Tottenham Hotspur will be without their new captain Micky van de Ven and vice-captain Pedro Porro for Saturday's Premier League opener against Brentford, manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed. Pape Matar Sarr is also ruled out with a hamstring issue.
De Zerbi confirms absentees in pre-match press conference
Speaking ahead of the London derby, De Zerbi revealed the fitness concerns that have disrupted his squad's preparation for the new season. The Italian, who took charge after back-to-back 17th-place finishes, is aiming to restore Tottenham to the upper echelons of the Premier League.
'Micky is not on the list tomorrow like Pedro Porro,' De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference, shortly after announcing the pair as the club's new captain and vice-captain. 'James Maddison is inside [the list], Dominic Solanke inside, [Destiny] Udogie inside, Mateus Fernandes inside.'
Summer spending spree and World Cup winner in squad
Tottenham have been active in the transfer market this summer, bringing in Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson to bolster the squad. The club also boasts World Cup winner Porro, who was outstanding for Spain throughout the tournament, but the right-back will not feature this weekend.
De Zerbi added: 'Pape Matar Sarr is not because he felt some pain, hamstring I think. Nothing important but we don't take risks especially in this moment. [Mohammed] Kudus is almost ready.'
Van de Ven's fitness and defensive cover
Van de Ven, who has suffered numerous injury issues during his three seasons in north London, worked with the group in training on the day before the match. De Zerbi provided an update on the Dutch defender's condition.
'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,' De Zerbi said. 'We have [Marcos] Senesi and we have Ben Davies in the right condition to play the game tomorrow.'
The exact nature of Porro's absence remains unclear, with speculation that he may be given extra time to recover after returning late to training following his World Cup heroics. The club has not confirmed whether the right-back is injured or simply being managed carefully.
