Tottenham’s Relegation Fears Worsened by Major Injury Setback

Spurs were initially expected to have a key player back for the run-in.

Roberto De Zerbi has suffered his first setback. | Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League survival hopes have taken another hit, with Mohammed Kudus potentially requiring surgery to fix a long-standing quad injury.

Ahead of the top flight’s return this weekend, Spurs are just a point above the drop with seven games to play. They’ll sink into the relegation zone for the first time in 18 years if West Ham United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night.

Spurs have turned to the talented Roberto De Zerbi to get them out of the mire after Igor Tudor’s ill-fated 44-day interim reign, and the Italian’s presence should serve as a considerable boost for a brittle Spurs squad. Reports suggest the players have been mightily impressed with their new manager so far.

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Kudus Could Miss the Remainder of Tottenham’s Wretched Season

Kudus’ absence has massively hindered Spurs. | Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

With De Zerbi hired and James Maddison stepping up his recovery from an ACL tear, things were seemingly on the up for Tottenham. Moreover, Tudor stated before his departure that Kudus was expected back after the international break, having been out of action since the start of 2026 with a quad injury.

The Ghanaian carried the Lilywhites during Thomas Frank’s disastrous reign, notching seven Premier League goal contributions during the first half of the season. Tellingly, Spurs haven’t won a league game since he trudged off against Sunderland on Jan. 4.

Thus, there was plenty of excitement among supporters over his imminent return. But rumours circled on Thursday regarding a setback, and those reports were later confirmed by the club.

Spurs noted that Kudus had returned to training over the past week after more than three months out, but will now see a specialist to determine whether surgery is required. If he does, not only will Kudus miss the remainder of the domestic season, but his participation at the World Cup may be thrust into doubt.

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How Can Roberto De Zerbi Replace Kudus?

De Zerbi’s task has just gotten tougher. | Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Kudus’ injury occurred after Spurs had sold Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace. The significance of his setback meant the club were expected to provide mitigation in the winter window, but those running the show in north London, namely Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham, opted against making a move to bolster Spurs’ attack.

Sporting director Lange explained that the club opted against “stress purchases” with the view that players would soon be returning from injury.

No matter the rationale, Frank and Tudor were both left short. Now, De Zerbi has to find a way of making up for Kudus’ sizeable void. There‘s a lack of natural right-wingers in the Spurs squad, especially after Wilson Odobert tore his ACL in February, and the only viable options appear to be Randal Kolo Muani, Djed Spence (a full back by trade) and Pedro Porro (another full back).

The Italian will have to be creative because there is no obvious solution. Kudus had been expected to be the man to save Spurs down the stretch, but an alternate hero must now emerge in Lilywhite.

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