Tottenham Pre-Season Double-Header Against Hoffenheim
Tottenham step up their pre-season preparations this weekend with a double-header against Hoffenheim that will test both Roberto De Zerbi’s fitness plans and the depth of his squad.
Double shift for De Zerbi’s squad
The Bundesliga side visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, with a second game between the clubs scheduled less than 24 hours later behind closed doors at Hotspur Way. It is a demanding schedule by design.
De Zerbi is expected to roll out two almost entirely different starting XIs across the two fixtures. Those who start or play heavy minutes today are likely to sit out tomorrow, while the players used sparingly – or not at all – in the stadium clash should get their chance in the training-ground match.
The aim is clear: squeeze in one last hard push to sharpen legs and lungs before the Premier League kicks off next weekend.
Tottenham are still unbeaten in pre-season, but that record has not been flawless. A 1-1 draw with Getafe in a 70-minute, behind-closed-doors friendly last Saturday offered reminders that rhythm is still building. Some of those left out of that game, including new arrivals Mateus Fernandes and Marcos Senesi, were then sent into an in-house friendly later the same day to top up minutes.
Even with that two-game approach, there were conspicuous gaps in both lineups. With the new campaign looming, those absences will nag at De Zerbi.
Maddison and Van de Ven remain sidelined
James Maddison is the headline concern. In the frame to take the armband once Cristian Romero completes his move to Atletico Madrid, the playmaker has yet to feature at all in pre-season.
Tottenham are treading carefully. Maddison is still working his way back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that wiped out most of his previous season. The club will not gamble now, even with the opening league fixture so close.
Micky van de Ven, another strong candidate for the captaincy and fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, has also been missing from De Zerbi’s squads since he returned from extended post-World Cup leave. There is no clarity yet on whether the defender is battling a fitness issue, but his absence lingers over preparations. De Zerbi will want him involved in some capacity across this Hoffenheim double-header.
Porro returns to lead the right flank
There is better news on the right. World Cup winner Pedro Porro is back and available, having received a guard of honour from team-mates on his return to the training ground this week.
At 26 and tied down to a long-term deal signed in June, Porro is set to be a central figure in De Zerbi’s plans. He is expected to be the undisputed first-choice right-back this season, a status underlined by Djed Spence’s impending exit to Inter Milan.
Spence will not feature against Hoffenheim as that move progresses, and neither will current captain Romero, who is in Madrid undergoing a medical ahead of his switch to Atletico. Two defenders on the way out, one right-back firmly installed as the future.
Kudus edging towards long-awaited return
There is also cautious optimism around Mohammed Kudus. The attacker has not played since January after a serious quad injury, but he has now rejoined full-team training and could feature for the first time this year over the course of the two matches.
His workload is being tightly controlled. De Zerbi has already admitted the club brought Kudus back too quickly once before, a misstep that led to a setback in April. This time, the staff will resist any temptation to rush.
Two games in two days, a squad being stretched, key leaders still missing, and fresh faces pushing for places. With the Premier League countdown almost over, De Zerbi is about to discover just how ready this Tottenham side really is.
