Tottenham's Squad for Pre-Season Tour to New Zealand and Australia
Tottenham will take a fresh‑looking squad – and two of their headline summer arrivals – on a long-haul pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, as Ange Postecoglou sharpens his options for the new campaign.
Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson, both new signings and both late returnees from World Cup duty, are on the plane after rejoining training only this week. They sat out the 1-0 behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on Wednesday, but their inclusion for the tour underlines how quickly Postecoglou wants them integrated.
The early evidence of Spurs’ summer work came from another new face. Mateus Fernandes marked his outing against MK Dons with a thunderous third-minute volley, the only goal of the game, while Sandro Tonali also featured as he builds rhythm in midfield. It was a low-key friendly, but Fernandes’ strike offered a glimpse of the aggression and timing Tottenham hope to see more of when the real games arrive.
Not everyone is ready to step on a plane. Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will remain at Hotspur Way to continue rehabilitation, a cluster of attacking talent being carefully managed rather than rushed. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has picked up a minor knock in training and will stay behind for treatment.
World Cup exertions still shape the squad list. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr have been handed extended leave after their summer efforts, as have World Cup finalists Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi and Cristian Romero. Djed Spence, who also went deep into the tournament, will not travel either.
So the door opens wider for the next generation. Highly rated academy prospects Luca Williams-Barnett, Tyler Tingey and Mikey Moore are all included in a 35-man group that will face Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea. For them, this is more than a tour; it is an audition in front of a manager unafraid to trust youth.
Between the posts, Brandon Austin, Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky and Dylan Thompson will compete for minutes. In defence, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Malachi Hardy, Robertson, Kota Takai, Tingey, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and van Hecke give Postecoglou a mix of experience, power and left-footed balance.
Midfield looks stacked with variety. Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Jamie Donley, Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Reiss Russell-Denny, Tonali, Williams-Barnett and Yang Min-Hyeok all travel, offering every type of profile from deep-lying passers to high-energy pressers and creative No 10s.
The itinerary is clear. The battles for places are not. Across Auckland, Sydney and a high-profile meeting with Chelsea, this group will begin to decide who carries Tottenham’s momentum into the season – and which new names force their way into Postecoglou’s first serious team sheet.
