Tottenham Hotspur kick off their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons on Wednesday evening. The match, taking place at Hotspur Way, marks the first opportunity for new head coach Roberto De Zerbi to assess his squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
New Signings Ready to Feature
Tottenham have been active in the summer transfer window, spending over £200 million on six new players. Among them, midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are expected to make their debuts against MK Dons. However, Tonali may see limited minutes due to joining pre-season training late after work permit issues were resolved.
Fellow new signing Martin Dubravka has also been training with the squad. However, players who participated in the recent World Cup final have not yet reported for pre-season. This includes £55 million Netherlands centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson.
World Cup Absentees
Pedro Porro, who started for Spain in their 1-0 World Cup final victory over Argentina, along with Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi, are taking extended breaks. Djed Spence, who impressed for England as they finished third at the World Cup, will also be absent.
Several players are on the comeback trail from injury. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are still recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries, while Mohammed Kudus is rehabilitating a serious quad injury. Dejan Kulusevski missed the entire previous season due to a knee issue and remains unavailable.
Youngsters in Contention
Academy products Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear have been training with the first team and could feature against MK Dons. Lankshear is reportedly close to a permanent move to Middlesbrough, while Moore is highly regarded after a successful loan spell at Rangers. De Zerbi is expected to use the friendly to evaluate their suitability for the first team.
Another youngster, Jamie Donley, has impressed the coaching staff in recent weeks and is also in contention for minutes.
Predicted Lineup and Match Details
De Zerbi is likely to rotate heavily to give all players game time. Standard Sport predicts the following starting XI: Kinsky; Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie; Fernandes, Tonali; Yang, Donley, Tel; Solanke.
The match kicks off at 5pm BST on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at Hotspur Way, and will be played behind closed doors.
