De Zerbi Weighs Tottenham Selection Calls Before Brentford Trip
James Maddison, Mateus Fernandes and Destiny Udogie have all been training ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League opener at Brentford, giving Roberto De Zerbi some welcome options as he plans his first competitive team selection of the season.
The trio’s involvement was confirmed in a Yahoo Sports preview of Saturday’s fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium, kick-off 5.30pm BST. Maddison made his long-awaited return from a knee injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Hoffenheim, playing 45 minutes in his first start in almost a year – a fairly significant marker given how long he’s been out.
Udogie is a slightly different case. He’s been training, yes, but he didn’t manage a single minute of pre-season, which means his availability for Saturday is far from a formality even if he’s back in and around the squad. Anyone expecting him to slot straight into the XI after a summer of managed minutes should temper that instinct – De Zerbi has shown no appetite for rushing players back given how last season’s injury pile-up unfolded, as covered in our look at Spurs’ pre-season absences under De Zerbi.
Fernandes and the wider picture
Fernandes, one of the summer arrivals in a squad overhaul that has reshaped Tottenham’s midfield alongside Sandro Tonali, is also among those who have trained ahead of the trip across the capital. His arrival and the context around it are worth revisiting via our piece on Fernandes’ move to Spurs.
Elsewhere, Micky van de Ven remains a doubt after returning late from an extended break following the World Cup and not featuring at all in pre-season. He wasn’t spotted in Tuesday’s training session either, which De Zerbi will need to resolve before Saturday. The defence already looks markedly different following the exits of Cristian Romero and Djed Spence, so further uncertainty at the back is hardly ideal timing.
What happens next
Tottenham head into the opener unbeaten in seven pre-season matches, but training involvement is not the same as a starting berth, and De Zerbi has decisions to make across midfield and defence. Confirmation of the actual team news, along with any late calls on Van de Ven, is expected closer to kick-off – worth checking our match officials preview for the rest of Saturday’s build-up.
