Roberto de Zerbi was looking forward to working with former West Ham United winger-turned Tottenham Hotspur defector Mohammed Kudus for the remaining seven matches of the Premier League season.

The Italian’s best-laid plans would go awry, however, just days after De Zerbi was appointed as Igor Tudor’s replacement down the road in North London.

Tottenham may be without Kudus for the remainder of 2025/26. The £54.5 million summer signing from West Ham United will potentially undergo surgery to correct a quad injury which has kept him on the sidelines since the turn of the year.

Sorry Pablo, but this team (if fit) are beating Wolves 👍

Any changes?

Tottenham Hotspur have lost Mohammed Kudus for West Ham relegation battle

Whatever Spurs did to get on the wrong side of Lady Luck, it is not too late for a bouquet of flowers and a grovelling apology.

De Zerbi, speaking ahead of Sunday’s tricky trip to Sunderland, confirms that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and Rodrigo Bentancur are also unavailable alongside long-term absentees James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

“I started with not big luck! Kudus was, in my head, a crucial player, especially for the position,” De Zerbi told Football London at his press conference. “But we have to look forward. I think we have a lot of very good attackers.”

Kudus was hardly setting the world alight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, recording only two goals in 19 league matches.

Yet, the occasionally-scintillating, often-frustrating Ghana international was still one of the few genuine game-changers in a squad which has declined considerably since the Harry Kane/Heung-Min Son heyday.

How worried should we be about De Zerbi joining Tottenham? 😟

Roberto de Zerbi’s confidence in Spurs squad may be misplaced

De Zerbi talked up the talents of Randal Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke before that clash at the Stadium of Light.

Take top scorer Richarlison out of the equation, however, and the remaining quartet have only seven league goals between them in 2025/26.

De Zerbi failed to win his first five Premier League matches in charge of Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022. It goes without saying that Spurs, who can slip into the relegation zone if West Ham beat Wolves on Friday night, cannot afford such a slow start.

“It is totally different this situation because we have no time to work like in Brighton, and I don’t want to put confusion inside of the players,” added the Italian.

“In the last period, I watched a lot of games, especially of Tottenham. We have very big players, young players [Lucas] Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons, but in a way we have older players that are important like [Micky] Van de Ven.

“Van de Ven is a crucial player for me like [Christian] Romero, like [Pedro] Porro, like Solanke. I want to see again the same [Conor] Gallagher I loved at Chelsea. And I think I am lucky because I have a big confidence in my players and their qualities.

“For me, my target is to help them to play well and to enjoy with the ball because their characteristics are very clear for me.”

While Tottenham are without Kudus, Vicario, Bentancur and midfielder Pape Sarr, West Ham will welcome back Crysencio Summerville for the first time since early-March against Wolves.