, not putting a foot wrong, but it remains to be seen if he continues this weekend.
If Vicario has returned to training, we will expect De Zerbi to provide an update on that and whether he is likely to start in goal for Spurs.
When could James Maddison actually return for Tottenham?
As mentioned earlier, James Maddison remains among those to have returned to first-team training with the Tottenham squad this week.
Of course, this is not the first time Maddison has been involved in training outdoors, as the midfielder shared an update on his return a few weeks back.
However, with more appearances alongside the first-team squad, there is a feeling that a return is not too far away.
We already revealed that, despite several first-team training appearances, Maddison still remains a long way away from featuring.
But that may not be the case, which makes it important for De Zerbi to provide more clarity on the Englishman’s return.
Tudor hinted some weeks ago that he hopes Maddison can feature for Spurs this campaign, and that could well be possible – if so, when? De Zerbi will hopefully provide an answer.