Roberto De Zerbi expects injury-hit Brighton and Hove Albion to be without wingers Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra for four to six weeks.
Mitoma suffered an ankle issue during last week’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace while Adingra sustained a hamstring problem at Selhurst Park.
The pair are among up to 10 Seagulls players expected to miss the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow evening (Thursday 28 December).
Albion boss De Zerbi said: “Tomorrow we have more or less 10 injured players, maybe eight, but (the other) two players can’t start the game.
“Mitoma is one of them. We lost Kaoru for around six weeks – four, five, six weeks.
“Adingra, I think he needs four, five weeks (recovery). Tomorrow, no Mitoma, no Adingra.”
Japan international Mitoma is now a doubt for the Asian Cup, which begins on Friday 12 January while Ivorian Adingra’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts the following day, is uncertain.
Ninth-placed Brighton will also be without Ansu Fati, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster, Solly March, Julio Enciso and Joel Veltman against Spurs.
Left-back Pervis Estupinan, who has not featured since Thursday 9 November, and midfielder Adam Lallana may only be fit for appearances from the bench at the Amex Stadium.
De Zerbi believes that the Seagulls’ Europa League commitments may have contributed to the lengthy list of absentees.
Yet he acknowledges rival top-flight managers, including Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, have faced similar injury issues.
De Zerbi said: “This season, a lot of injuries were unlucky because March, Pervis Estupinan, Enciso and Mitoma, they are not muscular injuries. We are paying maybe for playing every week three times.
“I would like to play with the complete squad but Tottenham played a lot of games without seven, eight players and I never heard Postecoglou cry. It’s football and we have to accept it.
“I think we can compete in the same way. Maybe on the bench we have not the same quality with a complete squad but we have maybe more energy with the young players.”
De Zerbi twice suffered defeat to Spurs during his first season in English football, with Harry Kane the match-winner on each occasion.
The Italian is full of admiration for Albion’s fourth-placed opponents, who have had to adapt under Postecoglou after selling all-time record goal-scorer Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer.
De Zerbi added: “They play great football. Their style is clear. I love their style.
“They have great players and, in terms of courage, personality on the pitch, they are one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League, in Europe.”
