Tottenham's Pre-Season Preparations: Facing Getafe Behind Closed Doors
Tottenham shut the gates at Hotspur Way this afternoon, but there is nothing low-key about what awaits inside. A behind-closed-doors meeting with LaLiga side Getafe marks the next serious step in Roberto De Zerbi’s attempt to turn an eye-catching pre-season into a hardened Premier League start.
Spurs are back from the long haul to New Zealand and Australia, where the football was anything but exhibition fare. They remain unbeaten across four games and flew home on the high of that wild finale against Chelsea – Richarlison stealing a 2-1 win with virtually the last kick, despite Spurs having been reduced to ten men after Kevin Danso’s red card. It felt like a statement, even in July.
Now comes the quieter, more meticulous part of the build-up.
Fine-tuning behind closed doors
The Premier League opener at Brentford is only two weeks away. De Zerbi knows the mood is good, the ideas are landing, and the squad is starting to understand his demands. He also knows how quickly it can all fall apart.
Last season’s campaign frayed under the weight of injuries. That scar tissue is dictating much of his thinking this summer. The Italian has resisted the urge to rush players back, even as he tries to build chemistry in a squad reshaped by heavy spending.
Two of his most important figures, Destiny Udogie and James Maddison, have yet to kick a ball in pre-season. Udogie’s absence has been managed carefully; Maddison’s is more troubling. A hip problem has left the playmaker facing a race against time to be ready for Brentford, and Spurs are in no mood to gamble with him.
Micky van de Ven, close to signing a new contract, has also been kept on the sidelines since returning from the World Cup. His pace and recovery defending are central to De Zerbi’s high-wire style, but the club will not risk a setback now. Dominic Solanke, by contrast, has at least stepped onto the pitch, getting his first minutes of the summer in that win over Chelsea.
The pattern is clear. De Zerbi wants rhythm, but not at any cost.
Big names edging back
There was a jolt of optimism at Hotspur Way this week. Long-term absentees Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski were spotted running together in training, a sight that will have soothed a fanbase still haunted by last season’s treatment-room logjam.
Kudus has been missing since January with a serious quad injury. Kulusevski has been out even longer, his patella problem dating back to May 2025. Spurs are treading especially carefully with the Swede. He is not yet involved in full team sessions and remains some distance from a competitive return.
Kudus is further along. He has rejoined the main group and is edging towards full fitness, but the expectation is that he will not be thrown into the Getafe game. The temptation is obvious; the caution is deliberate.
One player who should be back in the mix is Mateus Fernandes. The £85million signing has shaken off the calf issue that ruled him out of the last two fixtures and is in contention to feature today. For a manager trying to bed in a revamped midfield, those minutes matter.
Building a spine
The likely XI against Getafe underlines De Zerbi’s priorities. Kinsky is set to continue in goal, with a back line of Gray, Van de Ven, Van Hecke and Robertson offering a blend of youth, pace and balance. Fernandes should anchor the midfield alongside Tonali, while Williams-Barnett and Gallagher provide legs and link play.
Further forward, Tel and Solanke carry the attacking threat. It is not quite full strength, but it is close enough to reveal the structure De Zerbi wants in place when the real stuff starts.
Maddison, Udogie and Kudus remain doubts, their situations watched daily. Each of them changes the feel of this team. Each of them will be managed with an eye on August, not just this afternoon.
Quiet setting, loud implications
Getafe at 3pm BST, no crowd, no fanfare, streamed on SPURSPLAY. On the surface, it is just another pre-season date on the calendar. For De Zerbi, it is a dress rehearsal in everything but name.
After this, a double-header against Hoffenheim awaits next weekend, then the curtain rises at Brentford. The tour is over, the travel miles are banked, and the focus narrows to shape, sharpness and survival of key bodies.
Behind closed doors at Hotspur Way, Tottenham are trying to make sure last season’s injury story is not allowed a sequel.
