The international break has arrived at an ideal moment for Tottenham, who sit winless and at the foot of the Premier League table after five matches. With only two points taken so far, manager Roberto De Zerbi will use the next three weeks to improve his squad’s physical condition.
A disrupted pre-season has left Spurs off the pace, but De Zerbi now has valuable training-ground time to address the club’s poor start to the campaign.
Which players are away on international duty?
Nine senior Tottenham players have been called up by their countries for the break, while Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Mateus Fernandes will represent their nations at U21 level. Defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke have both been selected for Xavi’s first Netherlands squad, and Andy Robertson has been called up by new Scotland boss Sebastien Pocognoli.
Despite indifferent starts to the season, Sandro Tonali and Lucas Bergvall have also received call-ups, while Antonin Kinsky will face Thomas Tuchel’s England both home and away.
When will the players return?
The Nations League runs until October 6, meaning many of Tottenham’s European-based players will have a quick turnaround before the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10. De Zerbi will be relieved that Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur plays his last friendly of the break on September 28 against South Korea, and Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush finishes his international commitments against South Sudan on September 29.
Gray, Fernandes and Tel will all take part in Euro U21 qualifying, which runs alongside the Nations League fixtures over the next three weeks.
Who has stayed at home?
The most notable absentee is Mohammed Kudus, who was initially called up by Ghana but has stepped down to continue his rehabilitation from a serious quad injury. He is one of four players who will benefit from rest over the coming weeks. Kudus has been gradually eased back into action and made his first competitive start in eight months as Spurs exited the Carabao Cup against Liverpool last week.
The club remains cautious about the 26-year-old’s fitness and does not want a repeat of the setback he suffered in April, when he was rushed back during the bid for Premier League survival. Dejan Kulusevski will also stay in north London after being left out of Sweden’s squad. Graham Potter had hoped to include him, but the 26-year-old has only just returned to full team training after a minor setback in his recovery from a patella injury that has kept him out for almost a year and a half.
Pedro Porro has withdrawn from Spain’s squad after coming off injured in the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa. Long-term absentees Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert remain at Hotspur Way, along with James Maddison and Destiny Udogie, whose omissions will boost Spurs as they manage minutes this season. There is also no place in the Brazil squad for Savio, who has had a frustrating start at Spurs following his summer move from Manchester City.
