Tottenham Hotspur begin their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at Hotspur Way in Enfield. The match kicks off at 5pm BST and will not be televised live in the UK.
New signings set for debuts
After two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, Spurs have spent over £200 million this summer to strengthen their squad. The marquee arrivals are midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who joined for a combined £185 million. Both players missed the World Cup, allowing them to fully integrate under manager Roberto De Zerbi. They are expected to feature against MK Dons, though it remains unclear if they will play together.
De Zerbi may field two different line-ups across each half to maximize minutes for fit players. James Maddison, Mathys Tel, Ben Davies, Archie Gray, Conor Gallagher, Destiny Udogie, Richarlison, and Dominic Solanke are all set to play at least 45 minutes.
Injuries and absentees
Long-term injury casualties Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, and Dejan Kulusevski will miss the friendly as they continue rehabilitation. Spurs' World Cup finalists Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, and Marcos Senesi are absent, along with Djed Spence, who played for England in the bronze medal match against France. The game is also expected to come too soon for Lucas Bergvall, Micky van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, new signing Jan Paul van Hecke, and Kevin Danso, whose nations reached the World Cup knockout stages.
MK Dons, who earned automatic promotion to League One, are preparing for the new season. Paul Warne's side recently lost 2-1 to NK Istra in Croatia, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scoring for the Dons. Their team for Wednesday is likely to mix experienced players with youth.
Prediction and head-to-head
Pre-season friendlies prioritize fitness and tactical patterns over results, but Tottenham's Premier League quality is expected to prevail. The prediction is a 3-1 win for Spurs. The only previous competitive meeting between the clubs was a 5-0 Spurs victory in the League Cup fourth round in 2006.
Match odds
According to UK betting sites, Tottenham are heavy favourites at 2/7, MK Dons are 13/2, and a draw is 4/1. Odds are correct at time of publication but subject to change. Gambling can be addictive; please gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Support is available from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
