Tottenham Hotspur head into the new Premier League season aiming to shake off consecutive 17th-place finishes, backed by a summer transfer outlay of £237 million on six new signings. Manager Roberto De Zerbi has overseen an unbeaten pre-season campaign that has generated some optimism among supporters, but the buildup to the opening fixture against Brentford has been far from straightforward.
A cluster of fitness issues threatens to disrupt De Zerbi's plans for the season opener. James Maddison remains under careful management as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while doubts persist over the availability of Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven, neither of whom featured for a single minute during pre-season. Udogie is being handled cautiously following a string of muscular problems, though the reasoning behind Van de Ven's continued absence since returning from World Cup duty remains unclear.
Striker Dominic Solanke is also considered a doubt for the weekend clash. De Zerbi has been reluctant to accelerate his return after Solanke missed the bulk of last season through ankle and hamstring injuries, and the manager appears determined not to repeat that mistake so early in the new campaign.
Among De Zerbi's more pressing selection dilemmas is whether to include £85 million recruit Mateus Fernandes from the outset. The former West Ham midfielder has featured intermittently throughout pre-season, hampered by what De Zerbi described as calf fatigue. Although Fernandes started the behind-closed-doors friendly against Hoffenheim, question marks remain over his readiness for a full ninety minutes. A similar situation surrounds Pedro Porro, who only rejoined training last week having helped Spain lift the World Cup.
There had been some hope that Mohammed Kudus might be involved against Brentford following his recovery from a serious quad injury, but the Ghanaian has not played competitively since January. Given the length of his absence, it appears improbable that he will be eased straight back into the starting eleven.
With Tottenham light on options out wide, the club continues to pursue a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho, who was omitted from City's squad for the Community Shield. Spurs are working against the clock to finalize an agreement, aware that the Brazilian could be ready to slot directly into the side should terms be reached in time.
Elsewhere, longer-term absentees Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski continue their respective recoveries, though all three remain some distance from first-team involvement.
Behind the scenes, Tottenham have taken steps to address the injury problems that have plagued the squad over the past two seasons. Performance director Dan Lewindon has spearheaded a series of changes, including an overhaul of the training ground gym facilities and a shift toward more individualized player care programs. However, club officials acknowledge that such structural improvements will take time to yield results, meaning De Zerbi must find immediate solutions to keep his squad competitive.
Based on the fitness situation, De Zerbi's likely starting lineup for the visit of Brentford is expected to be a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Kinsky in goal, a back four of Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi and Robertson, with Fernandes and Tonali anchoring midfield. Savinho, Gallagher and Tel would support lone striker Richarlison in attack, assuming fitness allows for such selections.
As the new campaign gets underway, Tottenham's ability to manage these persistent fitness concerns while integrating a host of new signings will be closely watched, with much riding on an improved league position after two disappointing seasons.
Based on reporting from standard-football.