Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has revealed why Destiny Udogie and James Maddison were not involved in Spurs’ pre‑season match against Auckland FC.
Tottenham Hotspur have made it two wins out of two in pre-season this summer after their 2-0 victory against Auckland FC.
Goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison proved to be enough for the Lilywhites as Spurs continue to build up fitness ahead of the Premier League season.
It was a performance made in N17 as Roberto De Zerbi opted to start with a very youthful side after Tottenham’s long trip to Oceania.
De Zerbi explains limited involvement of Maddison and Udogie
However, a few senior stars have still not been involved in pre-season games for Tottenham since the 1-0 win over MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors match at Hotspur Way.
James Maddison was not part of De Zerbi’s side against the League One outfit, and neither was Destiny Udogie. The pair were also unavailable against Auckland FC, not even making the bench.
The Tottenham boss has now provided an update on why Maddison and Udogie have not featured in any pre‑season games so far.
Speaking to Football.london, he said: “He is [Maddison] not working the last five days, I think, like Udogie, but they have not a big problem, just to stay focused, do not take any risks.
“For the next game, the next friendly game against Sydney maybe we play with Tonali, with other players, maybe, we have got to see.”
Spurs cautious with minutes as injury history considered
De Zerbi’s cautious approach is not unreasonable, especially given the injury history of the two players.
Maddison is still fresh from an ACL injury, having played just 34 minutes in the last year since his setback last summer.
Udogie, on the other hand, often picks up knocks during the course of a season. In fact, last term he missed a total of 20 games.
Injuries have proved costly for Tottenham in the last two campaigns, and with that in mind Spurs will have to manage the minutes of their stars carefully this pre-season.