Porro blow leaves Spurs sweating as Spain call comes too soon
Tottenham’s afternoon against Aston Villa went from bothersome to downright bleak as Pedro Porro limped out after just 19 minutes, and the fallout’s immediate: the Spaniard has now pulled out of his national squad with a suspected hamstring strain.
The moment it turned
Roberto De Zerbi’s side were on level terms when Porro hit the deck, clearly distressed, head down and shoulders slumped. Spurs’ medical team gave it a go but the 27-year-old couldn’t continue, trudging off gingerly as another Premier League outing slipped through the fingers in a 3-2 defeat.
De Zerbi’s verdict: hope, but hamstrings don’t lie
Post-match, the head coach struck a cautiously optimistic tone. Speaking to club media, he indicated it looks like a hamstring issue and stressed he wants Porro managed more carefully after a heavy post-World Cup workload. It’s doubly frustrating given a similar setback hampered the defender back in January and February.
Spain stand down their right-back
Within hours, the Spanish federation confirmed Porro’s withdrawal from Luis de la Fuente’s group for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Spain are slated to face England and Croatia, plus a double-header with Czechia, but they’ll have to do it without the Tottenham man patrolling the right.
Gray steps in, Spurs still leak goals
Once Porro departed, Archie Gray again answered the emergency call at right-back. The former Leeds United youngster nearly nicked a goal shortly after coming on and put in a tireless shift, but he was part of a back line that coughed up three at home. De Zerbi rates Gray highly — even talking up his captaincy credentials down the line — yet this is very much a square-peg job while the senior full-back recovers.
Fixture squeeze and recovery window
Tottenham are due back after the international break with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday, 10 October. The extended pause could be a blessing if it buys Porro time, with Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace looming before the month is out. It’s worth noting he’s already missed matchday squads against Brentford and Everton this season as he’s wrestled with fitness following a long summer.
If you’re sizing up form and fixtures — or even checking prices with the best betting sites — one thing stands out: Spurs can ill afford to be without Porro’s thrust down the right as the schedule stiffens.
Pundit’s take: what Spurs lose without Porro
Porro is De Zerbi’s width, whip and aggression rolled into one. Without him, Spurs lack the early cross that turns defenders around and the underlapping runs that pin back wingers. Gray’s attitude is spot on, but he’ll need protection and clearer outlets on the ball. Set-piece delivery also takes a hit, and that matters for a side still searching for its first win of the campaign.
The bottom line
It’s a proper headache: an early-season wobble, a leaky rearguard, and now their top-tier right-back on the treatment table. If the scan brings good news, Spurs can steady themselves. If not, De Zerbi may be forced into a tactical reshuffle to stop the bleeding and finally get this winless start off the slate.
