Tottenham Pre-Season: Building Momentum Ahead of Brentford

Tottenham’s pre-season moves out of the spotlight and behind the gates of Hotspur Way this weekend, but the stakes for Roberto De Zerbi are rising fast.

A closed-doors friendly against Getafe is hardly the grand stage Spurs have just left behind in New Zealand and Australia, yet it arrives at a delicate point in their build-up. Four games unbeaten on tour, momentum quietly building, and a Premier League opener at Brentford now just two weeks away. The work gets serious here.

From Down Under drama to quiet refinement

Tottenham flew back to London buoyed by a dramatic 2-1 win over Chelsea that underlined both their resilience and their flaws. Reduced to 10 men after Kevin Danso’s dismissal, they still found a stoppage-time winner through Richarlison, snatching victory with virtually the last kick of the game.

That late surge capped a productive tour, but De Zerbi will know the performance beneath the scoreline matters more than the result. The structure, the pressing, the connections between a squad reshaped by heavy summer spending – those are still a work in progress.

Getafe, behind closed doors, offers something different. No travel. No spectacle. Just a controlled environment for De Zerbi to push his ideas harder and, if he dares, edge closer to the team he wants walking out at Brentford.

Injury shadows over Spurs’ smooth build-up

For all the optimism, the medical bulletin keeps cutting across the mood.

Destiny Udogie and James Maddison have yet to play a single minute of pre-season. Maddison, managing a hip problem, is already viewed as a doubt for the Brentford game, locked in a race against time that Spurs would rather not be running. Udogie remains on the list of concerns, his absence stretching on at a point where rhythm and sharpness should be returning.

Micky van de Ven, close to signing a new contract and central to Tottenham’s defensive plans, has also been watching on since coming back from the World Cup. Dominic Solanke, by contrast, finally stepped onto the pitch for his first minutes of the summer in that win over Chelsea, a small but important step as he settles into his new surroundings.

De Zerbi has chosen caution. Last season’s campaign frayed badly under the weight of injuries, and he has no interest in repeating that collapse. Short-term risk for long-term gain? Not this time.

Kudus close, Kulusevski carefully managed

There was at least a flicker of genuine encouragement at Hotspur Way this week.

Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski, both long-term absentees, were filmed running together in training. For a club that has spent months planning without them, the sight alone felt significant.

Kudus has been out since January with a serious quad injury. Now he is back in full training with the squad, edging towards the point where he can be considered for selection again. Even so, the expectation is that he will not be risked against Getafe. De Zerbi has waited this long; he can afford to wait a little longer.

Kulusevski’s road is longer. The Swedish playmaker has not played for over a year after a patella injury suffered in May 2025, and Spurs are treating his return with extreme care. He is not yet involved in full team sessions and remains some distance from match action. His name will not be on any team sheet soon, and that is entirely by design.

One major summer signing is further along. Mateus Fernandes, the £85million midfielder, has returned to training after a calf problem kept him out of the last two games. He is expected to be in contention to feature on Saturday, a timely boost for a midfield still finding its balance.

De Zerbi edges towards his Premier League shape

For all the absences, De Zerbi will want this Getafe game to look and feel like a serious rehearsal.

Relationships need minutes. A new spine needs stress-testing. The Italian will hope to send out something close to a full-strength side, at least within the limits of fitness and caution.

A likely XI could see Kinsky in goal, with a back line of Gray, Van de Ven, Van Hecke and Robertson. In midfield, Fernandes and Tonali offer control and bite, with Williams-Barnett and Gallagher providing energy and link play behind a front line of Tel and Solanke.

It is not the finished article. Maddison, Udogie and Kudus all remain doubts, their availability still hanging over De Zerbi’s final plans for Brentford. But as a template, it looks increasingly familiar – and that, at this stage, is exactly what Tottenham need.

The final steps before the curtain rises

Once Getafe are dealt with, Spurs head into a double-header against Hoffenheim next weekend, the last formal tune-up before the Premier League curtain lifts away to Brentford.

By then, De Zerbi will want fewer questions and more certainties. A settled back line. A functioning midfield around Fernandes and Tonali. Clarity on Maddison’s fitness. A clear idea of how quickly Kudus can be reintegrated.

The friendly against Getafe kicks off at 3pm BST on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Hotspur Way. No crowd. No fanfare. Just a manager, a squad, and two weeks left to decide whether this promising pre-season can withstand the realities of a long, unforgiving campaign.