Tottenham Pre-Season Double-Header Against Hoffenheim: Key Insights

Tottenham step up their pre-season preparations this weekend with a double-header against Hoffenheim that will test both Roberto De Zerbi’s plans and his squad’s depth.

The Bundesliga side visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, then the two clubs do it all again less than 24 hours later in a behind-closed-doors game at Hotspur Way. It’s not a quirk of the calendar; it’s deliberate overload. De Zerbi wants minutes in legs and answers in key positions before the Premier League curtain rises next weekend.

Team Strategy

Two games, two teams. That’s the expectation. Spurs are set to field almost entirely different starting XIs across the fixtures, with those who feature heavily today likely wrapped in cotton wool tomorrow, and those missing or lightly used in the first match pushed to the fore in the second. This is the final tune-up, and De Zerbi intends to use every available player to get there.

Pre-Season Record

Spurs remain unbeaten in pre-season, though that record comes with a small asterisk. Their last outing, a behind-closed-doors 70-minute friendly against Getafe, ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a controlled run-out rather than a statement performance, and the manager treated it that way. Some of those left out of that game — including new arrivals Mateus Fernandes and Marcos Senesi — were sent straight into an in-house friendly later the same day to top up sharpness.

Injuries and Absentees

Even with two separate fixtures and an extra internal game, the absentees are starting to pile up in a way that will trouble De Zerbi.

James Maddison, tipped as a leading candidate to take the armband once Cristian Romero completes his move to Atletico Madrid, has yet to play a single minute of pre-season. Spurs are being careful. The playmaker is still working his way back from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that wiped out most of his last campaign, and the club are refusing to cut corners with his return.

Micky van de Ven, another potential captain and fresh from signing a lucrative new contract, has also been missing from De Zerbi’s squads since he came back from extended post-World Cup leave. There is no clarity yet on whether the defender is dealing with a specific fitness issue, but the head coach will be desperate to involve him in some capacity over this Hoffenheim double-header. Leadership at the back is still very much up for grabs.

Potential Returns

One World Cup winner is expected to re-emerge. Pedro Porro is in line to feature after returning to the training ground this week to a guard of honour from his teammates. The 26-year-old, who signed a new long-term deal in June, is locked in as De Zerbi’s first-choice right-back. That status looks even more secure with Djed Spence on the verge of joining Inter Milan.

Spence will not be the only defender missing. Current captain Romero is in Madrid undergoing a medical ahead of his transfer to Atletico and is not expected to be involved against Hoffenheim. Both he and Spence are effectively already out the door, leaving De Zerbi to juggle his back line at a time when continuity would be welcome.

There is at least one potential boost further forward. Mohammed Kudus has returned to full-team training after a serious quad injury and could feature for the first time since January. His workload is being tightly controlled. De Zerbi has admitted the club rushed Kudus back once already, a decision that contributed to a setback in April. They will not repeat that mistake lightly.

Conclusion

Two games in two days, an unbeaten record to defend, a captaincy to resolve, and key players still nursing their way back. For De Zerbi, this weekend is less about the scoreline and more about one question: can he get this squad truly ready in time for opening day?