Pedro Porro is set to return for Tottenham this weekend, handing Roberto De Zerbi a badly needed lift before Aston Villa visit north London on Saturday lunchtime.
The Spaniard, who has missed Spurs’ last two matches with what the club described as a muscular issue, has been cleared to play. De Zerbi delivered the update in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round defeat at Liverpool, turning quickly from cup frustration to league necessity.
Spurs are still hunting their first Premier League goal of the season. The wait has become an awkward subplot to De Zerbi’s attacking creed, but the head coach is adamant the breakthrough is coming.
“I believe in my players, I have a big confidence, a big opinion of my players, and when we arrive to find the click, to win a game, I think we enjoy with these players,” he said, refusing to temper his ambition despite the barren run.
One reason for that optimism walked back into his starting XI at Anfield. Mohammed Kudus made his first Tottenham start since suffering a serious quad injury in January, a long road back that has tested both player and club. His presence instantly changed the feel of Spurs’ front line.
De Zerbi sounded genuinely energised by the Ghanaian’s return. Kudus is not just another body; he is a tactical pivot, someone who can reshape the attack with a single positional tweak.
“Kudus is another (who is) great news for us, because he can play also as a number 10,” De Zerbi said. “We can play with Savio, Kudus, (Dominic) Solanke and (Omar) Marmoush.”
That is the vision: waves of forwards, angles of attack from every line. Add the adventurous full-backs and forward-thinking midfielders De Zerbi favours, and his description of a team capable of fielding “eight attackers” does not feel entirely like hyperbole. It sounds like a warning.
At the heart of that blueprint sits another name Spurs supporters have been desperate to see fully fit again: James Maddison.
The England international has not started a competitive game since May 2025 after a cruciate ligament tear halted his momentum and forced a lengthy rehabilitation. This season, he has been eased back with three substitute appearances, his comeback further complicated by a shoulder fracture along the way.
“Maddison is for sure a different player, a special player,” De Zerbi said. “But he has to be fit, he has to be in the right physical condition, because the Premier League intensity, even tonight, is incredible. And then we can play with eight attackers.”
There lies the tension at Spurs right now. A manager who wants to unleash an almost reckless level of firepower, and a squad only just piecing its most creative talents back together.
Porro ready. Kudus back. Maddison edging closer. The goals have not arrived yet, but if De Zerbi truly gets his “eight attackers” on the pitch at once, Aston Villa could be walking into the storm that finally breaks.
