Tottenham injury update: Van de Ven, Kudus and Solanke latest ahead of Brentford opener

Tottenham are preparing for their Premier League opener against Brentford with Roberto De Zerbi still dealing with a lengthy injury and fitness list, including concerns over Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus and Dominic Solanke.

Spurs completed their public pre-season schedule with a 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday before drawing 2-2 with the Bundesliga side in a behind-closed-doors fixture at Hotspur Way on Sunday.

There was encouraging news in that second game. £85million summer signing Mateus Fernandes completed the full 90 minutes, while James Maddison played the opening half as a false nine as he continues his comeback from ACL surgery.

Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies and Souza also featured.

However, several important players remain short of match action with Tottenham's trip to Brentford on August 22 rapidly approaching.

Perhaps the biggest immediate question surrounds Micky van de Ven, who has not played a single minute during Tottenham's pre-season programme.

The Netherlands international returned late following World Cup duty but subsequently missed the friendlies against Getafe and Hoffenheim.

Van de Ven also did not train with the main group during Tottenham's tour.

De Zerbi previously explained that the defender, along with several teammates, was not considered ready to play without taking unnecessary risks.

“Danso, Van de Ven, Solanke, JP van Hecke... were not yet ready to play without risk,” De Zerbi said during the tour.

There has been no confirmation of a specific injury for Van de Ven, meaning his situation appears to be centred around fitness and readiness.

With the Brentford game now only days away, however, his complete lack of pre-season minutes creates obvious uncertainty.

Potential return date: August 22 vs Brentford (A)

There is more encouraging news surrounding Mohammed Kudus.

The Ghana international has been pictured back on the training pitch and striking balls alongside his Tottenham teammates following a lengthy absence with a quad tendon problem.

Kudus has not played since suffering the injury against Manchester City in January.

An attempted return earlier this year was delayed after he suffered a setback despite initially returning to team training.

De Zerbi indicated during Tottenham's pre-season tour that the former West Ham attacker was finally approaching the end of his rehabilitation.

“Kudus is very close, I think,” De Zerbi said.

“When we come back to London, he will be available to start to work with us. It is a great thing for us because Kudus is another important player.”

He has still not featured in a pre-season match, so Tottenham are unlikely to rush him straight back into competitive action.

Potential return date: August 26 vs Charlton (H)

Dominic Solanke is another significant concern ahead of the new campaign.

The striker struggled with a recurring ankle problem last season and has managed only two appearances during Tottenham's pre-season preparations.

His most recent minutes came against Chelsea in Australia, and he was absent from both Hoffenheim fixtures over the weekend.

Solanke had previously expressed optimism about his condition after a difficult campaign.

“I feel good,” he said during the tour. “It was a very tough year last year for me. I missed pretty much the majority of the season with injuries.”

The striker added that remaining fit throughout the new campaign was now one of his main priorities.

His absence from the final two preparation matches nevertheless leaves De Zerbi with a decision to make in attack.

Potential return date: August 26 vs Charlton (H)

Destiny Udogie has also gone through the entire pre-season campaign without playing.

De Zerbi previously revealed the Italian left-back had suffered a minor problem before Tottenham's friendlies, but he has yet to return to match action.

There has also been little indication of Udogie taking part in full team training.

His absence is particularly significant given the uncertainty surrounding Tottenham's defensive options heading into the Brentford match.

Potential return date: August 26 vs Charlton

Tottenham are taking an understandably cautious approach with Dejan Kulusevski following his complicated patella injury.

The Sweden international has not played for Spurs for around 15 months and was unable to recover in time to feature at the World Cup.

Like Kudus, Kulusevski has recently been seen performing shooting drills on the training pitch.

However, De Zerbi has made clear Tottenham will not accelerate his rehabilitation unnecessarily.

“I wouldn't like to put too much pressure on him to accelerate the process of rehab,” the Spurs boss explained.

“After one season, one complete season, without games, we have to analyse better and better and don't take risks for sure.”

Potential return date: Late 2026

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are both facing extended spells on the sidelines after suffering ACL injuries.

Simons tore his ACL against Wolves in April and is not expected back until at least the beginning of 2027.

Odobert suffered the same injury against Newcastle in February. Although the Frenchman has posted encouraging updates from his rehabilitation, he also remains several months away from returning to first-team action.

Simons potential return date: January 2027

Odobert potential return date: January 2027

One major positive for De Zerbi is the return of Mateus Fernandes.

There had been concerns that the £85m summer arrival from West Ham could miss the beginning of the season following a calf issue.

Those fears eased considerably on Sunday when Fernandes completed all 90 minutes of Tottenham's behind-closed-doors draw with Hoffenheim.

James Maddison also managed 45 minutes as he works his way back following ACL surgery.

Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson all came through Saturday's victory without apparent problems.

Tottenham begin their Premier League campaign away to Brentford on August 22, leaving De Zerbi with little time to recover some of his key players.

Van de Ven appears the most realistic of the major absentees to potentially return for the opener, although his lack of match preparation will be a concern.

Kudus and Solanke may require more time, while Udogie is also yet to play during pre-season.

The return of Fernandes and Maddison provides some encouragement, but Tottenham will once again begin a Premier League season with injuries playing a significant role in De Zerbi's selection decisions.