Tottenham Faces Van de Ven Absence Before Brentford Match
Tottenham head to Brentford on Saturday evening without one of their key defenders and with a squad still not quite settled, according to Roberto De Zerbi.
The Spurs head coach confirmed that Micky van de Ven will miss the Premier League opener at the G-Tech Stadium, with the Dutchman yet to play a single minute in pre-season and only just returning to full training.
Van de Ven ruled out, Porro also missing
Van de Ven has been absent throughout the summer and has not been seen in open training sessions. De Zerbi drew a firm line under any hopes of a late return.
“Micky is not on the list tomorrow like Pedro Porro,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
Porro is also unavailable after only recently rejoining the squad following Spain’s World Cup triumph. His late return has left De Zerbi without his first-choice right-back and one of his quickest centre-backs for a tricky opening assignment.
The injury picture is mixed elsewhere. De Zerbi revealed that James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Mateus Fernandes are all in contention.
“James Maddison is inside, Solanke inside, Udogie, Fernandes also. Sarr not because he felt some pain, but nothing big,” he explained, confirming that Pape Matar Sarr will sit this one out.
Defensive reshuffle on cards
Van de Ven’s absence forces an early reshuffle at the back, though De Zerbi insisted he still has enough to piece together a solid back line.
Speaking specifically about the Dutchman’s situation, he said: “Today he worked with us, with the group and he is going very well. He suffered a problem during the pre-season of Australia, I don’t know if it was the flight, but not a big problem.
“We have Senesi, we have Ben Davies and in the right condition to play the game tomorrow.”
That points towards Marcos Senesi and the experienced Ben Davies stepping up, with Spurs needing to be sharp against a Brentford side that rarely goes quietly on home turf.
De Zerbi: Spurs “not finished” in transfer market
Off the pitch, Tottenham’s summer remains very much alive.
The club have already been aggressive in the window, bringing in Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka. It is a spine-heavy rebuild, aimed at hardening a side that has too often wilted in the Premier League’s tougher moments.
And there is more to come. Spurs are closing in on a deal for Man City winger Savinho, with reports of a £75 million fee plus £10 million in add-ons agreed and a medical lined up before the Brazilian signs a long-term contract.
De Zerbi refused to be drawn on the details of that move but did not hide his satisfaction with the club’s work.
“It’s not right to speak about players until they are official. Just to say I’m very happy,” he said. “We have not finished in the transfer market. It’s an important part.
“So far we have brought in some great players, great spirit and great personality. You know better than me you don’t win the games with big names and big players, you have to deserve to win the game. To do that we have to reach the level in character, intention and value and style of play.”
The message is clear. The squad is stronger, but De Zerbi wants more — more signings, more edge, more identity.
Tottenham arrive at Brentford short of a couple of big pieces, yet with a manager who sounds convinced that this is only the start of a far bigger rebuild. The question now is how quickly his new-look side can show it on the pitch.
