It was thought that the only way was up for Tottenham Hotspur after finishing 17th last season and narrowly avoiding relegation. The club spent £329 million on new players, but Roberto De Zerbi's side has somehow managed to get even worse.
Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League after five games, with three defeats and two draws. They finally managed to score a goal in their last league game, but still succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa.
Spurs have had injuries and need time for their new players to gel. Therefore, the international break has come at a good time for the club to reset. Here are three players who have needed the international break.
Number 1. Pedro Porro
Porro has played a lot of football recently, especially as he was part of the Spain side that won the World Cup over the summer. He only played once in the group stage, but started every knockout game as Spain went on to defeat Argentina in the final.
With a congested calendar, it is only natural that players' bodies will eventually break down. Porro had to come off after just 19 minutes in the recent loss to Villa. His hamstring problem has led to him having to withdraw from the Spain squad.
It might have been good for Porro to join up with his Spain teammates who are on a high after winning the sport's ultimate prize. However, given the amount of football he has been involved in recently, his injury may be a blessing in disguise. Porro can have a much-needed rest to recover from his injury.
Number 2. Omar Marmoush
Scoring goals has been Tottenham's Achilles' heel so far this season. Marmoush was brought to the club late in the window, so he has not had much time to settle yet at the club. He has been used to being Erling Haaland's backup at Manchester City. However, he is now expected to start every week, but he has yet to score a goal in five games for Spurs.
Marmoush started the campaign leading the line for Spurs as a centre-forward. However, he has recently been deployed as a winger. He is joining the Egyptian squad, where he is one of the main players alongside Mohammed Salah. Often, when players go away with their national teams, they come back refreshed for club action.
Number 3. Mateus Fernandes
After being relegated with Southampton and West Ham United, Fernandes will not want to make it a hat-trick of relegations this season. There will be pressure on him following his £85 million move from the Hammers over the summer.
Fernandes has been included in Portugal's Under-21 squad for this international break. This is the side that he captains. The responsibility of leading a side could give Fernandes a much-needed confidence boost.
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