Tottenham fans were understandably anxious when the team sheets were released for Wednesday’s friendly against A-League side, with £85 million arrival Fernandes nowhere to be seen. The 22-year-old midfielder has quickly become the focal point of Spurs' summer rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi, and his absence immediately sparked fears that the club’s injury curse had struck again. These concerns were amplified after footage emerged from a recent training session in Australia, which appeared to show the former West Ham man watching from the sidelines while his team-mates were put through their paces.
However, it appears the decision to omit Fernandes was a precautionary measure rather than a response to a serious injury, according to The Standard. The gruelling nature of a global pre-season tour, combined with De Zerbi’s high-intensity tactical requirements, has led the coaching staff to adopt a cautious approach with their key assets.
The exclusion of Fernandes is part of a wider strategy from De Zerbi, who is determined to avoid the medical room nightmare that hampered the club last season. The Italian head coach knows he cannot afford to lose his best players before the competitive action even begins.
Fernandes was not the only high-profile star to be protected during the Sydney FC clash, as De Zerbi opted to leave out several other senior figures to manage their workloads. Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, and Jan Paul van Hecke were all also left out of the squad for the game at Allianz Stadium, indicating a systematic rotation policy rather than isolated fitness setbacks. By rotating his heavy hitters, De Zerbi is attempting to build fitness levels incrementally while providing opportunities for younger players to impress.
Fernandes made an immediate impact following his move from the London Stadium, marking his unofficial debut with a moment of pure quality. He scored a wonderful volley in the 1-0 victory over MK Dons last week before the team jetted off Down Under.
The momentum continued during the club's arrival in Oceania, where he was utilized as a second-half substitute to maintain his match sharpness. He then came on in the 62nd minute against Auckland FC on Sunday as Spurs completed a comfortable 2-0 win in front of a record crowd at Eden Park thanks to goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison.
While Fernandes watched from the stands, there was a significant boost for Tottenham regarding their other major summer acquisition. There had been some concerns that club-record signing Sandro Tonali, who joined from Newcastle for £100m last month, would miss out against Sydney FC after not being included at all in the squad to face Auckland. Fortunately for the Spurs supporters, those fears were quickly dismissed when the matchday roster was confirmed, with Tonali named among the substitutes.