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

Tottenham face an early fitness worry over Pape Sarr as Roberto De Zerbi starts work, with a visit to Sunderland next.

According to Sunderland Echo, De Zerbi was confirmed as head coach on Tuesday on a five-year deal. Senegal’s Sarr played in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Peru but was left out against Gambia on Tuesday with a shoulder problem, according to Senegalese media.

Press Association understands the agreement does not include a relegation release clause, despite Spurs being one point above the Premier League bottom three.

Any setback for Sarr would add to an injury list already including Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus.

De Zerbi’s arrival has met resistance from sections of the support. Three groups issued No to De Zerbi statements on Friday, citing his past remarks about Marseille forward Mason Greenwood.

Greenwood was charged in October 2022, then the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case in February 2023 after key witnesses withdrew and new material emerged, saying there was no realistic prospect of conviction. He denied the charges and later joined Marseille in 2024.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has raised serious concerns, and Press Association understands the club discussed De Zerbi’s Greenwood comments during negotiations.

Later on Tuesday, LGBTQI+ fan group Proud Lilywhites said they opposed the choice but would keep supporting the players.

Source: Sunderland Echo