Roberto De Zerbi may be without ten players for his first game as Tottenham manager. Spurs visit Sunderland on Sunday seeking to earn their first victory of 2026 and improve their Premier League survival chances.
Following West Ham’s victory over Wolves on Friday, the north London team dropped into the bottom three and is now battling to escape relegation to the second level for the first time since 1977. They are currently in 18th place, two points behind the Hammers and 16th-place Nottingham Forest.
With seven games remaining, De Zerbi, 46, has a difficult job to keep Spurs in the top tier after being named the club’s new head coach earlier this month. Following Igor Tudor’s departure, the Italian was awarded a high five-year deal.
However, De Zerbi may be without TEN first-team players for his team’s journey to the Stadium of Light. Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Mohammed Kudus are all long-term absentees who are still out.
Ben Davies is projected to return in late-April, although he will not do so for Sunderland. Rodrigo Bentancur and Guglielmo Vicario are trying to be ready for the home match against Brighton next week, while Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel, and Pape Matar Sarr are battling to play in the match against Sunderland.
In his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi provided an update on Kudus, who has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a long-term quadriceps injury.
I did not have much success at first, but yes, Kudus was a key player for the position, and we must move forward regardless, according to De Zerbi.
De Zerbi then discussed Vicario, who had hernia surgery after the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last month, and Bentancur, who is scheduled to return from a thigh injury.
Vicario is not prepared for this game, de Zerbi said. I’m hoping he returns early next week, but I’m not sure. Bentancur is working with us, but not fully, but we are capable of fighting, playing, and scoring.
Meanwhile, Sunderland may be without SEVEN players. Regis Le Bris verified that Jocelin Ta Bi, Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traore, and Simon Moore are definitely absent, while Robin Roefs, Dan Ballard, and Nilson Angulo are battling to be healthy to confront Tottenham.
