Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has provided a positive injury update on a key player ahead of the Aston Villa game.
After a woeful start to the Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes in the Carabao Cup were dashed with a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at rain-lashed Anfield.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men were beaten by the Reds, with Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai scoring for the hosts. Conor Gallagher’s reply, which came with Spurs trailing 2-0, was their first goal against top-flight opponents this term.
It resulted in a nervy last few minutes, before substitute Szoboszlai scored a sensational volley past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to dump Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup. Roberto De Zerbi admitted after the game that the Lilywhites were “unlucky” to lose at Anfield.
Roberto De Zerbi says Pedro Porro will be back to face Aston Villa
There were some positives to take for De Zerbi amid the cup exit at the hands of Liverpool. Destiny Udogie returned to the first XI after missing the Everton game and put in a strong shift. He completed 56 minutes before being replaced by ex-Liverpool hero Andy Robertson. James Maddison and Savio also looked sharp after coming off the bench when Spurs trailed 2-1.
Meanwhile, Pedro Porro missed the second game in a row with a muscle problem. The 2026 World Cup winner sustained an injury during training last week, and De Zerbi decided to not risk him against Everton and Liverpool.
After Tuesday’s cup fixture, De Zerbi confirmed that Pedro Porro would be back and available for selection against Aston Villa at home this weekend. This shows that the full-back has recovered sufficiently so far to be passed fit for Saturday’s Premier League fixture, delivering a welcome boost to Tottenham’s defensive unit.
De Zerbi previously said that Porro’s run to the World Cup final with Spain, which La Roja won, means the full-back’s fitness will continue to be managed during the early stages of the season. The Spaniard has been a key cog in Tottenham’s defensive unit in recent years, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s attack-minded full-backs. He has also improved defensively, becoming a more rounded modern-day full-back.
In Porro’s absence, Archie Gray stepped in at right-back in the last two games, although the Englishman struggled to deal with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo on Tuesday night. So, having Porro back should be key to maintaining that defensive solidity while adding much-needed attacking flair down the right flank.
