Tottenham Hotspur bagged their first Premier League win of the season on Monday evening when they beat Coventry City 3-1 at home.

James Maddison’s return to the first XI after ages, plus Dejan Kulusevski featuring from the bench, was almost more uplifting than the victory. It was Maddison who opened the scoring with a delightful effort, but Jack Rudoni equalised just minutes after the restart. Omar Marmoush scored his first goal in Tottenham colours to make it 2-1, before Ben Davies ensured all three points for the hosts.

Roberto De Zerbi provides Destiny Udogie injury update

Before the kick-off, Spurs were hit with a fresh injury worry. Destiny Udogie was a surprise absentee, as Coventry City visited N17. With no prior warning about an injury to the left-back, it caught fans by surprise when he was omitted from the Tottenham squad for Monday’s home fixture.

Roberto De Zerbi explained the Italian international’s absence, revealing that he had picked up an injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

“Destiny Udogie played 70 minutes, and he suffered a problem in his knee, and we didn’t take a risk,” De Zerbi told Sky Sports (h/t The Standard).

The Tottenham boss’ explanation eventually points to the club’s willingness to adopt a cautious approach with a player who has been ravaged by injuries in recent years. Udogie has struggled with hamstring and calf injuries for the last two years. A knee issue last season limited the defender to only 20 Premier League appearances.

Udogie had featured in four of Tottenham’s six Premier League matches thus far this campaign but could now face a spell on the sidelines. In his absence, Andy Robertson started at left-back against Coventry City. The Scot delivered a strong performance after missing the draw at Man United owing to workload management. Unfortunately, the former Liverpool star was forced off in the second half with a knee problem in the win over Coventry on Monday.

The early prognosis suggests Robertson has not suffered an injury and should be fit to face Chelsea at the weekend. But if he can’t, and Udogie also misses out, De Zerbi will have to rely on the experienced Ben Davies to cover at left-back.