Roberto De Zerbi has received an encouraging injury boost on his first day working with Tottenham's squad as Mathys Tel was spotted taking part in Friday's training session. The 20-year-old had limped off during the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest before subsequently withdrawing from international duty with France under-21s.

The youngster had been one of the few bright sparks during a wretched run of form, making it all the more concerning when he hobbled off last month. However, those fears have now been allayed, with Tel visible in a short clip uploaded to Tottenham's social media channels from De Zerbi's first training session at Hotspur Way.

The club's new head coach will work with his players over the next seven days ahead of his first match in charge, away to Sunderland next Sunday. Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall and Joao Palhinha have also shaken off recent injury concerns, with all three featuring in De Zerbi's high-intensity session.

From the 73-second clip posted on X, the Italian was seen actively coaching a possession drill, throwing himself fully into proceedings. Despite the welcome returns of Tel, Gallagher, Bergvall and Palhinha, De Zerbi still faces a considerable injury headache - one that worsened during the international break when Pape Sarr sustained a shoulder problem while on duty with Senegal.

He was also not clearly visible in any of the footage or images that emerged from Friday's training session. Doubts also remain over whether Guglielmo Vicario will be given the green light following his hernia surgery. There is optimism that Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur will be back in contention having begun individual training outside last month.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain Spurs' two longest-serving absentees, both working towards making a comeback before the season draws to a close. The Lilywhites are desperately in need of those players returning to fitness over the coming weeks, given their very real danger of dropping out of the Premier League.

During his first interview as manager, De Zerbi addressed that issue head-on and made his position abundantly clear regarding the squad now at his disposal. He said: "I know it's a tough moment for Tottenham, but I know very well it's a tough moment. It's a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham. I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment.

"I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and qualities. They have to show what they are and what they are good at playing."