Tottenham Hotspur will welcome back James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes for their final pre-season friendly against Hoffenheim on Sunday, offering manager Roberto De Zerbi some much-needed positive news ahead of the club's Premier League opener against Brentford next weekend.
Maddison, who missed most of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, is set to make his first pre-season appearance having overcome a separate, unspecified issue that emerged during his recovery. His return to the starting lineup will be a welcome sight for supporters eager to see the midfielder back to full fitness.
Fernandes, Tottenham's £85 million summer signing from West Ham, also starts after his pre-season involvement was limited by a minor calf problem. The issue disrupted his participation during the club's tour of New Zealand and Australia, but he now appears ready to build match fitness ahead of the new campaign.
De Zerbi's squad for the Enfield fixture also includes the returns of midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr, alongside Brazilian left-back Souza, who joined in January and has recently been linked with a departure from north London. Brandon Austin starts in goal, while several academy prospects have been given opportunities, including Luca Williams-Barnett, Tye Hall and Damola Ajayi. The bench features a notably youthful look, with 15-year-old goalkeeper Mikel Jack among those included.
Despite the boost provided by Maddison and Fernandes, Tottenham's injury list remains a significant concern with the season opener fast approaching. Defenders Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie have yet to feature at all during pre-season, leaving De Zerbi without two key components of his backline just days before the trip to Brentford.
Striker Dominic Solanke is another notable absentee, having not played since a 45-minute outing against Chelsea on August 1. Mohammed Kudus, meanwhile, has resumed training following a serious quad injury but is not yet considered ready for a competitive return.
There was somewhat brighter news regarding Dejan Kulusevski, who has rejoined training after being sidelined since May 2025 with a knee injury, though his full comeback is not expected imminently.
Right-back Pedro Porro also remains unavailable for the Hoffenheim clash, though his absence is for a different reason — he only returned to training this week following an extended break after Spain's World Cup victory.
Guglielmo Vicario is another player missing from the squad, with the goalkeeper widely expected to depart Tottenham before the transfer window closes, following the likes of Cristian Romero and Djed Spence out of the exit door this summer.
With the Brentford fixture looming, De Zerbi faces a challenging balancing act — managing the returns of key players like Maddison and Fernandes while contending with a lengthy list of absentees in defense and attack. The friendly against Hoffenheim represents one of the final opportunities to assess squad depth and fitness levels before competitive football resumes.
Based on reporting from standard-football.