Our Tottenham correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor have selected the side they believe Roberto De Zerbi might field for the Brentford encounter this weekend.
Micky van de Ven has committed his future to Tottenham Hotspur by putting pen to paper on an extended deal, yet the Dutch defender has remained absent from the pre-season schedule, with no media-watched training sessions or competitive minutes under his belt (Image: Tottenham Hotspur)
Spurs commence their top-flight campaign on Saturday with a visit to Brentford, presenting De Zerbi with numerous tactical puzzles to solve.
The club has secured six fresh faces this summer, all possessing prior Premier League experience, strengthening De Zerbi’s options through the acquisitions of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. The north London outfit will be missing skipper Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence and Radu Dragusin, who are among those departing on permanent or temporary deals during the transfer window.
De Zerbi faces the task of shaping his revamped Tottenham squad for the challenging season opener at the Gtech Community Stadium. Throughout the summer, several players have sat out pre-season fixtures as the Italian has taken a measured approach with individuals recovering from extended injury lay-offs in recent times.
We invited our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor to propose the starting eleven they feel the manager might choose for Saturday evening’s contest. Here is their selection:
Alasdair Gold – Tottenham Hotspur correspondent
De Zerbi is expected to deliver news on Micky van de Ven at Friday’s press gathering, with the Dutch defender having committed to a lucrative new deal despite a summer in which he has not been observed participating in any of the media-accessible training sessions, nor featuring in a single pre-season fixture.
This circumstance means Van Hecke and Senesi are anticipated to make their competitive debuts for Spurs as a partnership, while Andy Robertson should do likewise at left-back given that Destiny Udogie has also failed to accumulate any pre-season minutes.
At right-back, Pedro Porro is expected to have completed around ten days of training following his World Cup triumph. Archie Gray has filled the role throughout pre-season and led the side as captain, leaving De Zerbi to determine whether Porro, renowned for his relentless energy, is prepared for a weekend start or should be preserved for the midweek Carabao Cup tie with Charlton.
A comparable dilemma exists for whoever partners Sandro Tonali in the middle of the park, with Mateus Fernandes, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall all contending for the position. The Swedish international has accumulated more pre-season playing time than his Uruguayan and Portuguese counterparts, although the £85million acquisition has managed sufficient minutes over the past fortnight to build up his fitness.
In the forward line, unless Spurs finalise moves for one or both of Savinho and Omar Marmoush before Friday’s midday registration cutoff and somehow resolve work permit complications at such short notice, with both having featured throughout Manchester City’s pre-season programme, the attack is likely to mirror the one that began the Hoffenheim friendly last Saturday with Conor Gallagher operating in the support role.
Gold’s Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Bergvall, Tonali; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
Ryan Taylor – Football reporter
Here we go then. Brentford represents a formidable venue to visit in the current climate, though securing a positive result to launch the season holds significant importance. Antonin Kinsky naturally occupies the goalkeeper’s position in my view, though the defensive line presents opportunities for an unexpected selection, particularly if Micky van de Ven remains unavailable.
I would opt for a four-man defence comprising Pedro Porro, despite potentially lacking full match sharpness, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi (assuming Van de Ven is sidelined) and Andy Robertson.
In central midfield, I would partner Sandro Tonali with Mateus Fernandes and position Conor Gallagher slightly ahead of them. For the attacking positions, I would select Mikey Moore and Mathys Tel on the flanks with Richarlison through the middle. This may seem unfair on Lucas Bergvall, yet Fernandes’ dynamism and robustness make him well-suited to such a physically demanding encounter.
Taylor’s Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.