According to Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold from football.london, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi is currently awaiting the return of four attacking players from injury: James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Callum Odbert, and Xavi Simons. Although the number of injured players at Spurs is significantly lower compared to previous seasons, these four players are key figures in the team's attacking system.

Tottenham Hotspur will host Everton on Saturday night, and De Zerbi hopes the team avoids new injuries following a difficult draw against Nottingham Forest last weekend, while also hoping to welcome back at least one injured player.

Maddison was absent for most of last season due to an anterior ligament injury, only returning as a substitute in the final three matches in May. He then missed training due to a minor issue and saw no action throughout preseason.

The 29-year-old Maddison subsequently made his comeback in the closing stages of Tottenham's defeat to Brentford, but in the final moments of the match, he suffered a shoulder fracture after an accidental fall. Since then he has been absent from recent matches but returned to training last Thursday. The away match against Nottingham Forest came too soon for him.

Assuming no further shoulder complications this week, Maddison is expected to be available on the bench for the match against Everton on Saturday.

Kulusevski's recovery has also made significant progress recently, and he rejoined full team training last week. It has been 477 days since he suffered a complex patellar injury to his knee against Crystal Palace. This serious injury kept the 26-year-old Swedish international sidelined throughout the season and also cost him the opportunity to participate in the World Cup.

Given Kulusevski's lengthy absence, Tottenham is currently taking a very cautious approach and has not set a definite schedule for his official return. However, De Zerbi has included him in the Premier League squad list for the new season, while Richarlison, who wanted to leave, was not selected, indicating De Zerbi's plan to reintegrate Kulusevski in the coming months.

After returning to full team training, Kulusevski wrote on social media: "477 days later, I'm back training fully with the team. Nothing is impossible until it is possible. Want to see a miracle? Be the miracle. See you soon."

However, Kulusevski was absent from training for two days last weekend due to a minor issue. For long-term injured players, such situations are not uncommon as the body readapts to full training intensity.

De Zerbi said: "Kulusevski started training with us early in the week, then stopped for the last two days because of a very, very minor issue. But I think his recovery is heading in the right direction, and everything is going very well. I've said before that our medical team has very high standards, so I think we can be optimistic about the situation. I'm very much looking forward to Deki returning to the squad."

When asked whether this minor issue would sideline Kulusevski from training for an extended period, De Zerbi clearly answered: "No, no. Nothing significant."

Kulusevski does not yet have a confirmed return date, but he is getting closer to rejoining competitive matches.

Odbert remains in the rehabilitation phase following a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. On 10 February this year, Odbert suffered an ACL tear in the 35th minute of Tottenham's home Premier League match against Newcastle United.

The French U21 international had just found his rhythm. After overcoming a hamstring issue from the previous season, he made 33 appearances for Tottenham last season, contributing 2 goals and 5 assists. However, this serious injury occurred in Thomas Frank's final match as Tottenham manager, so Odbert was unable to play under interim manager Igor Tudor thereafter, and has not yet played under De Zerbi.

Odbert has now completed approximately 7 months of rehabilitation and is entering the final stages of recovery. He will gradually increase outdoor training and continue to strengthen the knee ligament and regain confidence in the injured area.

Based on the normal recovery period of approximately 9 months for an ACL injury, Odbert is expected to resume full training around November, though the player himself will aim for an earlier return.

Xavi Simons also suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. He had just begun to show impressive form under De Zerbi when he got injured in Tottenham's away match against Wolves.

Xavi Simons sustained this injury on 25 April. Based on the normal recovery period of approximately 9 months, he is expected to resume training around January next year. At 23 years old, Xavi Simons' relative youth can aid his physical recovery, but he also needs to avoid returning too early to minimize the risk of re-tearing the ligament.

De Zerbi previously stated in a press conference that Xavi Simons may not return until late in the season. However, days later, he chose to include the still-recovering Xavi Simons in the Premier League squad list instead of the fit Richarlison. This not only reflects De Zerbi's confidence in Xavi Simons but may also suggest the manager believes his recovery timeline could be shorter than initially estimated.

Based on the normal rehabilitation period, Xavi Simons is expected to resume training around late January next year, though the player will aim to return earlier.

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