Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Dejan Kulusevski will be on the bench when Tottenham Hotspur face Coventry City on Monday night.The game is live on talkSPORT and, after nearly a year-and-a-half out, the Swedish international could play a first-team game for Spurs.Kulusevski is a massive fans’ favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumGettyHis return is a huge boost for the home team, who are still seeking a first win of the season in the Premier League.However, there can never be just positive injury news when it comes to Tottenham.That is because Savio and Lucas Bergvall have been ruled out of the match.The duo started the draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend and impressed.But Spurs will be without them, while it comes too soon for Pedro Porro’s return.The Spaniard limped off in the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa before the international break and hasn’t kicked a ball since.On Kulusevski, De Zerbi said: “Yes [he will be on the bench], the medical staff have given the okay. It’s probably the greatest news since the Everton game. “He has suffered too much.“I told him yesterday and he had a big smile on his face.”And those set to miss out, he said: “No Savio, unfortunately Savio on Tuesday before leaving for Marbella felt a muscular problem and we have lost him for some weeks.De Zerbi will be desperately hoping that Tottenham can get a win to kickstart their seasonAFP“And Lucas Bergvall because he had a problem in Manchester early on in the first chance he created for Dominic Solanke.“He felt pain in his knee but felt fine and on Sunday he came to the training ground and he’ll be out for two weeks.”Kulusevski’s injuryThe 26-year-old hasn’t kicked a football for Tottenham since May 11 in 2025 against Crystal Palace.He went off after 19 minutes in a 2-0 defeat, and it is now well over 500 days since he played for Spurs.But Kulusevski has still started a game more recently than James Maddison, showing that Tottenham have been deprived of two of their most creative players for a long time.The injury he suffered is known as a patella, and he actually walked off the pitch before scans revealed he needed surgery despite then-Spurs gaffer Ange Postecoglou describing the injury as a ‘knock’.He was expected to be out for a few months but had a setback and needed further surgery around the knee to clean up debris.Kulusevski had hoped to be fit for Sweden at the World Cup, but that didn’t happen either.No one at the time expected the former Juventus man to be out for so longGettySweden’s national team doctor Jonas Werner tried to explain why Kulusevski has been out for so long.He said: “They are difficult to treat. Cartilage has no blood supply and no nerves. They do not heal in the usual way.“In addition, his injury is in a place where a lot of strain occurs for a football player.“The kneecap [patella] slides back and forth over the femur [the thigh bone]. An enormous compressive force is developed.“It is likely that his injury has not healed enough for him to cope with that strain yet.”Spurs’ injury woesThe injury problems at Tottenham have been rife for a long time, and they are still without a couple of players with long-term injuries.Xavi Simons tore his ACL at the back end of last season and Wilson Odobert is out with the same injury.Then you have Maddison just returning, but Bergvall and now Savio are out.Mohammed Kudus spent a long time on the sidelines last year as well, so it has been a problem for some time at Tottenham.