Tottenham begin their preseason schedule against MK Dons today, and fans can find all the key information here, including how to watch the live stream, the latest team news, predicted lineups and what to expect from the opening friendly.
With several first-team regulars, new arrivals and academy prospects all expected to feature, Roberto de Zerbi’s team selection could provide the first major clues about Tottenham’s plans for the season ahead.
Kickoff at Hotspur Way is set for 5 p.m. BST (noon ET, 9 a.m. PT), and the behind-closed-doors friendly streams live on Tottenham’s SPURSPLAY platform, which is carrying all seven of the club’s confirmed preseason matches this summer, subject to regional availability.
| MK Dons | ||
| Predicted Starting XI — Subject to change | ||
| Position | Role | Player |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Goalkeeper | Craig MacGillivray |
| RB | Defender | Odeluga Offiah |
| CB | Defender | Zak Jules |
| CB | Defender | Matthew Dennis |
| RM | Midfielder | Cameron Thompson |
| CM | Midfielder | Lewis Bate |
| RM | Midfielder | Stephen Wearne |
| CM | Midfielder | MJ Williams |
| LM | Midfielder | Phoenix Scholtz |
| ST | Forward | Sonny Finch |
| ST | Forward | Emre Tezgel |
Pedro Porro’s World Cup Win Leaves Spurs Shorthanded
Pedro Porro will not be part of that Hotspur Way lineup. The Spain right back started Spain’s run to the World Cup semifinals and beyond, and FIFA’s mandated three-week posttournament recovery window, triggered by Sunday’s final, rules him out until early to mid-August at the earliest.
Porro is hardly alone. Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, Cristian Romero, Marcos Senesi and Djed Spence all remain away from the group following their own World Cup runs, according to Read Tottenham. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are still working back from torn ACLs, while Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski continue individual rehab programs of their own.
That absentee list swings the door wide open for two record signings. Sandro Tonali could finally get his first Tottenham minutes after a work permit delay kept the Italy midfielder out of the season’s opening training sessions, joining fellow summer arrival Mateus Fernandes, who has completed a full training block and looks ready to go. New goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is also available.
| Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Predicted Starting XI — Subject to change | ||
| Position | Role | Player |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Goalkeeper | Antonín Kinský |
| RB | Defender | Kaito Takai |
| CB | Defender | Ashley Phillips |
| CB | Defender | Ben Davies |
| LB | Defender | Destiny Udogie |
| CM | Midfielder | Mateus Fernandes |
| CM | Midfielder | Sandro Tonali |
| RW | Forward | Yang Min-hyuk |
| AM | Forward | Jamie Donley |
| LW | Forward | Mathys Tel |
| ST | Forward | Dominic Solanke |
Roberto De Zerbi’s Rebuild Faces Its First Test
De Zerbi took over in late March with Tottenham a single point above the Premier League relegation zone, and steadied a club that had gone winless in the league since December. This is his first match in charge of a squad reshaped since then by a record-breaking transfer window, one that brought in Tonali, Fernandes, Van Hecke, Robertson, Senesi and Dubravka.
The Italian built his reputation on possession-first football at Sassuolo before a historic sixth-place finish at Brighton and a strong Ligue 1 title challenge at Marseille that ended with his February exit, according to Sports Mole. His teams invite pressure before playing through it, a system that rewards composed defenders and wide attackers alike.
MK Dons arrive off a promotion, having finished second in League Two under Paul Warne to secure a return to League One. But captain Alex Gilbey now faces a nervous wait after a knee injury sustained blocking a shot in last week’s preseason opener against Maidenhead United.
“He fell awkwardly after some contact in the box, and it looks like he’s damaged his knee,” Warne said of Gilbey, as quoted by the Milton Keynes Citizen. “It doesn’t look worst-case scenario and we’re hoping it won’t be too bad.”
Today’s meeting is Tottenham and MK Dons’ first since a 2021 preseason friendly Spurs won 3-1. This time, De Zerbi gets his first look at a rebuilt midfield, and MK Dons get a measuring stick against Premier League opposition before their own season begins in earnest.
Watch Spurs vs. MK Dons Live Stream: Preview, News, Lineups for Preseason Opener