Tottenham XI vs MK Dons: Team news and predicted lineup as Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes eye debuts

Tottenham kick-start their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons on Wednesday evening.Spurs have been back in training at Hotspur Way for the last two weeks and will now play their first friendly as Roberto De Zerbi gets to see how his team is shaping up ahead of the new Premier League campaign.Tottenham have been busy in the summer transfer window, spending in excess of £200million on six new players, and both Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are in line to play some part against MK Dons.Tonali may potentially see his minutes limited, though, as he joined pre-season training late due to work permit issues.Fellow new signing Martin Dubravka has also been part of training, but those who were involved at the World Cup this summer have not yet joined up with the rest of the squad.That includes £55m Netherlands centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson.Pedro Porro, who started for Spain on Sunday as they beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time, Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi will also take extended breaks following the World Cup final.Debuts loading: Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes could both feature for Tottenham against MK DonsTottenham HotspurThere are a number of players on the comeback trail following injury, with Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert still some way from returning from their respective anterior cruciate ligament issues despite being pictured at the training ground.Mohammed Kudus has also been spotted at Hotspur Way, but he too is following a separate rehabilitation plan as he works his way back to fitness after a serious quad injury.Read MoreThe same applies to Dejan Kulusevski, who did not play a single minute of football last season due to a troublesome knee injury.Youngsters Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear have been involved with the first-team squad and could get minutes against MK Dons as De Zerbi assesses the pair ahead of the new season.Lankshear looks to be edging towards a permanent exit, with Middlesbrough reportedly interested in the English striker, while Moore remains highly coveted after an impressive loan spell at Rangers.De Zerbi has yet to decide whether the pair have a first-team future at Spurs and could use Wednesday’s game as an indicator of their suitability.Fellow academy player Jamie Donley has been involved with the first team and is said to have impressed De Zerbi in the last couple of weeks.De Zerbi is likely to make plenty of changes against MK Dons so every player can get some minutes under their belt.Heavy rotation is expected, but Standard Sport still had a go at predicting the starting lineup for Spurs’ first pre-season friendly.Predicted Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Yang, Donley, Tel, SolankeTime and date: 5pm BST on Wednesday July 22, 2026Venue: Hotspur Way (behind closed doors)