Tottenham's Injury Updates 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. Micky van de Ven, though, is still causing concern.

New head coach Roberto De Zerbi has spent much of pre-season juggling fitness issues across his first-team squad. Maddison and Fernandes have had their minutes carefully managed, while Van de Ven and Udogie did not feature at all in the summer friendlies.

Udogie is being eased back after a run of muscular problems last season. Maddison is on a similar programme as he builds towards full sharpness following the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered last summer. Both are now pushing to be involved at the Gtech Community Stadium and are understood to be in contention if they come through the final sessions unscathed.

Fernandes, a summer signing, has also stepped up his work after a calf issue disrupted the last few weeks of his preparation. His presence on the training pitch offers De Zerbi another option as he looks to stamp his identity on the side from day one.

The picture is far less positive with Van de Ven. The Netherlands defender, fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, was again absent from training at Hotspur Way and did not appear in any of De Zerbi’s pre-season squads after returning from the World Cup. With the season now upon Spurs, he looks unlikely to feature against Brentford.

Up front, there is another potential headache. Dominic Solanke remains a doubt, having been used sparingly over the summer following an injury-hit campaign last year, when ankle and hamstring problems kept him out for long spells.

Spurs head across London on Saturday evening looking to make an early statement after an aggressive summer in the market. The north London club have spent £237million on six new signings, a clear signal of intent as they try to erase the memory of last season’s 17th-place finish and drag themselves back into the Premier League’s top fight.