Who to expect when Tottenham Hotspur visit MK Dons in friendly three?
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Hotspur will have their third run-out under new Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo Wednesday evening against MK Dons, what can we expect?
After a long summer of international excursions, Tottenham Hotspur is still short first-team players, with most coming back week-to-week. Last week Heung-Min Son was a surprise starter after only two days on the practice pitch. Now whether or not any returning players or maybe a new loanee might play we will see but there are some things we do know.
Who is still out for Tottenham?
Four Tottenham players are still out on their leave following their international play this summer. Harry Kane and Giovani Lo Celso were in the finals of the Euro 2020 and Copa America respectively, which did not end until June. Additionally, Davinson Sanchez and Pierre Højbjerg both reached the semi-finals in July.
That quartet of players may not be back until days before the Manchester City opener in August. Depending on how the summer window shakes out, some like Sanchez or possibly Kane may never play for Spurs again. Regardless, they are all out Wednesday and have yet to return to training.
Additionally, new signing Bryan Gil is definitely out as he continues to play for Spain in the Olympics and will join the club afterward in due course.
A few U-23’s likely out as well for Spurs
Having played a match on Tuesday, it is quite likely that a number of U-23 players who have gotten some time in the first two matches, like Kallum Cesay and Alfie Devine to name two, will be unavailable. Besides, Cesay and Devine, Jamie Bowden, and Brooklyn Lyons-Foster have gotten time in the preseason but played Tuesday.
While Cesay and Devine will not likely have a chance, plenty of other youth are available and are likely to see some time along with a few regulars.
Who might be available for Tottenham?
In theory Wales duo Ben Davies and Joe Rodon, along with French duo Hugo Lloris and Moussa Sissoko should all be returning this week. While Son made a quick return to the lineup after only a couple of days of practice it is difficult to say if the same will be true this week for any of the four.
Of the four returning players this week, Joe Rodon would be the most likely to play as the least experienced of the group. However, it is likely that all four players miss this one and return for the matches against Chelsea and Arsenal in the Mind Series.
The one possible addition to the team from last week could be the new loanee, goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. Gollini was announced on Saturday and has been with the club all week. It is possible Gollini is the second keeper to Alfie Whiteman with Joe Hart seemingly not in the plans moving forward. Then again with little time to settle, Gollini not playing would not be a surprise.