Thomas Frank takes charge of his first match as Tottenham Hotspur head coach this weekend, as Spurs travel to Reading for their opening pre-season friendly. With a huge squad to work with and several returning internationals not yet fully integrated, predicting the line-up has been no easy task — but here’s how we at WeAreTottenhamTV expect the two halves to shape up.
Injury & Availability Round-Up
From Frank’s press conference, we know a few key names are ruled out of the opening fixture:
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James Maddison is only in part-training and won’t feature.
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Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Drăgușin are also unavailable.
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However, Lucas Bergvall is back and fit, while Mohammed Kudus is expected to make his first appearance in Spurs colours.
Frank confirmed that both Heung-Min Son and Cristian Romero will feature for one half each — a clue around which we’ve built our two predicted XIs.
🔵 First Half XI Prediction (4-3-3)
GK: Guglielmo Vicario
RB: Pedro Porro
CB: Kevin Danso
CB: Micky van de Ven
LB: Djed Spence
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur
CM: Pape Matar Sarr
CM: Lucas Bergvall
RW: Brennan Johnson
LW: Heung-Min Son (captain)
ST: Dominic Solanke
This side combines experienced heads with players who returned early for pre-season, notably Porro and Spence, who have had extended time under Frank. Bentancur is tipped to play the deep role, flanked by Sarr and Bergvall, while Johnson and Son offer width alongside Solanke leading the line.
⚪ Second Half XI Prediction (4-3-3)
GK: Antonin Kinski
RB: Archie Gray
CB: Cristian Romero (captain)
CB: Ben Davies
LB: Destiny Udogie
CM: Yves Bissouma
CM: Alfie Devine
CM: Jamie Donley
RW: Mohammed Kudus
LW: Mikey Moore
ST: Richarlison
Frank is expected to freshen things up entirely in the second half, giving debuts to summer arrivals Archie Gray and Mohammed Kudus. Kudus is set to start wide right and cut in, while homegrown starlet Mikey Moore looks likely to occupy the left. Richarlison spearheads the attack, and Cristian Romero takes the armband from Son.
The midfield trio blends energy, creativity and structure, with Bissouma sitting deep and Donley and Devine given licence to roam.
🧩 Notable Absentees & Overspill
Even with 22 players across two lineups, a host of talent will likely miss out, including:
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Dane Scarlett, Manor Solomon, Kota Takai, Luka Vušković, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, George Abbott, and Yang Min-Hyuk .
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Injured: Maddison, Kulusevski, Drăgușin, Phillips.
This reflects the squad depth Frank inherits — and the fierce competition for places as Spurs gear up for a demanding campaign across four competitions.
🎙️ Matchday Coverage
WeAreTottenhamTV will be live for full matchday coverage:
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⏱️ Pre-match Pump-Up with Kate & Jimbo at 1:30pm
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📺 Live Watchalong from 2:45pm
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🗣️ Post-Match Fan Show right after the final whistle
The Thomas Frank era begins — and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds
