Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi called new arrival Mykhailo Mudryk's injury "stupid" and backed the winger to return to action soon. Mudryk, a Chelsea loanee, made his first competitive appearance in 22 months in the 0-0 draw with Forest on Saturday but suffered an ankle injury in training and is set to be sidelined until October at the earliest.
De Zerbi said of Mudryk's layoff: "It was a stupid injury and we hope he can come back as soon as possible. For him and for us. For him because he suffered too much and for us because we lost an important player. He played 15 minutes in Nottingham, he played well, but it's in the normal process when one player doesn't play for a long time."
Mudryk's return to play came after he served a suspension for recording an "adverse finding" of banned substance meldonium in 2024.
Spurs remain without a goal or win in the Premier League after a summer of lavish spending and big changes. De Zerbi expressed confidence in his group despite the results, saying: "I think we are better than last season, especially the end of the season, many, many injuries. It's difficult to believe right now because we are not winning, we are not scoring, but I'm positive. I believe in my players, I believe in this group of players.
