Roberto De Zerbi has defended Tottenham Hotspur’s medical staff despite an ongoing injury crisis.

Spurs travel to rivals Chelsea on Saturday night, but will be without several key figures and Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are doubts following disrupted training this week after they featured in Monday’s win over Coventry.

Destiny Udogie remains sidelined and Tosin Adarabioyo may not recover in time. Pedro Porro is available in a welcome boost, but fitness problems have been a frequent issue for Tottenham this season and during recent campaigns.

Yet De Zerbi said: “It’s football. I am convinced our medical staff this season is high level.

“I follow them. I believe in them. I have big confidence because I know how they are working.

“I think they are good enough to believe in them. Nothing more. We are suffering a normal situation in football.”

De Zerbi went on to highlight three players and the unique circumstances surrounding their fitness issues.

Porro “suffered in the World Cup the muscular problem of the hamstring”, which was behind his absence at the start of the season.

The Spanish right-back returned against Aston Villa, but “pushed to come back before the right time and he suffered another injury.”

De Zerbi pointed out: “What is the responsibility of the medical team?”

On the sidelined Lucas Bergvall, De Zerbi added: “In the beginning of the (Manchester United) game, in the tackle, he turned his knee and felt pain.

“He finished the game and the day after he felt pain. What is the responsibility of the medical staff? Nothing.

“(Andy) Robertson played four games in a row with the national team.

“(Against Coventry) was fatigued. It’s normal fatigue for a player who played six games in 20 days.

“At the end of this season we make the total report and we analyse the situation but so far we can’t say anything bad about the medical staff or another reason.”

What cannot be debated is Tottenham’s horrendous away record at Chelsea which includes only one win in 41 matches at Stamford Bridge but De Zerbi, who won there with Brighton in 2023, has a positive experience to lean on.

“When I was the coach of Foggia. League Three against League Two, many, many times Foggia did not win in the (Bari) stadium but it was one motivation more, not one pressure more,” De Zerbi said. “And yes, we won (in 2015).”

PA