Tottenham star Mathys Tel makes history with record-equalling France display as Roberto De Zerbi faces injury crisis

Tel enjoyed a stellar international window with France Under-21s, bagging a hat-trick in a 7-1 demolition of Switzerland in Orleans on Tuesday evening. His latest exploits mean the forward has now matched Odsonne Edouard's all-time record of 17 goals for Les Bleuets.

France had already secured their spot at the 2027 European Under-21 Championship, but they finished their qualifying group campaign in style by remaining unbeaten with eight victories. Tel's sensational form across the break - where he also found the net in two other fixtures - could soon catch the eye of senior manager Zinedine Zidane ahead of November's Nations League clashes.

The 21-year-old will now aim to translate his international momentum to the Premier League. Tel has yet to open his account for Tottenham this term, with his side currently languishing at the bottom of the table.

Speaking to L'Equipe, Tel admitted that he had been thinking about matching Edouard's milestone for quite some time. The Tottenham star revealed that familial pressure played a lighthearted role in his pursuit of the record.

"My brother had been nagging me about it [the goals record] for months," Tel explained to reporters. "In the end, it was in the back of my mind."

The forward also noted that playing without the pressure of qualification allowed him to perform freely against the Swiss. "With qualification [achieved], there was a different kind of motivation that allowed me to give my best, so now I am very happy," he added.

While Tel's form offers a silver lining, Tottenham boss De Zerbi is grappling with a mounting injury list following a disastrous start to the season. Spurs sit bottom of the standings after suffering a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa, marking their third loss in five opening league games.

De Zerbi cut a relaxed figure on Tuesday, catching up with former player and current first-team coach Gus Poyet in a club video, but the Italian tactician has significant defensive concerns to address. Right-back Pedro Porro withdrew from the Spain squad due to a hamstring issue prior to the extended three-week international window.

Furthermore, Jan Paul van Hecke was sent home early from the Netherlands camp with a foot problem. His compatriot, Spurs captain Micky van de Ven, also suffered a minor hand injury after being stepped on during a victory over Serbia. However, Netherlands manager Xavi downplayed the severity of the incident, stating: "He is okay. He felt dizzy because he suffered with his finger. It is not a big injury."

Tottenham return to domestic action with a high-stakes visit to Manchester United on Saturday. De Zerbi desperately needs a positive result to turn Spurs' miserable campaign around, but his defensive absentees could make life difficult at Old Trafford.

Should Van Hecke and Porro remain unavailable, the Spurs boss will be forced into a defensive reshuffle against a dangerous United frontline. Meanwhile, he will be hoping that Tel can finally find his shooting boots in a Tottenham shirt and replicate his prolific international form.