De Zerbi’s First Look at Tottenham’s Rebuilt Squad

Tottenham’s £200m rebuild steps out of the shadows tonight, away from the cameras, on a training pitch at Hotspur Way.

No fanfare. No crowd. Just Roberto De Zerbi, a notebook, and a first hard look at the squad he’s been handed to reshape.

De Zerbi’s first glimpse of the new Spurs

Two weeks of pre-season work now spill into a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons, the opening act of a summer that has already seen Spurs spend in excess of £200million on six new players.

This is where the theory meets the grass.

All eyes, internally at least, will drift towards Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Both are in line to feature in some capacity, the first chance for De Zerbi to see how they move in his system rather than on a scouting reel. Tonali’s minutes are expected to be carefully managed after he joined pre-season late due to work permit delays, but even a short cameo will offer clues about how quickly he can anchor this new-look midfield.

Mateus, younger and with fewer expectations on his shoulders, has a different kind of opportunity: to show he can keep pace with De Zerbi’s demands before the serious stuff begins.

Behind them, another new face has already settled into the daily rhythm. Martin Dubravka has been part of training, adding experience to the goalkeeping department, though this first friendly is more likely to be about sharpness than statements for him.

World Cup absences and a staggered return

The squad De Zerbi sends out tonight will be notably incomplete. Spurs’ World Cup contingent are still on extended breaks after a draining summer.

Pedro Porro, who started for Spain in their 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final, will not be involved. Nor will Cristian Romero or Marcos Senesi, both also granted time off after going the distance at the tournament.

Djed Spence, fresh from an impressive World Cup as England finished third, is another absentee. His stock has risen, but his return to club action will wait.

One major arrival did report in this week. Scotland left-back Andy Robertson spent Tuesday at Hotspur Way for his first day as a Spurs player after joining on a free transfer from Liverpool. His presence underlines the scale of the rebuild: a Champions League winner walking into a squad that has been aggressively overhauled.

He will not be rushed straight into this friendly, but his arrival changes the dynamic on that flank from day one.

Injury rehab and long roads back

If the World Cup absentees are simply resting, several others are on more delicate timelines.

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert, both recovering from serious anterior cruciate ligament injuries, have been seen around the training ground but remain some way from a return to action. Their presence is a reminder of the quality still to come back, but also of the caution required.

Mohammed Kudus is in a similar boat. Spotted at Hotspur Way, he is following his own tailored rehabilitation plan after a serious quad injury. For him, this stage of pre-season is about muscle strength, not match rhythm.

The same applies to Dejan Kulusevski. He did not play a single minute last season due to a troublesome knee problem, a brutal lay-off for a player once central to Spurs’ attacking identity. His path back cannot be rushed, no matter how tempting it might be to fast-track a talent of his calibre.

Youngsters under the microscope

If tonight is limited for some senior names, it could be defining for others.

Mikey Moore has been training with the first team and is in contention for minutes against MK Dons. Fresh from an impressive loan spell at Rangers, he remains one of the most coveted young talents in the club’s system. De Zerbi has not yet decided whether Moore’s immediate future lies with the first team or elsewhere, and this game offers a live audition.

Show enough here, even in a quiet, private setting, and the path to Premier League minutes sharpens.

Academy forward Jamie Donley has also forced his way into the conversation. He has trained with the senior group and is understood to have caught De Zerbi’s eye over the last couple of weeks. A composed performance tonight would only strengthen his case as a genuine squad option rather than a token youth inclusion.

Heavy rotation and an early template

De Zerbi is expected to lean heavily on rotation. This is pre-season at its purest: conditioning, combinations, and early tactical patterns rather than a fixed XI.

Standard Sport’s projected lineup for the 5pm kick-off at Hotspur Way reads: Kinsky; Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Yang, Donley, Tel; Solanke.

It is a side that blends established names like Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie with fresh signings, prospects, and players trying to climb the internal pecking order. The exact team may shift, but the principle will not: short bursts, shared minutes, and plenty of notes for the head coach.

No cameras, no crowd, no noise. Just De Zerbi, a rebuilt squad, and the first hints of what Tottenham might become by the time August arrives.