Spurs team news ahead of Saturday is encouraging: Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are available for Tottenham’s trip to Manchester United, while Dejan Kulusevski will travel to support the team rather than make a playing return.
Roberto De Zerbi gave the updates in his Friday 9th October news conference, according to football.london’s direct reporting. James Maddison is available too, although the head coach said he had lost three or four days of preparation.
Spurs team news: both centre-backs available
Van de Ven and Van Hecke had caused concern after picking up knocks on international duty with the Netherlands. De Zerbi’s latest comments give a clearer answer before Saturday’s match at Old Trafford.
“They are available to play,” he said, as reported by football.london’s Alasdair Gold and Matt Maltby.
Availability is not the same as a confirmed starting place. The team will be announced on matchday, but the update means the defensive pair are options for De Zerbi.
Spurs team news: Maddison can play, but preparation was interrupted
The manager said Maddison had lost three or four days at the end of last week and the start of this one. He described the issue as not a big injury and said Maddison could play on Saturday.
He also stressed the physical demands of the Premier League and the need to reach the right condition. De Zerbi wants Maddison to put together several uninterrupted weeks without pain or problems.
That makes this an availability update with a fitness caution, not a promise of a start or a full match. The manager praised Maddison’s importance while also noting Conor Gallagher’s performances in the No.10 role.
Spurs team news: Kulusevski trip is for support
Tottenham’s official update confirms that Kulusevski and Porro will travel with the squad. Travelling does not confirm selection: Porro remains unavailable to play, while De Zerbi says Kulusevski’s progress is being assessed week by week with the medical staff.
“Tomorrow he comes with us for support,” the head coach said. He praised the player’s response to his injury and the example he had set.
That distinction is the important new context for our earlier report on Kulusevski’s training-match involvement. Progress in training and travelling with colleagues do not themselves establish that he is ready to play.
Photo: South stand of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by Hzh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Porro and Mudryk miss United
The Spurs team news also contains two absentees. De Zerbi confirmed that Pedro Porro and Mykhailo Mudryk are unavailable. He suggested Porro would not miss many games and that Mudryk could be out longer, without giving exact return dates.
Spurs Web’s coverage also reports the centre-backs’ availability and Maddison’s interrupted preparation.
That completes the Spurs team news from De Zerbi’s briefing. Saturday 10th October’s game kicks off at 5.30pm BST. Our United v Spurs viewing guide has the UK broadcast details.
This report combines direct news-conference reporting from football.london and Spurs Web with Tottenham’s official team news update.
Featured photo: James Maddison playing for Tottenham, December 2024 by Jim Easton, CC0, cropped.
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