Roberto De Zerbi has downplayed fears that Rodrigo Bentancur and Micky van de Ven picked up injuries during Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Spurs moved out of the relegation zone after first-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison secured back-to-back league victories for the first time since August.
Despite an excellent performance at Villa Park, there were concerns that Bentancur had picked up an injury after he was substituted for Yves Bissouma in the 67th minute.
Micky van de Ven, meanwhile, was seen limping late on as Spurs conceded in stoppage time from Emi Buendia.
Asked about the pair’s fitness, De Zerbi confirmed that Bentancur was tired, having only just returned from a serious hamstring injury, while Van de Ven had also come through the game unscathed.
“Bentancur, just tired,” De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference.
Spurs produced one of their most dominant performances of the season to move one point ahead of West Ham and into 17th position.
Spurs’ intensity was central to their dominance, and De Zerbi praised Gallagher as Tottenham’s 12th man after his man-of-the-match performance.
Gallagher opened the scoring at Villa Park with a sublime goal from the edge of the box and helped lead the press as Spurs raced into a two-goal lead inside 25 minutes.
It has not been easy for Gallagher since arriving from Atletico Madrid in January. But with his first goal for the club, he ensured Spurs took control of the relegation battle, repaying his manager’s faith.
“Gallagher, when he plays well, we play with 12 players. He is an amazing player. Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel played an amazing game. The two centre-backs with and without the ball, I am really pleased,” De Zerbi told TNT Sports.
