Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has calmed fears over James Maddison and Destiny Udogie, addressing why both were left out of Spurs’ pre-season win over Auckland FC.
Tottenham kept their unbeaten pre-season run going with a 2-0 victory, with goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison helping the squad sharpen up ahead of the new campaign. After the long trip to Oceania, De Zerbi opted for heavy rotation, handing chances to younger players while easing the load on his key men.
Still, fans couldn’t help but notice Maddison and Udogie were missing again — the pair had already sat out the closed-doors win over MK Dons and didn’t travel with the squad for the Auckland fixture, sparking some concern.
De Zerbi moved to calm those worries afterward, confirming neither man is seriously injured. Both had simply been held out of training in recent days as a precaution, he said, with the club unwilling to gamble with fitness this early in pre-season.
He added that both are on track to be involved when Tottenham face Sydney next, a match that should also see several senior players — including new arrival Sandro Tonali — return to action.
The careful approach fits with Tottenham’s broader push to avoid the injury setbacks that hurt them in past seasons. Maddison is still building back up after last year’s ACL injury, which restricted him to a mere 34 minutes of action across the whole of last season — hence the cautious handling as the club looks to have him firing by kickoff.
Udogie’s recent history has been similarly stop-start; the Italian full-back sat out 20 games last term through various knocks, making his workload another key focus for the coaching staff.
With De Zerbi eyeing a top-of-the-table push this season, he’s clearly choosing long-term readiness over pre-season results — something the medical and coaching staff are keeping a close eye on. Neither Maddison nor Udogie has featured in a pre-season game yet, but De Zerbi’s comments suggest there’s nothing to worry about — just smart squad management as Spurs build toward the new season.
