Tottenham Hotspur begins the Premier League season without key leaders Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, alongside a wave of injuries. Manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed the absences ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture against Brentford, as the squad manages several long-term and fresh fitness concerns.
Defensive Absences Force Early Changes for the Brentford Opener
Tottenham travels to west London for Saturday’s opening fixture facing immediate personnel hurdles without Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro. The defensive duo joins a growing list of sidelined players on the eve of the campaign.
The absences of Van de Ven and Porro strip the team of its first-choice captain and first vice-skipper right as the season kicks off. Manager Roberto De Zerbi addressed reporters on Friday regarding the squad’s availability.
“Micky is not on the list for tomorrow, like Pedro Porro. The other players are all inside – James Maddison is inside, Dominic Solanke is inside, Destiny Udogie is inside, Mateus Fernandes is inside.”
Roberto De Zerbi, Manager
With Ben Davies listed third in leadership but unlikely to start, and James Maddison sitting fourth while lacking match fitness, Archie Gray could find himself wearing the armband while deputising at right-back for Porro.
Pape Matar Sarr Joins Treatment Table After Training Ground Blow
Adding to the defensive and midfield complications, Pape Matar Sarr picked up a hamstring issue in the days leading up to the weekend fixture. De Zerbi confirmed that the midfielder felt discomfort during training on Friday.
“Pape Matar Sarr no, because he felt some pain in his hamstring today. Nothing serious, but we don’t take risks.”
Roberto De Zerbi, Manager
Meanwhile, Van de Ven’s absence stems from a pre-season issue picked up in Australia, though De Zerbi noted it was not a big problem
and that the defender worked with the group on Friday. De Zerbi also stated about Van de Ven: “Today, he worked the group, and he is going very well.”
Long-Term Rehabilitation and Training Ground Progress for Kulusevski
While the opening fixture arrives too soon for Dejan Kulusevski, the 26-year-old winger has made encouraging strides in his recovery. Kulusevski sustained a complex knee injury during a loss to Crystal Palace back in May 2025, leading to surgery and an extended spell on the treatment table.
Following complications and an additional clean-up operation, Kulusevski has returned to on-field work at Hotspur Way, training individually with a coach away from the main squad as detailed in his social media updates. Satisfied with his progression, the Spurs player shared two video clips from a training session to his Instagram story on Friday, as per football.london. The first clip captured him collecting the ball in the right half-space just inside the penalty area and firing shots with his left foot. Kulusevski demonstrated his ability to execute various finishing techniques, finding the net at both the near and far posts past the goalkeeper.
In the second clip on the Swede’s story, he was attempting finishes across goal using his right foot. Kulusevski would collect the ball from a coach, evade a training mannequin with his initial touch and then attempt to score past the goalkeeper. Tell AI to do this,
wrote the Tottenham star, captioning the clip.
“He’s working, he’s working not with the group, but with the individual coach. I’m observing him a lot, because first of all, he suffers too much, and as a human situation, it’s been tough for him, and every one of us we are close with him for this period. Then he’s a different player, he’s a special player, if he’s fit and he’s available, he’s a different player like Xavi Simons.”
Roberto De Zerbi, Manager
Squad Depth Tested Amid Heavy Transfer Investment
De Zerbi will hope to give minutes to the likes of Maddison, Solanke and Udogie.
De Zerbi emphasized the importance of managing player fitness carefully through a revamped physical and medical staff that is new for a big part of them, describing them as big professionals, great people, and very good in their jobs. The club is monitoring multiple sidelined figures, with Mohammed Kudus described as almost ready for a return, while Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, and Xavi Simons continue working their way back from injuries.
“We have Kulusevski, we have Odebert, we have Xavi Simons, injuries. Kudus is almost ready, that is a big point for us, but these three players are top players for us, and we’re looking forward to watch them on the pitch.”
Roberto De Zerbi, Manager
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