Tottenham set to have their first pre-season match this week

The Tottenham Hotspur squad returned from their holidays to Hotspur Way on Saturday, marking the start of pre-season training. Spurs will play their first friendly of the summer against Cambridge United this Saturday, behind closed doors.

The majority of the Tottenham squad reported for pre-season training over the weekend, undergoing various tests before hitting the grass on Sunday. Spurs are now set to move into the next phase of their pre-season development under new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The friendly against Cambridge United will take place at Hotspur Way, providing the first opportunity for new signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to get up to speed with Postecoglou’s high-intensity approach.

According to football.london, behind-closed-doors friendlies tend to be more fragmented than official matches. These games are often split into three 30-minute segments rather than two halves, allowing different players to get varied amounts of playing time. The match against Cambridge, a League One side that began their pre-season a week earlier, will offer a significant fitness test for the Spurs players.

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Tottenham set to have their first pre-season match this week

Following the Cambridge match, Tottenham will face Hearts in Scotland on Wednesday, July 17th, and QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday, July 20th. The team will then travel to Japan and South Korea for further fixtures before returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Bayern Munich on Saturday, August 10th.

While it is uncommon to arrange a friendly so early in pre-season, it aligns with Postecoglou's preference for high-intensity ball work over traditional fitness and endurance drills. This approach ensures that players get accustomed to match situations quickly, fostering better cohesion and tactical understanding.