Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on the injury status of key players Richarlison and Destiny Udogie ahead of the club's pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo, Japan. The Spurs are currently touring Japan and South Korea as part of their pre-season preparations.
Postecoglou confirmed that both Richarlison and Udogie are still working their way back to fitness from injury, stating they "aren't quite ready to play" just yet. This comes as Tottenham prepares for a match against Vissel Kobe this Saturday.
Neither player has featured for Spurs so far this summer. Richarlison missed the final few games of the 2023/24 campaign due to a calf issue, while Udogie underwent surgery on his left quadriceps in late April. Despite these setbacks, both players remain integral parts of the Tottenham team. As such, Postecoglou is eager to have them available as soon as possible ahead of their Premier League opener against Leicester City.
Potential return for Ben Davies
In addition to providing updates on Richarlison and Udogie, Postecoglou also hinted at a potential return for Welsh left-back Ben Davies. Like his teammates, Davies did not feature in Spurs' final matches last season due to a calf injury.
However, having recently completed a decade at the club, Davies has returned to training which could potentially lead him back onto the pitch during this pre-season tour.
Tottenham Hotspur manager, Ange Postecoglou, said:
"Yeah the guys who kind of participated in the games so far, plus Ben Davies has trained this week, So out of the travelling party I think it's just Richy and Destiny who aren't quite ready to play but everyone else is fit."
Preparing hard for the new season
Underlining his commitment towards preparing his squad thoroughly ahead of the new season, Postecoglu stated that he and his coaching staff are pushing players hard during their time in Tokyo. The squad experienced this firsthand after participating in a double session at their base shortly after landing in Japan.
Ange Postecoglou added:
"Nothing is really different from home to be honest, it’s just (about) constant improvement in our football, Obviously when you’re away from your home environment the training conditions are different and it’s all about adaption to that and not allowing it to affect our training levels and exposing the guys to different things.
"The boys are improving all the time and this time of year its about making sure we don’t miss a day or an opportunity to get ready for the start of the season, because you know that once the season starts, especially with us being back in Europe, there’ll be a heavy games program. For us as coaches this time of the year is really valuable so the last thing you want to do is come into a different environment and change your approach because of something not familiar to us.
"The first day we got here, literally off the flight, we had a double session and pushed the boys hard and they were excellent and they’ve really embraced the challenge of it."
While key players Richarlison and Udogie are still on the road to recovery, Tottenham's pre-season preparations continue unabated. With potential returns for other injured players and rigorous training sessions, Spurs fans can look forward to an exciting start to the new season.
