Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi confirmed left-back Destiny Udogie will miss Saturday's derby against Chelsea through injury. The Italian manager also praised Chelsea's attacking triumvirate of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer as among the best in Europe.
Udogie ruled out as De Zerbi manages squad fitness
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed defender Destiny Udogie has been ruled out of Saturday's derby against Chelsea. Udogie joins a lengthy injury list that includes Savio, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Lucas Bergvall, alongside the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur.
De Zerbi emphasized a cautious approach regarding returning stars James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
"No, he's not available," De Zerbi confirmed regarding Udogie. "I don't want to take risks... to lose many players for many games."
Spurs manager assesses attacking options and fitness
Addressing Maddison and Kulusevski's physical condition after their recent returns, De Zerbi noted both players worked individually during early session training. "In the first three days Maddison didn't work with us, I don't know if he's ready," De Zerbi revealed.
"We can play also with Mathys Tel, we can play with Marmoush, we can play with Gallagher, or we have more solutions considering Pedro Porro can play."
"Kulusevski worked well, but in the first days he stayed individual," he added.
De Zerbi praises Chelsea's formidable frontline
Having managed Brighton previously, De Zerbi acknowledged the vast offensive depth available to Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, singling out Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer. "One of the best for sure. Talent, three big talents," De Zerbi observed.
"They have also Pedro Neto, another very good player... Estevao, they have more than three players."
"These three players are in the best moment of their career," the Italian tactician added.
Tottenham seek tactical flexibility at Stamford Bridge
Despite key absentees, De Zerbi maintained that Spurs possess sufficient tactical flexibility to adapt to Chelsea's dynamic setups, whether deploying a three-man or four-man defense.
Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge aiming to build momentum following their mid-week victory.
The action kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday at 17:30 BST.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
