De Zerbi confirms Savio ruled out of Newcastle clash with muscular fatigue after £85m move

Tottenham’s £85m summer signing Savio has been ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League home fixture against Newcastle United with muscular fatigue, manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed ahead of the late kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Brazilian winger only arrived from Manchester City this summer but made an immediate impression, coming off the bench to score in Spurs’ 5-0 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton in midweek. He had been widely expected to make his league debut alongside fellow ex-City man Omar Marmoush, but was absent from the matchday squad entirely.

“We had some bad news yesterday,” De Zerbi told reporters. “He suffered muscular fatigue. The medical staff didn’t want to take a risk. I agree with them.”

The manager’s comments suggest the decision was precautionary rather than a sign of serious concern, with Spurs hopeful the issue will be short-lived.

Adding a layer of intrigue to the occasion, Brazil national team manager Carlo Ancelotti was present in the stands at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With Savio sidelined and Newcastle’s Joelinton also absent through injury, Ancelotti was left without a Brazilian player to assess in either squad.

Marmoush did take to the pitch to make his Spurs debut, starting in what was one of five changes De Zerbi made from the midweek cup tie. Sandro Tonali returned to midfield to face his former club Newcastle, while Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, and Andy Robertson also came back into the starting eleven.