Roberto De Zerbi’s first competitive match in charge of Tottenham will take place at the Stadium of Light this weekend, and the timing could not be worse. The Italian inherits a squad ravaged by injury, with the treatment room resembling something closer to a medical facility than a football club’s support structure. With roughly a week to prepare, De Zerbi faces a fundamental question: how many of his key personnel will actually be available to contribute?

Here’s an injury update on the squad from The Standard. The most critical issue centres on attacking output. Mohammed Kudus has been absent since the 4th of January, when he sustained a hamstring injury in the very fixture Spurs are now heading towards. That is now nearly three months on the sidelines.

The 25-year-old did not train with the main group last week, though there is a possibility he could return to training under De Zerbi’s watch. Should he feature at Sunderland, however, expect a cameo rather than a full 90 minutes. The cautious management of his recovery speaks to the club’s awareness that rushing a hamstring injury of this nature invites recurrence, a risk Tottenham cannot afford given their current predicament.

Guglielmo...