How Tottenham should line up for Brentford opener with debuts galore

Following an aggressive summer of spending, in which they have parted with £237million on six new players, expectations are high as Spurs look to put back-to-back 17th-place finishes firmly behind them.

An unbeaten pre-season has allowed De Zerbi’s side to build some momentum and confidence heading into the new campaign, but it has not been a perfect summer of preparations by any stretch.

Fitness concerns continue to plague Spurs, and while De Zerbi is right to err on the side of caution with certain players, he will nonetheless be frustrated at how few minutes some individuals have been able to play.

James Maddison has had to be managed carefully as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

There are also concerns about Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven, neither of whom played a single minute during pre-season.

Udogie is being managed carefully after a succession of muscular issues, but it is unclear why Van de Ven has not played since returning from the World Cup.

Dominic Solanke is also a doubt for the weekend, with De Zerbi reluctant to rush the striker back too quickly after he missed the majority of last season with ankle and hamstring injuries.

De Zerbi has a number of selection headaches to consider, not least whether to risk £85million signing Mateus Fernandes.

The former West Ham midfielder has been in and out of the side during pre-season with what De Zerbi described as calf fatigue.

He started the behind-closed-doors friendly against Hoffenheim, but there remains concern that he is not yet fully fit.

The same goes for Pedro Porro, who only returned to training last week after helping Spain to win the World Cup.

There had been hope that Mohammed Kudus could feature against Brentford after recovering from a serious quad injury.

However, the Ghanaian winger has still not played since January, and it seems unlikely that he will be thrown straight into the team after so long on the sidelines.

Spurs are short of options on the right wing, but there is still hope they can get a deal over the line for Manchester City’s Savinho after he was left out of their squad for the Community Shield.

Tottenham are in a race against time to seal a deal but know that the Brazilian could slot straight in if they are able to strike an agreement with City.

Long-term absentees Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski are all progressing but still some way from a return to action.

Spurs, led by performance director Dan Lewindon, have begun implementing changes behind the scenes following their injury nightmare over the last two seasons. That includes revamping the gym at the club’s training ground and more personalised player care.

The results of those changes will not, however, be instantaneous. So, for now, familiar issues remain as De Zerbi looks for short-term solutions to Spurs’ ongoing fitness woes.

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Brentford (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Savinho, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison