Tottenham's Injury Boost: Van de Ven, Porro, and Kudus Set for Return

Tottenham’s season could hardly have opened in uglier fashion. A 3-0 beating at Brentford, big money already spent, and a manager who walked away from the Gtech Community Stadium insisting his players are not yet fit enough for the Premier League fight.

Roberto De Zerbi did not sugar-coat it. Spurs looked short. Short of sharpness, short of rhythm, short of answers.

But this week, at least, brings the hint of a reset.

With a Carabao Cup tie against Charlton on Wednesday and Newcastle arriving in north London on Saturday for the first home league game of the campaign, Spurs are hoping for a triple lift on the injury front. Seven first‑teamers are still out, yet several key figures are edging back towards the pitch.

Van de Ven ready to lead at last

Micky van de Ven has already been handed the armband. He has not yet kicked a ball this season.

The new club captain watched on from the sidelines at Brentford, still playing catch‑up after an injury picked up during pre-season in Australia. He did not feature at all over the summer, a worrying start for the defender expected to anchor De Zerbi’s back line.

There is finally movement. Speaking last week, De Zerbi revealed Van de Ven had trained with the group on Friday and “is going very well”, describing the issue as “not a big problem, but not right to work” earlier in the tour.

If his progress holds, Van de Ven is being lined up to return against Newcastle at home on August 29, 2026. Spurs need their captain on the pitch, not in the stands.

Porro closing in after delayed start

Pedro Porro, promoted to first vice‑captain, also missed the humiliation at Brentford. His absence had a different root cause: a late return after Spain’s World Cup triumph meant he never got up to speed in pre-season.

The right‑back has at least rejoined training and is building his fitness after three weeks off. Spurs see him as close to being ready for competitive minutes again, another potential boost ahead of that Newcastle clash.

His own pencilled comeback date matches Van de Ven’s: Newcastle at home on August 29. If both are fit, De Zerbi’s defensive unit suddenly looks far more like the one he envisaged.

Kudus “almost ready” after long lay-off

Mohammed Kudus has been missing since January. That absence has hung over Tottenham’s attack for months.

The Ghanaian is finally nearing a return. De Zerbi described Kudus as “almost ready” last week, a significant step after surgery on a quad injury and a difficult spell that included a trip back to Ghana following a family bereavement.

“Kudus is almost ready, that is a big point for us,” the head coach said, stressing the need to stay calm and avoid risks when players report problems.

The plan is for Kudus to be back in action away at Nottingham Forest on September 5, 2026. For a side badly lacking incision at Brentford, his comeback cannot arrive soon enough.

Maddison a fresh concern

Just when Spurs thought they had one creative spark back in the mix, another worry landed.

James Maddison, still working towards full fitness, came off the bench at Brentford but could not shift the momentum. To make matters worse, he landed awkwardly on his shoulder during the defeat and is now a doubt for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Charlton.

Any setback will slow his push for peak sharpness. De Zerbi is expected to clarify Maddison’s status in his pre‑match press conference on Tuesday, yet for now the club still hope he will be available for Newcastle at home on August 29.

Sarr setback labelled “minor”

Pape Matar Sarr’s absence at Brentford was another blow in midfield.

The Senegal international, who did feature in pre-season and is attracting transfer interest, suffered a hamstring problem late last week and was ruled out of the opener. De Zerbi called it a “minor” issue and made it clear Spurs would not gamble with him, especially at this stage of the campaign.

“He felt pain in his hamstring two days ago. Nothing important, but we don’t take risk with him and especially in this moment,” the Italian explained.

The expectation is that Sarr, like Van de Ven, Porro and Maddison, will be ready for Newcastle at home on August 29.

Kulusevski’s long road back

Dejan Kulusevski’s story is a harsher one. It has been almost 18 months since he last played for Spurs.

A serious knee injury has kept the Sweden forward out for an extended spell, and although he is now back on the training pitches, he is still working individually with a coach rather than with the full group.

De Zerbi has spoken about watching him closely, not just as a player but as a person who has “suffered too much” during a gruelling rehabilitation. The club are in no rush; they want him right, not just available.

The timeline remains vague. Tottenham still expect him to return at some point in the first half of the season, but there is no fixed date.

Simons and Odobert face long waits

Xavi Simons, one of the brightest talents in this squad, could only watch from the stands at Brentford, there to support his team‑mates.

He will be doing that for a while yet. The Dutch star tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the closing stages of last season and has been ruled out for around nine months. Spurs do not expect to see him back on the pitch until early 2027.

Wilson Odobert’s situation is similar, if slightly more advanced. He suffered the same ACL injury a few months before Simons and is targeting a return before the end of 2026.

So Tottenham stand at an awkward crossroads: a bruising start, a manager demanding more fitness and intensity, but a week that could deliver Van de Ven, Porro and, soon after, Kudus back into the fold.

If those three hit the ground running, does this feel like the beginning of a season, or the start of a rescue mission?