Why £85m Mateus Fernandes Missed Tottenham’s Clash With Sydney FC
Tottenham have explained why new £85 million signing Mateus Fernandes was left out of their pre-season friendly against Sydney FC, with the club confirming his absence was a precaution rather than an injury concern.
The Portuguese midfielder, who recently joined Spurs from London rivals West Ham, had featured in the club’s opening two pre-season matches before being left out of the squad for the game at Allianz Stadium.
Fernandes’ omission immediately raised concerns among Tottenham supporters, especially after images from a training session in Australia appeared to show him working away from the main group. However, reports suggest the decision was made to carefully manage his workload during a demanding pre-season schedule.
Head coach Roberto De Zerbi is taking a cautious approach with his squad as he aims to avoid fitness problems that affected the team last season. With Spurs preparing for a long campaign, the Italian coach is gradually building players’ fitness levels rather than risking unnecessary injuries.
Fernandes was not the only senior player rested for the Sydney FC match. Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Jan Paul van Hecke were also left out, highlighting that the decision was part of a wider rotation plan.
The midfielder has already impressed since arriving in north London. He scored a stunning volley in Tottenham’s 1-0 win over MK Dons before joining the squad for their tour of Australia.
He continued his preparations by coming off the bench against Auckland FC, helping Spurs secure a 2-0 victory with goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison as he continued to build match fitness ahead of the new season.
