Roberto De Zerbi will have been keeping tabs on the Tottenham Hotspur players at the World Cup this summer.
Roberto De Zerbi will soon welcome some big names back to Hotspur Way. A handful of Tottenham Hotspur players returned to the club's training base in north London earlier this month to begin preparations for the new season.
Although the Italian has had the chance to work closely with his squad, many of those likely to be among the first names on the teamsheet have been absent due to their participation in the World Cup. The likes of Andy Robertson and Rodrigo Bentancur are expected to be among the first back in action, having failed to lead Scotland and Uruguay, respectively, out of the group stage.
Meanwhile, due to welfare rules, the likes of Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero, who locked horns in the final on Sunday night, may not return to Hotspur Way until mid-August. Last summer, ahead of the Club World Cup, FIFPRO called for a mandatory four-week break at the end of each season.
After a meeting with player unions, FIFA announced: "There is a consensus that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period/holiday of at least 21 days at the end of each season."
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So, any Tottenham player who at least reached the round of 16 at the World Cup may not return to training at Hotspur Way until the start of August, missing out on valuable time on the pitch. The Lilywhites had strong representation in the semi-finals, meaning some may miss the entirety of pre-season.
Although the late arrivals of some could significantly dent preparations, the respite could prove crucial ahead of another long, fixture-filled campaign. De Zerbi will also hope that those who participated in the World Cup have learned valuable lessons that can be useful in the Premier League as Spurs look to avoid another relegation battle.
So, with that being said, football.london has rated how every Tottenham player performed on the international stage this summer.
Pedro Porro
Porro became just the fourth Spurs player in history to ever win the World Cup, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Greaves (for England in 1966), Hugo Lloris (for France in 2018) and Cristian Romero (for Argentina in 2022). The 26-year-old defender was superb throughout the tournament, scoring a particularly important goal in the semi-final against France.
football.london rating: 9/10
Cristian Romero
Romero almost led Argentina to glory again, but Lionel Scaloni's side fell at the final hurdle. The 28-year-old defender started all but one of the eight games, missing just the third group stage clash after qualification had already been secured.
He inspired a comeback for the history books in the round of 16, scoring the first of three goals in a 3-2 win over Egypt. Romero appeared to suffer an injury midway through the second half of the World Cup final, and he was replaced by Facundo Medina.
Now that the World Cup is over, De Zerbi must decide what to do with the Argentine centre-half. Although the transfer window doesn't close until September 1, the Tottenham boss will be keen to resolve Romero's future before the new Premier League season gets underway next month.
football.london rating: 8/10
Djed Spence
Tuchel raised eyebrows when he named Spence in the England squad, but the Tottenham defender enjoyed a brilliant tournament. After a pair of promising cameos off the bench in the round of 16 and quarter-final wins over Mexico and Norway, respectively, he earned a place in the starting lineup for the semi-final against Argentina.
Spence put on another great display, making an excellent slide tackle to deny Scaloni's side from scoring an equaliser just moments after Anthony Gordon's opener. Argentina didn't level proceedings until half an hour or so later through Enzo Fernandez before going on to win the tie in stoppage time.
football.london rating: 8/10
Jan Paul van Hecke
Despite playing a key role in what was a disappointing campaign for the Netherlands, crashing out in the last-32, Van Hecke made quite the impression at the World Cup. The Tottenham defender, who's recently signed from Brighton, proved exactly why Johan Lange forked out £52m for his signature earlier this summer.
football.london rating: 6/10
Micky van de Ven
Van de Ven featured as a left-back at the World Cup. The Tottenham defender held his own in a largely foreign position, being a centre-half on paper, but he was ultimately part of a disappointing campaign for the Netherlands.
football.london rating: 5/10
Kevin Danso
Danso played a bit-part role for Austria at the World Cup this summer. The Tottenham defender helped his country qualify for the knockout stages, only to face the eventual winners, Spain, in the last-32.
football.london rating: 5/10
Lucas Bergvall
Bergvall enjoyed a promising start to the World Cup, coming off the bench to help Sweden defeat Tunisia. After another couple of promising cameos in the group stage, the Tottenham midfielder was given his first start of the tournament against France in the last-32.
Les Bleu leapt out of the gates in the second-half, scoring twice inside eight minutes of the restart. Didier Deschamps' side blew Sweden out of the water; Bergvall was one of two players to take the fall, coming off a few moments later.
football.london rating: 5/10
Pape Matar Sarr
Sarr featured just twice off the bench in what was a very underwhelming campaign for Senegal. Despite winning just one game in the group stage, Pape Thiaw's side qualified for the last-32, only to be knocked out by Belgium in extra time.
football.london rating: 4/10
Rodrigo Bentancur
Bentancur played a key role in one of the biggest underachieving teams at the World Cup: Uruguay. The Tottenham midfielder started each of the three group stage games, drawing to Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, as well as losing to Spain.
football.london rating: 3/10
Andy Robertson
Like Bentancur, Robertson also failed to lead his country out of the group stage. The Tottenham defender captained Scotland to a famous win over Haiti, as well as defeats to Morocco and Brazil.