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Postecoglou’s strongest Spurs XI vs Hearts as Phillips starts, Udogie question

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Postecoglou’s strongest Spurs XI vs Hearts as Phillips starts, Udogie question

Tottenham’s first pre-season friendly of the summer is now less than two weeks away. Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side start their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Scottish Premiership team Hearts at Tynecastle on Wednesday, July 17.

It is the first game in what is to be a very busy summer for the Lilywhites as they have six friendlies on the calendar in total. Following their match against Hearts in Edinburgh, Tottenham make the trip across London three days later to take on Championship side QPR at Loftus Road.




The team will then be jetting off to Japan for a match against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo, before then making the move to South Korea for further games against Team K League and Bayern Munich. Spurs will come up against the German side once again seven days later at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a game that will see Harry Kane and Eric Dier make their return to N17 after both linking up with Bayern last term.


Postecoglou should certainly have a very strong squad to choose from for the team’s first friendly against Hearts as only a handful of players were called up to participate in the international tournaments taking place this summer. As Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will currently be enjoying a well-earned break after their Euro 2024 elimination, it could be after the Hearts game when the trio return to Hotspur Way to begin their pre-season preparations.

Postecoglou does look set to be without Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Bentancur for the Hearts game after they reached the latter stages of the Copa America, with Micky van de Ven also in the same boat after Netherlands progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Euros. New signings Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray could be involved in the Tottenham XI against Hearts and Timo Werner will also be available again after rejoining the club on a season-long loan deal from RB Leipzig.

So what is the strongest team Postecoglou can field against Steven Naismith’s Hearts side? football.london takes a look below.

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As it’s not clear yet when exactly Guglielmo Vicario will return to Hotspur Way following Italy’s Euro 2024 elimination, Fraser Forster, providing he is fit of course, could take his place in goal at Tynecastle. The experienced goalkeeper has been on the sidelines since the middle of February due to a fracture in his foot but he should have had sufficient time to fully recover from the injury.

(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

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Pedro Porro’s omission from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad means that he will be at Hotspur Way nice and early for the start of pre-season training. He’s an obvious choice at right-back for the Hearts game.

(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

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Ange Postecoglou looks set to be without a host of centre-backs for the Hearts game due to their participation in the international tournaments this summer. Ashley Phillips could be set to benefit as a result by coming into the Tottenham XI in Edinburgh.

(Image: Joe Toth/Tottenham Hotspur FC/REX/Shutterstock)

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Ben Davies played as a centre-back on a handful of occasions last season and that may be the case once again for the Hearts game.

(Image: (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images))

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Destiny Udogie unfortunately missed the final month of the 2023/24 season after undergoing surgery to his left quadriceps. Tottenham said at the time that he is “expected to rejoin the squad during pre-season” but it’s not clear yet as to when exactly that will be.

The Italian is most definitely a starter at Hearts if he’s in a position to do so. If not, Spurs may have to shuffle things about in defence and that could open up the door for one of Emerson Royal, Alfie Dorrington or Sergio Reguilon to come in.


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Yves Bissouma will want to hit the ground running at the start of the season once again after a disappointing end to the 2023/24 campaign for the Mali international.

(Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images))

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Pape Matar Sarr will likely be a starter against Hearts unless the head coach decides to give new signing Archie Gray an immediate opportunity in his Tottenham XI. With Rodrigo Bentancur currently playing at the Copa America, Sarr can make his case to Ange Postecoglou for a starting berth in the Premier League opener at Leicester City.


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James Maddison will be raring to go in pre-season after missing out on Gareth Southgate’s final England squad for the Euros. The player ideally needs a fast start to the new campaign after struggling upon his return from injury last January.

New signing Lucas Bergvall could possibly be an option from the bench at Tynecastle.

(Image: (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) )

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Dejan Kulusevski finished last season with a strong showing in the win at Sheffield United and he will be determined to carry on from where he left off. Ange Postecoglou certainly has options on the right flank with Brennan Johnson also to choose from.

(Image: (Image: GETTY))

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Richarlison needs a strong pre-season with Tottenham on the lookout for a new striker ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The Brazilian did enjoy an impressive run in front of goal midway through last term but injury unfortunately meant the second half of his season was extremely stop-start.

(Image: Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

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Son Heung-min will have had a decent rest this summer with South Korea not participating in an international tournament. Hopefully that bodes well for the season ahead as he looks to lift silverware with the Lilywhites.

(Image: .(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images))

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