Spurs Prepare Behind Closed Doors as De Zerbi Focuses on Premier League
Tottenham are back on home soil, but there will be no fanfare this afternoon. No crowd, no music, no pyrotechnics. Just Getafe, a quiet Hotspur Way, and a manager intent on turning a promising pre-season into something more serious.
After a long, productive swing through New Zealand and Australia, Spurs slipped back into London this week with momentum in their luggage. Four games unbeaten so far this summer, capped by that wild, last-gasp 2-1 win over Chelsea, have given Roberto De Zerbi a platform. Now comes the detail work.
From Down Under drama to controlled rehearsal
The Chelsea game in Australia told De Zerbi plenty. Reduced to 10 men after Kevin Danso’s red card, Spurs still found a way, Richarlison stealing it with virtually the last kick. It was chaotic, emotional, and exactly the sort of contest that exposes character as much as fitness.
Today is different. Getafe at Hotspur Way is about control. Shapes, distances, automatisms. De Zerbi knows the Premier League opener at Brentford is only two weeks away, and the time for gentle experimentation is shrinking.
He also knows what wrecked Spurs last season. Injuries ripped through his squad, shredded rhythm, and turned a promising campaign into a slog. He is not about to repeat that mistake.
Injury caution as key men wait
The medical bulletin still shapes every team sheet. Destiny Udogie and James Maddison have yet to kick a ball in pre-season. Maddison’s hip problem has become a clock-watching exercise, a genuine race to be ready for Brentford. Spurs will not rush him, but they also know how different they look with him on the pitch.
Micky van de Ven, on the verge of signing a new contract, has also been parked on the sidelines since returning from the World Cup. His absence has allowed others to stake a claim, yet De Zerbi will want his quickest defender back in harness as soon as the numbers allow.
Dominic Solanke, the big attacking addition, finally tasted pre-season minutes against Chelsea. Those first touches in a Spurs shirt matter. Today’s behind-closed-doors test offers another chance to build timing with the players around him.
Kudus and Kulusevski: two comebacks, different speeds
The most encouraging pictures this week came from the training pitches. Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski, both long-term absentees, were seen running together at Hotspur Way. Two creative pillars, two very different timelines.
Kudus has been out since January with a serious quad injury. Now he is back with the main group, edging closer to full fitness. Spurs will still treat him carefully, and it remains doubtful he will be involved against Getafe, but the trajectory is finally upward.
Kulusevski’s road is longer. A patella injury in May 2025 has kept him out for over a year. Spurs are taking no chances. The Swedish playmaker is not yet in full team training and is some distance from a competitive return. For De Zerbi, it is about patience, not temptation.
Fernandes back in the frame
One player who could change the feel of this friendly is Mateus Fernandes. The £85million signing has shaken off the calf issue that ruled him out of Spurs’ last two games and is in contention to feature today.
De Zerbi needs his new-look midfield to click quickly. Building understanding after a heavy summer of spending is as important as topping up fitness. A near full-strength XI against Getafe would give him a better look at the combinations he might trust at Brentford.
A likely shape? Kinsky in goal; Gray, Van de Ven, Van Hecke and Robertson across the back; Fernandes alongside Tonali in midfield; Williams-Barnett, Gallagher and Tel supporting Solanke up front. On paper, it is aggressive, technical, and built to dominate the ball.
But paper doesn’t win you points in August.
Quiet setting, loud implications
There will be no TV cameras in the stands beyond the club’s own SPURSPLAY feed, no roar when the teams walk out at 3pm BST. Just the thud of passes, the shouts of coaches, the small details that managers obsess over and supporters rarely hear.
For De Zerbi, this is a dress rehearsal in everything but name. Getafe offer LaLiga nous, tactical discipline, and the sort of stubborn resistance Spurs will see often in the months ahead. Break them down here, and he learns something. Struggle, and he learns something else.
Once Getafe are out of the way, a double-header against Hoffenheim awaits next weekend, the final tune-up before the curtain rises at Brentford. By then, De Zerbi will hope Maddison is closer, Udogie is ready to run, Kudus is knocking on the door, and Fernandes has minutes in his legs.
The tour is over. The travel is done. Now, behind closed doors at Hotspur Way, Spurs start to find out what they really are.
