Tottenham's Pre-Season Update: Maddison and Fernandes Return

Tottenham’s final pre-season run-out of the summer comes with a mixed bill of news: big names back on the pitch, but major worries still hanging over Ange Postecoglou’s defence.

Less than 24 hours after a comfortable 3-0 win over Hoffenheim at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs meet the Bundesliga side again on Sunday, this time in a behind-closed-doors clash at Hotspur Way. Saturday belonged to Mikey Moore, who lit up north London. Sunday is about minutes, rhythm and, for a few, quiet comebacks.

Maddison finally returns

James Maddison starts and, for Tottenham, that matters.

The playmaker is making his first appearance of pre-season after an unspecified issue that followed his recovery from the anterior cruciate ligament injury which wiped out most of his last campaign. No easing in, no tentative cameo. He goes straight into Roberto De Zerbi’s XI, a clear sign Spurs want him sharp with the Premier League opener at Brentford looming next weekend.

Big-money signing back in the fold

Alongside him, Mateus Fernandes is also in from the start.

The £85million arrival from West Ham has barely been seen this summer after a minor calf problem cut short his involvement on the club’s tour of New Zealand and Australia. His return is a welcome sight for supporters eager to see what that fee actually buys in the heart of midfield.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr also come back into the side against Hoffenheim in Enfield, bolstering a central unit that suddenly looks far more like the one Postecoglou will trust when the real stuff begins.

On the left, Brazilian full-back Souza starts too. Signed in January and already the subject of speculation over a move away, he gets another chance to stake his claim rather than be treated as a fleeting stopover in north London.

Defence still a major concern

The optimism ends when you look at the absentees.

Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie remain missing and have not played a single minute of pre-season between them. For a side that leaned heavily on their athleticism and recovery pace last year, that is a glaring issue with Brentford just days away.

Kevin Danso is in the back line again after his red card in the dramatic 2-1 win over Chelsea in Sydney earlier this month, joined by veteran Ben Davies, who continues to be the steady presence managers fall back on when plans are disrupted.

Brandon Austin starts in goal, with Spurs using this second Hoffenheim game to spread minutes rather than chase spectacle.

Youthful edge at Hotspur Way

There is a clear developmental thread to De Zerbi’s selection.

Talented youngsters Luca Williams-Barnett, Tye Hall and Damola Ajayi all start, while the bench includes highly rated 15-year-old goalkeeper Mikel Jack. With the match staged behind closed doors, it becomes an ideal environment to test academy prospects alongside senior internationals without the noise of a packed stadium.

Solanke, Kudus and others still missing

Up front, the wait goes on for Dominic Solanke.

The striker is absent again, having not featured since playing 45 minutes against Chelsea on August 1 in his second outing of the summer. Mohammed Kudus is also not yet ready for match action, despite rejoining training after recovering from a serious quad injury.

Dejan Kulusevski has been back on the grass as well following the knee problem that has kept him out since May 2025, but his return to competitive football is still some way off.

Pedro Porro, meanwhile, has not played at all in pre-season after only just returning from an extended break granted in the wake of Spain’s World Cup triumph. His reintegration will have to be fast-tracked once this final friendly is out of the way.

So Spurs head towards Brentford with their creative core slowly reappearing, their record signing back in midfield, but a first-choice back line still stuck on the treatment table. The question now is simple: can they hit the ground running in the Premier League while patching up the very defence their season may depend on?