Roberto De Zerbi Offers Update on Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Bergvall at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur continued their pre-season campaign in Australia with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Sydney FC after a 1-1 draw at Allianz Stadium. Mathys Tel opened the scoring for Spurs with a 25-yard free-kick before Takahiro Sekine equalised for the A-League side. Following the match, head coach Roberto De Zerbi provided extensive updates on squad fitness and ongoing transfer activity ahead of their upcoming Sydney Super Cup fixture against Chelsea at Accor Stadium.

Fernandes Fitness and Load Management

New arrival Mateus Fernandes was left out of the matchday squad entirely, sparking fitness concerns among supporters. De Zerbi clarified that the 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder was sidelined strictly due to calf fatigue and load management.

"Fernandes is just fatigued, the calf," De Zerbi stated, adding that the club opted against taking risks. Fernandes will not feature against Chelsea on Saturday but is slated to resume training when the squad returns to London next week.

De Zerbi emphasised caution with several first-team figures following international duties and previous injury layoffs. Key players including Dominic Solanke, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Destiny Udogie were rested. Meanwhile, record signing Sandro Tonali came off the bench at half-time, while summer acquisition Andy Robertson made his first appearance for the club.

Bergvall's Uncertain Future

With Fernandes absent, 20-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall started in the double pivot alongside Archie Gray. Bergvall has signaled a desire to leave North London to secure regular starting minutes, drawing transfer interest from Newcastle and a rejected bid from Nottingham Forest.

Addressing the Swede's situation, De Zerbi made it clear he cannot offer guaranteed starting spots despite wanting the player to remain. "He wants space... I can't give, for any player in the world, the place in the first XI guaranteed," De Zerbi noted, instructing the midfielder to speak with club executives Vinai Venkatesham or Johan Lange if he seeks an exit.

Youngsters Impress Down Under

While senior squad rotation remains top of mind, younger prospects seized their chances in Sydney. Mathys Tel delivered a standout performance capped by his curling first-half free-kick, while 17-year-old academy product Luca Williams-Barnett struck the crossbar in normal time before scoring a Panenka in the shootout. De Zerbi praised Williams-Barnett as a "precious diamond" and potential special talent, echoing defender Ben Davies' sentiments regarding the teenager's fearless approach.