Pedro Porro Returns for Tottenham vs Aston Villa

Pedro Porro is set to return for Tottenham’s clash with Aston Villa on Saturday, handing Roberto De Zerbi a badly needed boost as he hunts his side’s first Premier League goal of the season.

The Spaniard, a World Cup winner, has missed Spurs’ last two matches with what the club described as a muscular issue. De Zerbi, speaking after Tuesday night’s 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round defeat at Liverpool, was clear: Porro will be ready for the lunchtime kick-off in north London.

Spurs remain goalless in the league, a statistic that jars with De Zerbi’s attacking obsession. He is convinced the drought will not last.

“I believe in my players, I have a big confidence, a big opinion of my players,” he said. “And when we arrive to find the click, to win a game, I think we enjoy with these players.”

That “click” might just come from the returning firepower.

Mohammed Kudus made his first Tottenham start at Anfield since suffering a long-term quad injury in January. The Ghanaian’s reappearance is more than a fitness update; it is a tactical weapon De Zerbi has clearly been waiting to use.

“Kudus is another great news for us, because he can play also as a number 10,” De Zerbi explained. “We can play with Savio, Kudus, (Dominic) Solanke and (Omar) Marmoush.”

Four forwards in the same sentence. De Zerbi’s eyes are on the front foot.

He went even further, pointing to the flexibility in his squad. With the right blend of midfielders and full-backs, he insisted Spurs can effectively line up with “eight attackers”. It is not a throwaway line. It is the blueprint.

That mindset also shapes his view on James Maddison, another key figure edging back towards full sharpness.

The England international has not started a game since May 2025 after a cruciate ligament tear and has been eased back with three substitute appearances this season, having also dealt with a shoulder fracture. De Zerbi knows exactly what he has on his hands – and what he still needs from him.

“Maddison is for sure a different player, a special player,” he said. “But he has to be fit, he has to be in the right physical condition, because the Premier League intensity, even tonight, is incredible. And then we can play with eight attackers.”

Porro back. Kudus fit. Maddison getting closer. The goals have not arrived yet, but De Zerbi is clearly preparing for the moment they do – and when they come, he intends to unleash them in numbers.