It's another busy Premier League weekend - kicking off with Ipswich v Nottingham Forest tonight - and managers are having their say today. Follow it with Daily Mail Sport here...  

More injury woe for Spurs 

Roberto De Zerbi has been brought crashing back to earth after the high of Tottenham's first win of the Premier League season. 

A 3-1 victory against Coventry on Monday was inspired by James Maddison's first league goal for 610 days but Maddison has not trained since and is a doubt for Saturday's trip to Chelsea. 

Dejan Kulusevski, who came on against the Sky Blues to make his first appearance for nearly 18 months, is another doubt after sitting out some training sessions this week.

De Zerbi's injury list is growing at an alarming rate. Savio, Lucas Bergvall and Destiny Udogie have been ruled out. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are out long term. Mykhailo Mudryk has an ankle injury and is ineligible against his parent club. Rodrigo Bentancur will serve the second of a three-match ban for a red card at Manchester United.

Andy Robertson, Omar Marmoush and Tosin Adarabioyo all limped off against Coventry and Dominic Solanke is another who has not trained fully since.

Pedro Porro is also back after a hamstring injury.

The Spurs boss said: 'Pedro is back, Robertson available, Marmoush is good, Solanke good.

'In first three days Maddison didn't work with us. I don't know if he will be ready but we can play with Mathys Tel or Omar Marmoush to side or Conor Gallagher. We have more solutions because Pedro can play.

'I don't want to take risks, because if you analyse this period of football you can see many injuries not only in Tottenham.'

Spurs have won only once in 41 attempts at Chelsea, a record stretching back to February 1990.

De Zerbi said: 'It has to be one motivation more not one more problem for us. I played just one game with Chelsea as Tottenham coach. We have already many problems and this is not a problem.'

MATT BARLOW 

Saka set for scan

Mikel Arteta suggested Bukayo Saka's robustness has reduced in the past year — but doesn't believe the winger is on track to be burnt out by his 30s.

The 25-year-old picked up a thigh injury just 10 minutes into Arsenal's Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Saka was helped off the pitch by medical staff and now faces a period on the sidelines. The latest injury is his 11th since September 2024, having also played through a prolonged Achilles issue during the World Cup.

When asked if Saka has lost some of his robustness, Arteta replied: 'Well it's certainly been different in the last year or so and obviously the demands that we are putting to every player are immense.

'The amount of games, the intensity of those matches, the international competitions, the times as well between games are getting narrower.

'So look at us now, we have to play on Sunday afternoon, then we have to go away, we have to play on Wednesday evening, then we have to play on Saturday.

'So you go less than 66, 67 hours between games. On top of everything that we are putting every hour is important. If they (football authorities) can support all the demands that we are putting to the players in that sense, that would be as well really appreciated from everybody.

'And I'm saying for every team as well, because we know what we are demanding from those players.'

He added:  'He's got another MRI this afternoon because he had quite a lot of fluid in the area so it was difficult to understand the extent of the injury. We will know more probably tomorrow.

'Again we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch, he is struggling to walk without any pain, he's restricted to movement, they are not good signs.'

Though on whether Saka could get burnt out by the time he reaches his 30s, he added: 'I don't have that feeling at all.

'But certainly what we have to be very mindful of is to create the right ecosystem around the player to fulfil all his qualities. And we really need to understand now when he comes back, whenever that is, how we are going to manage that load again.'

ISAAN KHAN 

Barcola passed fit

Liverpool have been handed a fitness boost ahead of a crunch clash against Brighton as Bradley Barcola has been passed fit despite missing training this week.

The French forward had been nursing a slight issue in the week and did not take part of the full team session on Thursday.

Barcola returned to the training field on Friday but fellow winger Victor Munoz did not and is unlikely to feature against Brighton.

Boss Andoni Iraola said: 'Bradley has trained today normally, he's fine.'

'Victor had a knock in the first half against Brentford. He could finish the game but he's dealing with some pain...I think it's going to be difficult (for Brighton).'

Barcola scored a hat-trick against LASK last week and then played well against Brentford on Saturday, before being rested in the 4-3 win over Villarreal this midweek.

Munoz suffered a knock on his knee at Brentford but managed to play through the pain to score an equaliser at the Bees last weekend.

Liverpool face a tricky test on Sunday against Brighton and Iraola said: 'They deserve all the praise they are getting.

'There is little doubt this is a team that is very well coached. They are very good in every phase of the game, without the ball they are one of the best teams and with it they have a lot of quality.'

LEWIS STEELE 

Hurzeler shuts down United links and defends Carrick

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler insists he remains fully focused on his own job and has the utmost respect for the work 'great human being' Michael Carrick is doing at Manchester United.

A humiliating 4-1 loss away to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday night and the criticism from captain Bruno Fernandes which followed has put further scrutiny on Carrick's position.

Following the Seagulls' fine start to the new campaign, Hurzeler is one of the names touted as a possible replacement for Carrick at Old Trafford should the club decide to make another managerial change.

The German coach, though, maintains he is only thinking about how to keep Brighton moving forward into this weekend's game at Liverpool, with his side held to a goalless draw in the Conference League away to Czech minnows Jablonec on Thursday night.

'I am really focused on my job here,' said Hurzeler. 'I have no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days.

'Beside that, I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick, for what he has done with Manchester United at the end of last season.

'He is a great human being, he is a great personality. Every time we meet each other, we have a really good relationship, so therefore I really respect him and there is nothing more to say about that.'

Despite drawing a blank against Jablonec, Brighton head into the weekend's fixtures as the Premier League's top scorers with 23 goals.

Hurzeler remains determined to get more out of his squad. 'I am really privileged to be in this situation here, and I always mention that I am part of a journey,' he said.

BEN WINSTANLEY