Tottenham Pre-Season Double-Header Against Hoffenheim
Tottenham step up their pre-season preparations this weekend with a double-header against Hoffenheim that will test both Roberto De Zerbi’s ideas and his squad’s depth.
The Bundesliga side visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, then the clubs go again less than 24 hours later in a behind-closed-doors game at Hotspur Way. Two matches, two almost entirely different XIs. That’s the plan.
De Zerbi wants minutes in as many legs as possible before the Premier League kicks off next weekend. Those heavily involved today are expected to sit out tomorrow, with the rest of the squad – including fringe players and those building fitness – getting their turn in the second fixture.
Spurs arrive at this mini-series unbeaten in pre-season, but hardly flawless. Their last outing, a 70-minute, behind-closed-doors friendly against Getafe, finished 1-1 and left as many questions as answers. Later that same day, new signings Mateus Fernandes and Marcos Senesi, along with others who missed the Getafe game, were put through their paces in an in-house friendly.
Even with two separate matches and plenty of rotation, the absentees have been impossible to ignore.
Maddison and Van de Ven linger on the sidelines
James Maddison has yet to kick a ball in pre-season. For a player tipped as a leading contender to take the armband once Cristian Romero completes his move to Atletico Madrid, his continued absence is a significant subplot.
Spurs are treading carefully. Maddison is still working his way back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that wiped out most of his last campaign. No risks, not now, not with the season a week away.
Micky van de Ven, another potential captain and fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, has also been missing from De Zerbi’s pre-season selections since returning from extended post-World Cup leave. There is no clarity yet on whether he is struggling with fitness, but De Zerbi will be desperate to involve him in some capacity over the Hoffenheim double-header.
Porro back as a standard-bearer
One returning star is expected to feature. World Cup winner Pedro Porro is available again and received a guard of honour from team-mates when he walked back into the training ground this week.
At 26 and tied down to a new long-term deal signed in June, Porro is set to be a central figure in De Zerbi’s plans. He will go into the season as the undisputed first-choice right-back, especially with Djed Spence preparing to leave for Inter Milan.
Spence will not be involved against Hoffenheim, nor will current captain Romero, who is in Madrid undergoing a medical before sealing his move to Atletico. Both are effectively already out the door.
Kudus on the brink of a long-awaited return
One of the more intriguing storylines surrounds Mohammed Kudus. There is growing hope he could finally play his first minutes since January after returning to full-team training following a serious quad injury.
Spurs are being careful this time. De Zerbi has admitted the club rushed Kudus back earlier in the year, only for the forward to suffer a setback in April. That mistake still lingers in the background as they manage his workload now.
Two games in two days, a squad stretched between fitness, form and transfer exits, and a manager trying to knit it all together before the real stuff starts. By the time Hoffenheim fly home, De Zerbi will know a lot more about who is ready for opening weekend – and who is already playing catch-up.
