12/04/2026

SUNDAY | APR 12, 2026

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Hotspur feel the heat De Zerbi reacts to Kudus injury blow as new Tottenham boss fights for survival Spurs players huddle during a recent Premier League match. – REUTERSPIC

ROBERTO DE ZERBI has admitted that Mohammed Kudus’ latest injury setback acts as an early spanner to his plans as he prepares to try and guide Tottenham to Premier League safety. De Zerbi will take charge of his maiden fixture as Spurs head coach today (9pm Malaysian time) away at Sunderland with his new team on a 13 match winless League run and embroiled in a shock survival battle. However, his job has been made even harder after it was revealed by the club that Kudus, who has been sidelined since January with a significant quad injury, has suffered fresh blow in his recovery and may now require surgery. This could rule him out for the remaining seven games of the season and potentially the World Cup, where he was set to be a key figure for Ghana. “Yes, I started with not too big luck,” De Zerbi joked. “Kudus was in my head a crucial player, especially for the posi tion, but we have to look forward any way. “I think we have a lot of very good attackers and we have to help them, to

objected to the 46-year-old being hired by the struggling Premier League side due to his backing of Greenwood during their time at Marseille. De Zerbi managed Greenwood at the French club after the former Manchester United striker faced charges – which were later dropped – of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022. The Italian described Greenwood last year as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.” Asked about the fan criticism, De Zerbi said: “I wasn’t surprised. I was a bit sad and sorry it happened, because I’m sorry if somebody took offence.” Asked if he hoped fans accept his apol ogy, De Zerbi said: “Yes, also because I’m not going to go back over this topic. “I spoke about it in my first interview, I spoke about it today and it wouldn’t be right to go back over this topic again.” – The Independent/AFP

actually started. “In Brighton I left for different prob lems and in Marseille maybe the same, (but) I would like to stay four or five (years), for a long time. “In my plan, for sure there is the idea to stay for a long time, to try to put Tottenham, I’m not speaking about titles because it’s not the right moment now, but (I want) to put Tottenham to stay in the first position in the Premier League because there are all parts to reach that level. “First of all it has to be clear to every one. I want to work in the Premier League and I believe I deserve to work in the Premier League, but the main sense of my work is more than the League. “If I sign my contract in April I have to be ready to stay, no matter what, in the next season. I want to stay focused on Sunderland and the other six games, but my idea is very clear.” De Zerbi admitted he was not sur prised by the backlash from a section of fans over his past comments on Mason Greenwood. Several Tottenham supporters’ groups

put them in the best condition to show their qualities.” De Zerbi later confirmed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on a hernia issue, which means Antonin Kinsky could start at Sunderland a month on from his horror appearance in the Champions League away to Atletico Madrid. Pape Matar Sarr will be assessed hav ing suffered a shoulder injury on inter national duty with Senegal, while Rodrigo Bentancur is said to be making good progress in his recovery from a hamstring problem. Faced with Tottenham’s familiar injury woes, De Zerbi is charged with a serious test to keep the club in the top flight but nevertheless believes the club has everything to challenge for the title in the future, intending to aim high after penning a five-year contract. Asked about his relatively short spells at Brighton and Marseille, De Zerbi pushed back: “I stayed three years in Sassuolo and then I left (Shakhtar Donetsk) from Ukraine when the war

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