Tottenham Faces Nottingham Forest in Search of First Points

Tottenham step back into Premier League combat today still staring at an empty points column, as Roberto De Zerbi takes his patched‑up side to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest.

This is not how De Zerbi imagined the opening weeks. He has already been blunt about the club’s pre-season, admitting the summer tour left his players short of the physical edge needed for the start of the campaign. The evidence is everywhere he looks: the treatment room has been busier than the training pitch.

Even the new arrivals have not escaped. Savio, the £85m headline signing from Manchester City, has already had a muscle problem to contend with. The Brazilian lit up his debut against Charlton last week, coming off the bench to score and assist, a cameo that hinted at a game-changer Spurs badly need. Days later, he picked up an issue in training and missed the defeat to Newcastle altogether.

The good news for De Zerbi is that Savio is back. The manager has confirmed the winger has recovered from that muscle injury and is available again for the trip to Forest, a timely boost for a side still trying to find any sort of rhythm.

One concern, though, overshadows everything else: James Maddison. The playmaker fractured his shoulder on the opening weekend against Brentford and sat out the loss to Newcastle. At 29, he is the heartbeat of this Tottenham attack, and his absence strips the team of creativity and control. He remains a major doubt for today’s clash, leaving De Zerbi facing the prospect of another key fixture without his most influential midfielder.

There is fresh blood, at least on paper. Deadline day brought Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo through the door, both registered in time for the weekend. Only one of them makes it as far as the squad. Adarabioyo, though eligible, is not included in the matchday group.

Mudryk is on the teamsheet but not yet fully unleashed. The Ukrainian has not played a competitive game since November 2024 after serving a doping ban, and De Zerbi has been clear about where his fitness stands. Mudryk, he says, is only ready for around 30 minutes of action at this stage. He starts on the bench, waiting for his moment.

So Tottenham arrive at the City Ground still searching for their first points, still juggling injuries, and still leaning on half-fit stars and returning signings. De Zerbi has his ideas and a squad brimming with potential. Now he needs something far simpler: a result.