“Savinho, unfortunately, on Tuesday, before we left for Marbella, he felt a muscular problem and we lost him for some weeks, unfortunately,” the Tottenham head coach said ahead of the Premier League match against Coventry City.
Asked whether he could offer a more precise recovery estimate, De Zerbi added: “I don't know, but some weeks for sure.”
The injury is a setback for a player whose explosive dribbling attracted considerable attention during his rise at Girona. Pep Guardiola valued Savinho’s ability to beat opponents one-on-one and had been keen to keep him at Manchester City when Tottenham showed interest previously.
However, establishing himself at City proved difficult amid competition for attacking places. Savinho’s first season at the Etihad brought three goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances. His subsequent campaign was less productive, with four goals and three assists in 36 matches.
The competition for places included Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden, while the arrival of Antoine Semenyo added another option in attack. Regular minutes were therefore difficult to secure, making a move to Tottenham an opportunity for Savinho to take on a more prominent role.
The winger’s early contribution in north London has been modest. He has recorded one goal and one assist in six appearances across competitions, with both contributions coming in the EFL Cup rather than the Premier League, according to the supplied report.
De Zerbi has made clear that he wants more end product from his wide players. He has previously argued that the world’s leading wingers should be capable of scoring between 10 and 15 goals in a season, and challenged Savinho to improve his habits in the final third.
“He has the qualities; maybe it is his habits. He has to change his habits, because he must focus on assists, on dribbling in one-on-one situations and also on scoring,” De Zerbi said.
The manager’s comments underline the balance he wants Savinho to find between his natural ability to beat defenders and the practical demands of contributing goals and assists consistently.
For now, the injury prevents him from building the run of appearances that could help him adapt to a new team and coach. Tottenham must also find alternatives while he recovers, with the club seeking to improve their league position.
Savinho’s talent remains evident, but his immediate challenge is to return to fitness and turn flashes of quality into sustained performances. The latest absence delays that process, with no precise comeback date yet established.