Why Udogie missed Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Coventry City

Italy international Destiny Udogie didn’t feature in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Coventry City because of a knee problem: ‘We didn’t take a risk alongside the medical staff,’ Roberto De Zerbi explained.

Italy international Udogie is dealing with a knee problem that kept him out of Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Coventry on Monday. The former Udinese defender was substituted off during a 1-1 draw against Manchester United the previous weekend.

“Udogie played 70 minutes (against Manchester United) and suffered a problem of (the) knee, and we didn’t take a risk alongside the medical staff,” De Zerbi said via the Tottenham official website.

Udogie, 23, has made six appearances across all competitions for Tottenham this season, collecting 283 minutes on the pitch.

The Italian left-back made his senior Azzurri debut in 2023 under Luciano Spalletti and has since featured 12 times for the national team.

It remains to be seen whether Udogie will return to action in time for the next international break in November and whether Roberto Mancini will give him a chance.

He last featured for the Azzurri in June 2025, when Italy lost 3-0 to Norway in a World Cup qualifier.

Another left-back in the Premier League, Matteo Ruggeri, surely won’t be available for the Azzurri, as the Aston Villa defender faces a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.