Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi says his side's injury crisis is a normal part of football as they prepare for a rare away win at Chelsea. The Italian confirmed his squad could be without nine players for the trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, where Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League with just six points from seven games.

De Zerbi moved to defend the club's medical department, which saw a new performance director appointed last season and a clutch of new hires in July. He expressed strong belief in the current staff's quality, stating he knows how they work and has confidence in them. The manager added that a full report on injuries will be compiled at the end of the season.

Injury list mounts

Destiny Udogie remains out, while Tosin Adarabioyo is a doubt. James Maddison did not train for three days after the home win over Coventry, though Dejan Kulusevski played his first minutes since May 2025 in that match. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended for the Chelsea fixture.

There was some positive news, with Pedro Porro returning from injury. De Zerbi also said Andy Robertson, Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke were good in light of recent fitness concerns, though Robertson was fatigued after playing 65 minutes against Coventry following four consecutive games for Scotland. Youngster Lucas Bergvall turned his knee and felt pain in the first minute against Manchester United earlier this month.

Chelsea's discipline

Opponents Chelsea, who are fourth in the standings, have not had a player sent off this season. Their manager, Xabi Alonso, attributed the improved disciplinary record to greater emotional control. He said it comes from focusing on the task at hand and being prepared for events on the pitch, adding that real control comes from the players themselves.

Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez after he broke his jaw in the 2-0 win at Everton last weekend, with Mike Penders set to start. Spurs, meanwhile, have not won at Stamford Bridge since 2018 and were beaten 6-2 in the last meeting between the sides. They travel across London having scored just six league goals this season while conceding ten. The gap to leaders Manchester City already stands at 15 points, underlining the importance of halting their poor run of form. Tottenham's next assignment after Chelsea is a home fixture, details of which are on the club's fixtures page.

Read the full report at The Guardian Football