We have entered the other side of summer! Premier League preseason fixtures are now here! Several clubs were in action over the weekend, and Tottenham Hotspur will kick-off their preseason on Wednesday, with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons. This preseason warmup could mark the Spurs debuts of three of their summer signings- Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Martin Dubravka.
No team has been more exicting (read: aggressive, busy, free-spending) this summer transfer window than Tottenham.
Sandro Tonali in training at Hotspur Way 😍 pic.twitter.com/LIFS3u3W7b
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 16, 2026
Tottenham Hotspur Preseason Schedule
July 22 MK Dons (behind closed doors)
July 26 Auckland FC (Auckland)
July 29 Sydney FC (Sydney)
August 1 Chelsea (Sydney)
August 8 Getafe (behind closed doors)
August 15 Hoffenheim (H)
August 16 Hoffenheim (behind closed doors)
Preseason Opener FYIs
Tottenham Hotspur vs MK Dons
Tottenham Preview Content: Team News Injury Updates
Watch: Sorry, it’s behind closed doors
When: Wed. July 22
Spurs Team News
Tottenham broke the club transfer fee record, earlier this summer, when they signed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United. Then they broke it again when they signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United, just a few days later.
So in the words of Jay-Z, “we played monopoly, with real cash.” The club has shared a lot of imagery of Tonali in training already, so he’s raring to go!
World Cup Absentees
Most likely, the following players will miss out on this friendly match due to their participation in the 2026 World Cup:
Cristian Romero – Argentina, Kevin Danso – Austria, Luka Vuskovic – Croatia, Djed Spence – England, Pape Matar Sarr – Senegal, Pedro Porro – Spain, Lucas Bergvall – Sweden, Micky van de Ven – The Netherlands and Rodrigo Bentancur – Uruguay.
The same goes for three of Spurs’ new signings: Andy Robertson – Scotland, Marcos Senesi – Argentina and Jan Paul van Hecke – Netherlands.
Obviously, the Argentinians will miss out for sure while the guys from the eliminated teams likely should as well, due to what is customary. Players that are coming off national team duty, during a major tournament, are usually given an extended holiday.
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.