Tottenham Boosted by Player Returns Ahead of Premier League Opener

Tottenham have been handed a timely boost ahead of their Premier League opener at Brentford, with Mateus Fernandes, James Maddison and Destiny Udogie all back in training. The cloud hanging over the squad, though, is Micky van de Ven’s fitness.

The sessions at Hotspur Way this week have doubled as an early-season roll call. Maddison and Fernandes, whose minutes were carefully rationed during pre-season, have stepped up their work and are pushing to be involved on Saturday evening. Udogie, who did not feature at all over the summer, has also rejoined the group as he edges his way back.

Spurs are treating Udogie with particular caution after a run of muscular problems wrecked chunks of his last campaign. Maddison is on a similar path, still building full match sharpness after the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered last summer. Both want to play. Both are close.

Fernandes, a summer signing, has been managing a calf issue in recent weeks but has now trained and is in contention to make the squad at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The concern sits at the heart of the defence. Van de Ven was not seen in training and remains a serious doubt for the short trip across the capital. The Netherlands international, fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, has yet to feature in any of Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-season squads since returning from the World Cup and now looks unlikely to make the curtain-raiser.

Up front, there is another question mark. Dominic Solanke has been used sparingly in pre-season after missing most of last year with ankle and hamstring problems, leaving his availability uncertain for the opening weekend.

All of this comes as Spurs prepare for what they hope will be a reset season. The club have thrown their weight behind an aggressive rebuild, spending £237million on six new players, and travel to Brentford hunting a statement win.