Mohammed Kudus and Pedro Porro omitted from Tottenham squad for Brentford opener

Mohammed Kudus and Pedro Porro were left out of Tottenham Hotspur’s squad for the Matchweek 1 Premier League fixture against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, 22 August. Manager Roberto De Zerbi explained the pair missed the match for separate reasons: an injury in one case and insufficient match fitness in the other.

Tottenham arrived at the season opener after a difficult 2025-26 campaign in which they finished 17th and narrowly preserved their Premier League status, a situation the club also faced in 2024-25. To strengthen the squad this summer, De Zerbi’s side signed Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, following a fairly average pre-season as they prepared to face Brentford.

Mohammed Kudus, described in the report as a star player, was omitted from the final squad because he is currently sidelined with an injury. De Zerbi said Kudus was nearing a return to action, without providing a specific comeback date.

Pedro Porro did not make the matchday squad owing to match fitness concerns after taking part in Spain’s run to win the FIFA World Cup 2026. The fullback arrived back to club duty later than expected and has not yet reached full fitness for the new season.

Broadcast details for the fixture were reported as Sky Sports for viewers in the host nation, with Jio Hotstar and the Star Sports Network available to show games live in other markets. The report did not list specific timelines for either player’s return to competitive action.

Both players should soon be back in aiding the team’s depth ahead of a long Premier League season. De Zerbi’s comments on Kudus’ recovery and Porro’s ongoing fitness work set the immediate expectation that neither absence is intended to be prolonged.