Tottenham Hotspur got some great news on the fitness front, as Mateus Fernandes, James Maddison and Destiny Udogie were all in full training ahead of Saturday’s Premier League season opener at Brentford. That said, Spurs will still be missing a handful players, and you also have the players whose participation for the London derby is in doubt.
Maddison (who missed most of last season after a serious ACL injury) and Fernandes (who has been battling a knock on his calf) saw their minutes heavily managed this preseason.
Premier League Season Opener FYIs
Tottenham Hotspur at Brentford
Saturday, Aug. 22, 5:30pm GMT
Gtech Community Stadium, London, United Kingdom
Result Probabilities According to Google: Brentford Wins 39% a Draw 26% Tottenham Hotspur Wins 35%
Tottenham Hotspur Preview Material: Predicted Started XI Team News
Spurs Team News
Meanwhile Micky Van de Ven (no specific injury, but extreme fatigue) and Udogie (who suffered a series of muscular injuries last season) did not play a single minute of preseason. Van de Ven was also absent from the latest training session.
Elsewhere Dominic Solanke is a 50/50 proposition for Saturday, having seen minimal minutes during the summer preseason friendlies. He missed most of last season with ankle and hamstring problems, and his ankle has been bothering him again lately.
Longer-term injury absentees Mo Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are all set to miss out. Kulusevski and Kudus are getting closer though! Both are back in outdoor training, but just not ready for full training yet.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.