Tottenham face Pape Sarr injury concern as Roberto De Zerbi confirmed before Sunderland trip | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi starts at Tottenham with an injury concern after Pape Sarr missed Senegal duty, ahead of the trip to Sunderland. According to Sunderland Echo, De Zerbi was confirmed on Tuesday on a five-year deal.

Spurs are one point above the Premier League bottom three and have seven matches to arrest a league run without a win in 2026.

Sarr played in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Peru but was left out against Gambia on Tuesday amid reports of a shoulder problem.

The midfielder's issue adds to absences that have already affected Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, who have been sidelined or are currently unavailable.

De Zerbi's appointment has also faced opposition, with three supporter groups issuing ‘No to De Zerbi’ statements on Friday over his past remarks about Marseille forward Mason Greenwood.

Greenwood was charged in 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after images and videos appeared online. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case in 2023, citing withdrawn key witnesses and new material, and he later joined Marseille in 2024. He denied the charges.

In November, De Zerbi described Greenwood positively, said he had paid a heavy price and expressed sadness at what had happened. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said on Tuesday it had serious and far-reaching concerns. Proud Lilywhites and Spurs Reach also voiced cultural misgivings while pledging continued backing for the team.

Source: Sunderland Echo