De Zerbi Drops Bombshell! Three Players Cleared as Trio Compete for No. 10 Ahead of Villa Clash

Tottenham manager De Zerbi confirmed at a press conference on September 18 that Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali, and James Maddison are all available to play, with their deployment contingent on their physical condition. The international break will be used to assess squad availability, with injured players staying behind to prepare for the Premier League's return. Maddison has been training for 10 to 15 days and still needs to regain his best form, though his passing quality is exceptional. The candidates for the number 10 role are Kudus (who struggles in central areas), Matheus Fernandes (whose final pass and shooting need improvement), and Gallagher. Kulusevski will use the international break to recover, and his return will be like that of a new signing—his strong character means he doesn't need extra encouragement. De Zerbi said Villa have a top coach, that they only earned 1 point in their previous meeting, but the game was difficult.