De Zerbi's press conference sets the scene as Kulusevski opens up on injury battle
Tottenham's build-up to Saturday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace has been dominated by Roberto De Zerbi's pre-match press conference, with plenty to digest on team news and on Dejan Kulusevski's emotional return from injury.
Football.London has published the full transcript of what De Zerbi said ahead of the Palace game, touching on Kulusevski's role in the side as well as handing out praise for Mathys Tel (Football.London). Sports Mole picks out one key team news line from that same press conference, reporting that De Zerbi gave a "three-word" update on James Maddison's fitness ahead of the weekend's match (Sports Mole), though the exact wording and what it means for his availability remains to be seen.
Elsewhere from that press conference, Spurs Web reports that De Zerbi heaped praise on Mathys Tel while also pointing to two specific areas the young forward needs to work on if he's to fulfil his potential at the club (Spurs Web) - a sign the head coach is keen to keep developing him rather than simply handing him unconditional praise.
The human interest angle comes from Kulusevski himself. The Evening Standard reports that in an interview with Spurs' official media, the Swede called his wife Eldina his "idol" for the support she gave him and their children during his long-term injury layoff (Evening Standard). In a separate and more striking admission picked up by Spurs Web, Kulusevski went further, revealing he feared "I don't think I can play anymore" during the darkest moments of his recovery from a serious knee injury (Spurs Web).
Taken together, it's a reminder of just how difficult that road back has been for Kulusevski, and why De Zerbi's comments on his role in the side carry extra weight now he's back involved. For Spurs fans, the hope will be that having him fit and firing again gives the team a timely boost going into the Palace game, with the head coach's words on Maddison's fitness also one to watch as team news filters through before kick-off on Saturday.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
