Tottenham face Sarr injury concern before Sunderland trip as De Zerbi named head coach | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi is confirmed as Tottenham head coach on a five-year deal and faces an injury concern after Pape Sarr missed Senegal’s friendly.

According to Sunderland Echo, the contract is not thought to include a relegation release clause. Spurs, one point above the Premier League bottom three, visit Sunderland after the latest Premier League break.

Sarr linked up with Senegal last week and played in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Peru, then was omitted for Tuesday’s Gambia game with a reported shoulder problem.

Any absence would deepen a fitness crisis at N17. Absentees or unavailable players include Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus. De Zerbi has seven league matches to halt a 2026 winless run.

His appointment has also drawn pushback, with three supporter groups issuing ‘No to De Zerbi’ statements on Friday over past remarks about Marseille forward Mason Greenwood.

Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after material was posted online. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case in February 2023 after key witnesses withdrew and new material emerged, saying a conviction was no longer realistic. He denied the charges and later joined Marseille in 2024.

In November, De Zerbi said Greenwood was a good person who had paid a heavy price, adding he was saddened and knew a different person to portrayals. The club are understood to have discussed those Greenwood remarks during negotiations.

Source: Sunderland Echo