The extended international break meant there were more opportunities for injuries, and plenty of Premier League clubs will undoubtedly be cursing FIFA's decision to merge the September and October windows.
There have been plenty of injury casualties over the past couple of weeks, as the UEFA Nations League got underway, Lionel Messi bade a dignified farewell to Argentina, and Cristiano Ronaldo threw his toys out of the pram.
Spurs, on the whole, will feel relatively relieved. Plenty of squad members remained at Hotspur Way, hoping to reset and go again after a wretched start to the season. Those who did join up with their national team stayed out of harm's way... for the most part, anyway.
There is one major concern for the Lilywhites heading into Saturday's clash at Manchester United, where a victory would feel ever so signficant. After withdrawing from the Netherlands' squad, Jan Paul van Hecke is a doubt for the match.
Here's the latest on the defender's injury.
What injury does Jan Paul van Hecke have?
It was no surprise that Van Hecke was included in Xavi Hernández's first two starting lineups as Netherlands boss, given his ball-playing prowess. However, the Spurs man made himself unavailable for the Oranje's last two games of the break, pulling out of the squad due to a foot injury.
It's not exactly clear when Van Hecke picked up the knock, because he was partially involved in training after the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 away from home.
Van Hecke returned to London for treatment, unclear about the severity of the injury.
However, we've since received encouraging updates, with Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof suggesting the setback is "not serious". Blaauwhof also confirmed that there was little to be concerned about regarding Micky van de Ven's hand injury. Spurs will have their speedster available for Saturday's game, and Van Hecke should have a chance, too.
Will Jan Paul van Hecke play vs. Man Utd?
Almost two weeks would've passed since Van Hecke sustained his foot injury when Spurs line up at Old Trafford.
Given the limited severity of the issue, it seems possible that the former Brighton & Hove Albion defender won't miss any time for the Lilywhites at all. Blaauwhof writes that Van Hecke "might" be back as early as this weekend.
If Saturday's match comes too soon, he'll almost certainly be available for the following game at home to Coventry City on Oct. 19.
In his place, De Zerbi has either Tosin Adarabioyo or the left-footed Marcos Senesi to call upon.
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