Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that two of his first-team stars are still injured and will not feature in their pre-season clash with Vissel Kobe this weekend.
Spurs will kick off their tour of Asia with a game against the J1 League champions at the Japan National Stadium on Saturday.
Following this match, they will fly to South Korea to take on the K-League All Stars in midweek and German giants Bayern Munich in Seoul next weekend before returning to London.
The summer has been promising for the Lilywhites so far, with the side picking up victories against Cambridge United, Hearts and Queens Park Rangers.
Additionally, academy talents such as Will Lankshear and Mikey Moore have delivered standout performances, as have new signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
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Postecoglou confirms two first-team players out for Vissel Kobe fixture
In a Friday media session, Postecoglou disclosed that both Richarlison and Destiny Udogie will not feature this weekend against Vissel Kobe due to injury.
Neither player has played a minute for Spurs this pre-season so far as they continue to work their way back to full fitness ahead of the new season.
Richarlison sat out the final few games of the 2023-24 campaign due to a calf issue and also missed out on the Copa America with Brazil, while Udogie underwent surgery on his left quadriceps in late April.
One player who might be able to return to action for Spurs, though, is Ben Davies, who has resumed training after a period on the treatment table.
"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," Postecoglou told reporters in his pre-match press conference when asked about the latest on the injury front.
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Concerns growing over Richarlison's injury record
Spurs will have a major decision to make this summer around whether to bring in a new striker for the foreseeable future having not opted to do so since the departure of Harry Kane last year.
Richarlison demonstrated last season that he could be a promising option, having scored nine goals in a streak of 10 league games at one point.
However, the Brazilian's injury record does create concerns, and while there is no doubting his ability when he is fit, Spurs will need a striker they can depend on consistently.
The 27-year-old has been attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia this summer and it is yet to be seen if the Lilywhites look to move him on in search of someone new to lead the line.
Spurs have been linked with a few notable attacking players in recent weeks, including Juventus forward Federico Chiesa and Bournemouth front-man Dominic Solanke.
Devesh Jaganath
