Tottenham Faces Nottingham Forest Amidst Injury Crisis

Tottenham head back into Premier League combat today still empty-handed, chasing their first points of the season on a tricky trip to Nottingham Forest – and they do so with a squad that already looks battered by August.

Roberto De Zerbi has not hidden his frustration. The Italian coach believes the club’s pre-season tour has left his players short of the physical edge required for the opening weeks, and the evidence is written across his medical report. Training loads, long flights, commercial demands – Spurs are paying for it now.

New signings were supposed to inject freshness. Instead, many of them have been queueing for the treatment room. The headline arrival, Savio, an £85m capture from Manchester City, has already had a muscle problem, but there is at least one shaft of light: De Zerbi confirmed the Brazilian is available again.

Savio’s impact has been instant when he has actually made the pitch. He came off the bench against Charlton last week, scored, laid on an assist, and briefly looked like he might drag Spurs into gear on his own. Then the momentum stalled. A knock in training ruled him out of the defeat to Newcastle, underlining just how fragile this squad currently feels.

The major worry, though, sits in the heart of Tottenham’s creativity. James Maddison fractured his shoulder on the opening weekend against Brentford and has not featured since. He missed the Newcastle loss and is a serious doubt for the trip to the City Ground, stripping Spurs of their most natural playmaker just when they need control and calm in hostile surroundings.

There has been movement off the pitch. Deadline day brought Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo through the door, both registered in time for this weekend’s fixture. Only one will be involved. Adarabioyo, still bedding in, does not make the matchday squad and will have to wait for his debut.

Mudryk is a different story. The Ukrainian winger has not played a competitive game since November 2024 after serving a doping ban, and De Zerbi is treating him with caution. The manager has been clear: Mudryk is fit enough for around 30 minutes, no more at this stage. So he starts among the substitutes, a potential late weapon rather than a 90-minute solution.

Tottenham arrive in Nottingham under pressure, short of rhythm, and still juggling fitness issues. De Zerbi must find a way to spark a response with a patched-up side – or risk watching this season’s ambitions start to fray before they’ve even taken shape.