Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro Tonali is preparing to face his former club Newcastle United on Saturday after head coach Roberto De Zerbi left the Italian out of midweek cup action to work on his physical condition.
The 26-year-old midfielder joined Tottenham from Newcastle in July for £100million, making him the headline acquisition of a summer spending drive that is now approaching £400million. However, Tonali endured a difficult competitive debut on the opening weekend of the Premier League season as Spurs suffered a 3-0 defeat away at Brentford.
Tonali had identified the upcoming clash against Newcastle immediately after arriving in north London. Speaking to Tottenham's in-house media during his first interview as a Spurs player, he said: "Newcastle second game, really I can't wait to play." Tonali explained that the move made him feel 16 again and highlighted a connection with De Zerbi that he described as "close to magic."
Spurs recruited Tonali to serve as an authority figure in the heart of midfield, providing power, industry, and tactical acumen alongside technical poise to restore balance lost in recent seasons. Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe previously praised Tonali's qualities, stating there were "Definite links to (Andrea) Pirlo" and adding: "And it's not just the hair." Howe also lauded Tonali's work out of possession, noting his knack for "putting out fires" across the pitch.
Tonali demonstrated those qualities during pre-season, setting the tempo and controlling play in a friendly against German side Hoffenheim as teammate Lucas Bergvall flourished beside him. Yet when the Premier League campaign opened at Brentford, neither Tonali nor Tottenham could match the intensity required, with Bees debutant Mamadou Sangare dominating midfield.
Despite struggling to control the match, performance metrics indicated no lack of exertion from the Italian. Tonali covered 11,948 metres during the match, with only Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt logging more distance. Tonali also ranked among the top three players on the pitch for total touches and line-breaking passes, while trailing only Tottenham forwards Richarlison and Conor Gallagher in team pressing statistics.
Brentford dictated terms throughout the encounter, securing a comfortable three-goal victory that could have produced an even wider margin. Tonali was unable to break Brentford's rhythm or exert authority over the contest, leading to scrutiny surrounding his record transfer fee.
Following the match, De Zerbi delivered a blunt assessment of Tottenham's performance, blaming the atrocious display on too many players being "not in the right physical condition." The Italian coach stressed that establishing team spirit and tactical organisation would require time.
De Zerbi explains fitness concerns
De Zerbi subsequently left Tonali and defender Marcos Senesi out of Tottenham's squad for Wednesday's 5-0 Carabao Cup second round victory over Charlton Athletic, requiring both players to remain at the training ground instead. Addressing Tonali's omission before the match, De Zerbi said: "Sandro has to work to feel better in terms of physical condition."
The reasons for Senesi's delayed conditioning were clear, as the defender represented Argentina against Spain in the World Cup final on July 19 and missed a significant portion of pre-season. Tonali, by contrast, did not participate in the World Cup after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive tournament, allowing him to train under De Zerbi throughout pre-season.
Only four players in Tottenham's starting lineup against Brentford had featured at the World Cup, accumulating a combined 901 minutes of action. By comparison, title holders Manchester City fielded eight players with 3,351 World Cup minutes in their starting XI against Bournemouth.
Addressing supporter concerns over Spurs appearing undercooked, De Zerbi highlighted extra time off granted to senior players like Rodrigo Bentancur and logistical challenges during pre-season travel to New Zealand and Australia. De Zerbi revealed that club captain Micky van de Ven suffered an injury linked to flight travel during the tour.
Several other players sustained injuries during the trip Down Under, including £85million signing Mateus Fernandes, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, and James Maddison. Although none of the injuries were severe, they disrupted fitness regimes and prompted De Zerbi to start all four on the bench against Brentford.
Detailing the tour schedule, De Zerbi said: "At the beginning of Australia we played every three days. The trip was 25-26 hours and the day after we couldn't work in the right condition. When we came here, we couldn't work immediately because there was a friendly game against Getafe. In the last two weeks, the players from the World Cup came and we worked in different situations, but I think he needs more time, like JP."
Spurs bounce back before Newcastle clash
The player referenced as "JP" by De Zerbi is defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who completed a £54million summer move to Tottenham from Brighton. Van Hecke had fewer than three weeks of rest between returning from the World Cup and embarking on the tour to Australasia.
Van Hecke acknowledged the physical demands of the summer schedule, stating: "Physically, of course, it impacts your body. I also struggled for one or two weeks after and that's not ideal."
Tottenham steadied their campaign with a five-goal victory over Charlton's reserves in midweek. The match featured a goalscoring debut for Brazilian winger Savio, who arrived this week alongside forward Omar Marmoush in a double deal from Manchester City, while Spurs maintain an interest in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
Attention now turns to Saturday's Premier League fixture against Newcastle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking Tonali's first opportunity to face his former club. Newcastle travel to north London following an impressive 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday, having emerged from weeks of internal turmoil.
