Tottenham's New Era Under Roberto De Zerbi Begins Against Brentford

Roberto De Zerbi’s new Tottenham era starts for real on Saturday evening, and it begins with a test that bites.

An away trip to Brentford. Under the lights at the Gtech Community Stadium. After a £237million summer outlay, the talking stops there.

Big spend, big questions

Tottenham have thrown money at their rebuild, reshaping a squad that has stumbled to back-to-back 17th-place finishes. De Zerbi has been backed. Now he has to navigate an opening weekend with a squad already creaking.

The Italian’s first full season in charge was supposed to feel fresh, clean, decisive. Instead, familiar injury problems have cut into his plans before a ball is kicked.

Several key players are either sidelined or short of fitness. Selection for Brentford will be as much about who can stand up as who stands out.

Van de Ven mystery, Udogie and Maddison managed

At the back, there is an immediate concern. Micky van de Ven, fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, did not feature at all in pre-season after returning late from World Cup duty. The club have not clarified the issue and, tellingly, he was not seen in training on Tuesday.

There was at least a flicker of good news. Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes all trained ahead of the short trip across London.

Udogie remains on a tight leash. He did not play during pre-season as De Zerbi carefully handled his minutes following a run of muscular problems. Maddison is in a similar boat, albeit for different reasons.

The England midfielder, a leading contender to take the captain’s armband after Cristian Romero’s departure, is still building back towards full sharpness after returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of last season. He has been visible in training. Whether he is trusted from the start at Brentford is another matter.

Solanke, Kudus and a cautious De Zerbi

Up front, there is more uncertainty. Dominic Solanke is another doubt, having been used sparingly in pre-season. The 28-year-old lost most of last campaign to a recurring ankle problem and then missed the relegation run-in with a hamstring issue. Throwing him straight into the heat of an opening-day battle would be a gamble.

De Zerbi does not seem in the mood for gambles with fitness. Last season’s injury crisis scarred this squad and the head coach has responded by erring on the side of caution with almost every returning player.

Summer signing Mateus Fernandes, brought in from West Ham for £85m, has been nursing a calf issue since joining up with the team on their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia. Spurs hope he will be available, but again, the medical green light will not automatically mean 90 minutes.

That conservative approach almost certainly counts against Mohammed Kudus. The winger is back in training but has not played a competitive minute since January because of a serious quad injury. With that gap, and De Zerbi’s hard line on conditioning, he is highly unlikely to be risked.

Moore’s window and a stalled pursuit

Without Kudus, a door may open for Mikey Moore on the right flank. The youngster is expected to leave on loan before the window shuts, but only once Spurs secure their own attacking targets.

That is where the problem lies. Their protracted chase of Savinho has dragged through the summer, with no breakthrough in talks with Manchester City for the Brazilian winger. Until that stalemate breaks, Moore sits in limbo — and could find himself thrust into a Premier League opener instead of boarding a loan flight.

Porro short, absentees long-term

On the opposite side, Pedro Porro is another question mark. The World Cup winner has only just rejoined full training. There is no injury this time, just a lack of sharpness and match rhythm heading into the weekend.

Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski are nowhere near a return. All three remain long-term absentees, trimming De Zerbi’s options even further.

How Spurs could line up

Against that backdrop, the predicted XI has a patched-together feel, but still plenty of talent:

• Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.

Injured: Simons, Odobert, Kulusevski.
Doubts: Maddison, Solanke, Porro, Fernandes, Udogie, Kudus.

The stage is set: Gtech Community Stadium, 5.30pm BST, Saturday, August 22, 2026, live on Sky Sports.

Tottenham have spent big, changed the face of their squad and handed De Zerbi the keys. Now comes the real measure: can this expensively rebuilt, physically fragile group handle the very first punch of a new Premier League season?