After a long international break, Roberto De Zerbi will put the finishing touches to Tottenham’s clash with Manchester United during this week’s training session.
Spurs are finally back in Premier League action with Saturday’s game at Old Trafford and will look to climb back from the bottom of the table in three weeks of international games. After initially giving himself and his non-internationals a week off, De Zerbi worked with his remaining fit players for the next two weeks before the trip to Manchester.
Here are five things we reckon the Italian will work on with his players these days and continue to do so, before moving into Michael Carrick’s side, who have won just one game as Spurs are still looking for their first Premier League win of the new season.
Fitness
For most of the opening weeks of the season, De Zerbi has used a lack of fitness or sharpness as one of the reasons for his team’s struggles after feeling that the summer season has been disrupted.
Now, in mid-October, that consideration carries less weight. Most of the players have been on international duty and have plenty of minutes on their feet for their country, and those among the group who need to work hard on their fitness have spent the last two weeks doing some sort of pre-season training at Tottenham’s training complex.
Mohammed Kudus, Savio, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo will all be hard at work at Hotspur Way, and midfielders such as Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have all earned plenty of international minutes.
Injuries aside, fitness shouldn’t be an issue for most of the squad over the coming month.
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Kulusevsky’s work
Another player who will be working on his fitness in recent weeks is Dejan Kulusevski. The Swedish footballer has been out of action for more than 500 days after suffering a severe patellar injury in his right knee against Crystal Palace a few seasons ago.
After several setbacks, the 26-year-old has returned to training with his teammates in recent weeks and is closing in on what could be a much-hyped return to the Premier League.
De Zerbi, along with Kulusevski and the club’s medical staff, will be sure to pick the perfect moment to bring the talented striker back into action in the coming weeks.
To score a goal
Around six weeks into the season, it’s pretty clear that Tottenham’s biggest problem has been their inability to score in the Premier League.
Late goals from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke against Aston Villa finally broke the team’s duck for the campaign, but ultimately it was not enough to turn Spurs’ fortunes around.
De Zerbi has exactly two weeks to work with his attacking trio of Solanke, Savio and Kudus, and that could give them an advantage when it comes to the Italians’ starting line-up for the trip to Old Trafford.
The same goes for Maddison as he seeks the level of fitness required for the fastest and most physical competition in the sport, with Kulusevski starting Premier League action more recently than the England international, who did so on April 27 last year.
Tottenham’s finishing has been terrible so far this campaign and it will be worked on continuously at Hotspur Way.
De Zerbi now has more attacking options up front with Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons back in training after ACL injuries, but Tottenham need goals and they need them now.
Not to let go
It will also be important for De Zerbi this week to mend a defense that has conceded six goals in two games against Liverpool and Villa after back-to-back clean sheets.
This fortnight on the training pitches at Anfield will be crucial for left-back Destiny Udogie to work on his sharpness and strength, while centre-back duo Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo will both be given their pre-season or sorts at Hotspur Way, giving De Zerbi a full induction to work on.
With Micky van de Ven and Van Hecke picking up hand and toe injuries respectively while on duty in the Netherlands, one or both of their centre-back teammates could be called upon to start and De Zerbi and his coaches will be preparing for that potential scenario.
Partnerships
De Zerbi is yet to settle on his best XI, which includes the best partnerships in different areas of the pitch, regardless of the opponent.
This week, the Italian will have to work out his best midfield partnership, depending on the unexpected international injuries, and whether that includes £185m summer signings Tonali and Fernandes, who, like Bentancur, have both had full international breaks.
He must also decide to pair up properly with the aforementioned trio, as well as the returning Omar Marmuş and Matys Tell, who also scored a couple of goals for their country at the break.
Tottenham have looked increasingly better at their own game as the early weeks of the season have gone on, but having partnerships that work together will take them to the next level of winning.