Roberto De Zerbi is working his way through a short but awkward absentee list as November opens, with three attackers and midfielders at different stages of recovery. One is in line for this weekend. Two are being paced towards the home fixture after the international pause.
The timelines come from De Zerbi’s recent pre-match briefings, and they split cleanly into two windows: 7 November at Leeds United, and 21 November at home to Ipswich Town.
Bergvall nursing knee from United game
Lucas Bergvall picked up a knee problem at Old Trafford, limping through the game and reporting the discomfort to Tottenham’s medical staff the following day.
“Bergvall had a problem in Manchester early on in the first chance he created for [Dominic] Solanke,” De Zerbi told BritBrief. “He felt pain in his knee but felt fine and on Sunday he came to the training ground and he’ll be out for two weeks.”
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That two-week window points to the Swedish midfielder being available for the trip to Leeds on Saturday 7 November, with a 12:30pm kick-off.
Mudryk’s ‘stupid’ setback in training
Mykhailo Mudryk’s issue came away from the match, with the Ukrainian winger turning an ankle during a training session. De Zerbi told The False 9 the setback was “stupid” when the subject came up in his press conference.
Mudryk is not expected to be in the squad for Leeds. The more realistic target is the home fixture against Ipswich on Saturday 21 November, immediately after the international break.
Savio felt it before Marbella camp
Savio’s problem is muscular and predates the squad’s recent training trip to Marbella.
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“Unfortunately Savio on Tuesday, before we left for Marbella, felt a muscular problem and we’ve lost him for some weeks,” De Zerbi told The False 9.
“Some weeks” lines up with a return around the pause for internationals, and Tottenham are working towards the Ipswich game on 21 November as his first realistic matchday. There is no guarantee he features before then.
What is on either side of the break
Before the international break, Spurs are at Elland Road on Saturday 7 November. After it, Ipswich come to north London on Saturday 21 November for a 3pm kick-off, and Tottenham then travel to Sunderland on Sunday 29 November with a 2:05pm start.
Bergvall’s recall at Leeds would ease midfield rotation, and Mudryk and Savio’s targeted comebacks around the Ipswich fixture would give De Zerbi a full set of wide attackers for the Sunderland trip a week later.
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