Tottenham hit with new injury blow on eve of season as Roberto De Zerbi provides eight-man update | OneFootball

Captain Micky van de Ven is not fit but there is positive news on five players

Tottenham will be without Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro for their first game of the new Premier League season.

The pair has been joined on the sidelined by Pape Matar Sarr, who has picked up a hamstring injury in the days leading up to Saturday’s trip to Brentford.

Roberto De Zerbi told reporters on Friday: “Micky is not on the list for tomorrow, like Pedro Porro.

“The other players are all inside. James Maddison is inside, [Dominic] Solanke inside, [Destiny] Udogie, [Mateus] Fernandes also.

“Pape Matar Sarr no, because he felt some pain in his hamstring today. Nothing serious, but we don’t take risks.

“Kudus is almost ready.”

On Van de Ven, De Zerbi added: “Today, he worked the group, and he is going very well.

“He suffered a problem during the pre-season of Australia, I don’t know if it was the flight, but not a big problem.

“We have [Marcos] Senesi, we have Ben Davies and in the right condition to play the game tomorrow.”

The absence of Van de Ven and Porro for the trip to west London means Spurs will be without their new captain and first vice-skipper for the first game of the new season.

As detailed by De Zerbi, Ben Davies is third, but is not expected to start on Saturday, while Maddison in fourth is lacking match fitness.

Archie Gray, fifth on the leadership list, could be wearing the armband while deputising at right-back for Porro.

De Zerbi will hope to give minutes to the likes of Maddison, Solanke and Udogie, while £85million signing Fernandes is pushing to start in midfield on his debut.