Why £85m signing did not start for Tottenham as Roberto De Zerbi makes Mykhailo Mudryk admission

Fernandes was left on the bench as Spurs were held to a 0-0 draw at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, with Conor Gallagher starting ahead of him in the No10 position.

The 22-year-old was introduced in the 83rd minute but struggled to impose himself on the game, taking the fewest touches of any Spurs player on the pitch.

Fernandes’ exclusion from the starting lineup prompted talk that he may have picked up an injury, with the former West Ham man having struggled for fitness since arriving in north London this summer.

De Zerbi, though, admitted after the game that the Portuguese was fit and that the decision not to start him was taken as he believed Gallagher would be better suited to the physical tempo of the game.

Substitute: Mateus Fernandes

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A scrappy encounter ended goalless, with Spurs’ midfield three of Gallagher, Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur covering 31.9km between them as they battled for control in the centre of the park.

"I have experience to know enough what is this stadium. This stadium is England football and Gallagher he knows better this type of game. Mateus will become for sure in my time at Tottenham one of the best players but I'm lucky because I have many good players and I have to find the right first XI [for each game],” De Zerbi said.

The Italian was impressed with his team’s performance as they held on for their first point of the season.

New addition: Mykhailo Mudryk

PA

However, he went on to add that there was a lot more to come from Mathys Tel - the young French winger endured a difficult afternoon as his decision-making let him down in the final third - while suggesting that debutant Mykhailo Mudryk will take time to adapt after an ineffectual cameo off the bench.

"He [Mudryk] is not ready yet. He's working to reach the best physical condition. He needs time, he needs work. In that position, we have Tel, big potential. But also Mathys takes too many wrong decisions, and Mudryk. So, two big players, two big potential players."