Football London

Tottenham have an unusual double header of friendlies on Saturday as they take on Wycombe Wanderers and then Luton Town.

The behind-closed-doors friendly against Wycombe has been added at late notice to the schedule and while it will be shown on the club's SpursPlay channel, there will be no admittance to the general public or media for the game against the League One side that kicks off at 11am.

Four hours later, Spurs will kick off their previously scheduled friendly against another League One side in Luton Town, who will now feature former Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley after his £1million move from north London last week. That game at Kenilworth Road will, like the 2-0 win at Reading last Saturday, be played out in front of a decent crowd.

New Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, who will be in charge of both games on Saturday, has a big, bloated squad with 32 senior players potentially fit and available - not including those on loan or injured - and wants to ensure that as many players as possible are now moving up their match minutes quickly.

"We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically," said the Dane. "We will play two even, strong teams and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more.

"By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour."

So who plays in which match? First off there are the players who won't be there. Keeley, Alfie Dorrington and Ashley Phillips have now left the club, the latter two back to Aberdeen and Stoke City respectively on loan, while Alejo Veliz is at Rosario Central on loan. Manor Solomon is unlikely to be fit after suffering a calf injury in training while Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin and Bryan Gil remain out after their different knee injuries and subsequent surgeries.

James Maddison however does appear to now be back in training with the squad after Frank told football.london last week that he was part-training with the team at that point. Frank said Kota Takai was expected to return to training this week following a small training ground knock.

Richarlison missed the match at Reading but Frank said afterwards: "Richy has trained well, we’re just building him, that’s the big thing, He trained earlier today, and we expect a full training week next week and, right now, we expect him to play next week."

So who will play behind closed doors against Wycombe, albeit on camera, and who will play in front of a crowd at Luton?

Maddison might be eased back into things gently as could be the case for some of the trio of Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert who were granted extra time off after their exploits at the U21 European Championships. For Maddison a 30 minute spell might suit him better while one or two of the other three could be in a better place to get some longer game time as they were only playing full matches a month ago.

There is also captain Son Heung-min. The 33-year-old has been the subject of plenty of speculation as he enters the final year of his contract and struggled to find his rhythm during Saturday's win at Reading as he played the second half, although he did win both corners that led to Tottenham's goals.

football.londonreported on MLS interest for Son early last month with his former Spurs team-mate Hugo Lloris at LAFC and now the Los Angeles side are reportedly trying to make a move happen.

Frank will have to weigh up whether it is better for Son to build up his rhythm behind closed doors with a smaller online audience or give the Luton fans, and travelling Tottenham supporters, the chance to see the popular South Korean star in action on Saturday. As he did in Reading in both halves, the Dane might utilise Son and Romero as the captains of each side.

The Spurs head coach did say that both teams would be even, which suggests a sprinkling of senior players across both starting XIs. There is also the issue that Wayne Burnett's U21s, who played on Tuesday night with a strong side, also have a friendly on Saturday at Woking, kicking off at 3pm, which means that he will likely need to put out a young mostly U18s side there with most members of his development squad required to supplement both first team squads. The U18s are currently in Ireland for the week but will return on Friday.

It could be a bit of a push to have some U21s players coming on for the final 15-30 minutes of the Wycombe game only to then be whisked to Luton to come on again at Kenilworth Road so that development squad is going to have to be split across both games with potentially 14 or 15 young players required to come off the bench.

Here are our wild stabs at two Spurs starting line-ups that Frank could put out, and he might take the chance to look at some different combinations and how comfortable players are in different roles. We've also named some players involved with the first team who might get a shorter run-out

Wycombe XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Son, Moore; Richarlison.

Luton XI (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Vuskovic, Davies; Bergvall, Bentancur; Kudus, Donley, Tel; Solanke.

Others to be used: Maddison, Takai, Gray, Odobert, Lankshear, Devine, Scarlett, Yang, Abbott, Austin.

Alexander Isak has not travelled to Asia with the Newcastle United squad for their pre-season tour.

The Magpies are set to face Arsenal in Singapore on Sunday and a group of 30 players boarded the plane for the trip on Thursday morning. Eddie Howe's side will then travel to South Korea to face a K-League All-Star team on Wednesday, July 30 before taking on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, August 3.

Isak is not among the group to make the trip, though. Newcastle say the Swedish striker is currently nursing an injury and he is not expected to feature over the next 10 days.

In a statement Newcastle said: "Newcastle United have announced the first team squad that has departed for the club's 2025 Asia Tour. The Magpies are on their way to Singapore, where they will face Arsenal on Sunday as part of their pre-season preparations. They will then travel to South Korea to face a K-League All-Star team and Tottenham Hotspur.

"Eddie Howe has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, however Alexander Isak misses out with a minor thigh injury. Lewis Hall is available following an injury lay-off and could feature in South Korea."

Arsenal played their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday, with Bukayo Saka's goal ensuring Mikel Arteta's side beat AC Milan 1-0. The Gunners will face Newcastle on Sunday before travelling to Hong Kong to face Tottenham on Wednesday, July 31.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are still currently in the UK and beat Reading 2-0 on Saturday in what was Thomas Frank's first pre-season friendly. The Lilywhites are due to face both Wycombe and Luton Town on Saturday, with the two fixtures on the same day giving Frank the opportunity to hand out plenty of minutes to his squad.

Spurs will then make the trip to Asia themselves where they will face Arsenal and Newcastle.

Tottenham transfer target Morgan Gibbs-White has travelled out to Portugal and teamed up with the rest of his Nottingham Forest teammates for their pre-season tour. The 25-year-old initially didn't make the trip to Faro with the rest of the Forest squad on Monday due to 'a private and personal matter unrelated to football'.

However, Gibbs-White flew to Portugal on Wednesday night and has now joined the Forest team ahead of their pre-season fixture against Fulham at the Estadio de Sao Luis on Saturday. Four days later, the Reds take on Primeira Liga side Estoril Praia at the Estadio Municipal in Albufeira.

Gibbs-White is expected to feature for Nuno Espirito Santo's side across both fixtures, having played 45 minutes during their 0-0 draw against Monaco at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield last Saturday.

This is, of course, despite increased speculation around his long-term future at The City Ground. Earlier this month, Tottenham triggered Gibbs-White's £60million release clause in his contract and a medical was booked.

However, Forest took issue and claimed that Spurs made an illegal approach for the England international. The Reds feel that confidential details of the release clause's exact amount have been breached.

Two weeks has passed and Forest's board have ended communication with Tottenham over Gibbs-White. A potential deal is therefore at a standstill and there is no clear end in sight regarding a resolution.

Thomas Frank is keen to add more of a creative spark to his Tottenham squad following his appointment last month. Gibbs-White has been targeted after another terrific season in a Forest shirt.

Gibbs-White scored seven goals and provided 10 assists last season as The Reds finished seventh in the Premier League table. The attacking midfielder provided the assist for Anthony Elanga's winner against Tottenham on Boxing Day, before putting in an inspired performance as Forest beat Spurs 2-1 back in April.

Spurs have signed five players so far this summer. Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel arrived on loan in January but have penned permanent contracts, while Luka Vuksovic has finally made the move from Hajduck Split, Kota Takai has joined from Kawasaki Frontale and Mohammed Kudus has signed from West Ham.

Frank's Tottenham take on League One side Luton Town in their second pre-season fixture on Saturday, after edging past fellow third-tier outfit Reading 2-0 last time out. Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic found the net for Spurs at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur made Nottingham Forest a £60million release clause-triggering offer for Morgan Gibbs-White over 10 days ago.

The club had a medical planned for 12 July, but that never happened. Despite wanting to move, Gibbs-White has yet to set foot in Hotspur Way this summer because Forest believe that the approach was illegal due to the alleged disclosure of confidential contractual details.

They appear to essentially be threatening legal action after putting his agent and Tottenham on notice. The player is now away from the club due to a private matter communicated to Forest. Here is the latest on Gibbs-White:

City stance

Manchester City reportedly have no plans of reviving their interest in Gibbs-White. They are said to have previously been interested in the England international earlier this year.

That was, though, when Forest reputedly had a £100million asking price on Gibbs-White. Since then, they have spent the best part of £80million on a pair of midfielders: Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.

As such, our sister title the Manchester Evening News states that they are happy with their strength in that area and have ended their interest in Gibbs-White with no intention of re-entering the race. They are instead focusing on outgoings this month.

Marinakis hope

That stance will seemingly not go down well at the City Ground as Evangelos Marinakis reportedly hoped Man City would bid for Gibbs-White. talkSPORT claims that the Forest owner and Gibbs-White agreed that he would only leave for a certain level of club.

Despite playing in the Champions League this season after winning the Europa League, reputedly, Marinakis does not regard Spurs as at that requisite level. That is said to be what has angered the club's owner, likely due to Tottenham finishing 17th in the Premier League and 27 points behind Forest in seventh, who only qualified for the Conference League.

Gibbs-White absence

Gibbs-White did not travel to Portugal for Forest's pre-season tour with his teammates Monday. Instead, he is absent from the team due to a private matter not believed to be transfer or football related.

Notably, he is engaged to the influencer Britney De Villiers. On Sunday, she posted on Instagram, intimating she has a high-risk pregnancy.

"This has been one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with, and I just don't really remember a time I wasn't overwhelmed with stress," she wrote alongside a photo of her lying on a hospital bed with a pulse oximeter on her finger.

Tottenham look to have a free run at signing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, if the legal complications around the transfer are ironed out.

That is because Manchester City have no plans to make a move for the Forest midfielder this summer, having previously been interested in signing the 25-year-old.

Spurs looked to have tied up a deal for Gibbs-White a week-and-a-half ago when, out of the blue, it emerged that they had met his release clause and were arranging a medical with the Forest man.

However, Tottenham soon ran into problems, with Forest threatening not only Spurs, but Gibbs-White's agent with legal action over what they deemed to be an illegal approach for their player.

The Midlands side believed an illegal approach had been made and that the confidential details of the midfielder's release clause had been disclosed with suggestions that Spurs made the exact bid required to trigger it.

The two clubs are no longer in conversations, with Forest having spent many months trying to convince Gibbs-White to extend his contract at the City Ground and in so doing increase his release clause - something he has been unwilling to do.

There was also the hope from Forest that by delaying a move to Spurs, another club could enter the race to sign Gibbs-White and therefore drive the asking price up.

Tottenham remain hopeful of getting a deal over the line eventually, but the impasse raised concerns that another club could enter the race and steal a march on signing Gibbs-White.

City were named as a potential suitor, given their previous interest in the attacking midfielder, but our friends at the Manchester Evening News report that City have no plans to hijack Spurs' move.

The Blues held an interest in Gibbs-White towards the end of last season, but have since signed Rayan Cherki from Lyon for £31million and Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.3million.

Having completed those deals, City are happy with their midfield strength and are now focusing on exits. Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish, and James McAtee are set to move on. There is also a chance that one of Nico Gonzalez or Ilkay Gundogan will depart.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is plotting an audacious move to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, it has been claimed. Spurs have spent north of £100million so far this summer, but Levy is keen to back new head coach Thomas Frank and is considering launching a bid for the out-of-favour Brazil international.

Rodrygo, 24, has been linked with a move to the Premier League after dropping down the pecking order at Los Blancos. The former Santos man started one game at the Club World Cup and played just 92 minutes across the entire tournament as Real suffered semi-final heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain.

Arda Guler, Vinicius Jr and Brahim Diaz were often preferred at the inaugural club competition and that has increased speculation around Rodrygo's future. Reports in Spain have suggested that Real Madrid are prepared to cash in, even though Xabi Alonso has reiterated that he is part of his long-term plans.

Liverpool and Arsenal are among those that have expressed an interest in signing Rodrygo, who has scored 68 goals and provided 50 assists in 269 appearances during his time at Santiago Bernabeu. But now, Tottenham are expected to become the latest to enter the race, with Levy shifting his focus to the Real Madrid star.

According to Spanish outlet AS, Levy is looking to exploit his 'good relationship' with the La Liga side to lower Rodrygo's £76million price tag. It's added that, despite interest, Real haven't received an offer for the Brazilian.

Rodrygo is enjoying a well-earned break in the United States following a long season and he is expected to make a final decision on his future after holding more talks with new Real head coach Alonso. Real kickstart their La Liga campaign against Osasuna on Tuesday, August 19, but it's unclear whether Rodrygo is going to feature.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are hoping to strengthen ahead of their return to the Champions League. They have signed five players so far, spending around £122m in the process. Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel arrived on loan in January but have penned permanent contracts, while Luka Vuksovic has finally made the move from Hajduck Split, Kota Takai has joined from Kawasaki Frontale and Mohammed Kudus has signed from West Ham.

Spurs want to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest and triggered his £60m release clause earlier this month, but Nuno Espirito Santo's side believe Tottenham made an illegal approach for the England international.

A conclusion in Tottenham's bid to bring Gibbs-White to north London doesn't seem close, and therefore Spurs have instead shifted their immediate focus to others, such as Rodrygo.

While a move for Rodrygo would bolster Frank's attacking options, it would dent arch rival Arsenal's hopes of having a dream summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta's men have signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke in a spending blitz worth around £124m, and are closing in on moves for Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyokeres and Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera.

Arsenal have strengthened in all-but every position they would have wanted to apart from the left-hand side. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both flattered to deceive last season and the Gunners have been linked with a move for the likes of Rodrygo, Rafael Leao and Anthony Gordon.

However, Tottenham snatching Rodrygo from under their noses would represent a major blow for Arsenal, as the Gunners look to finalise their summer spending with left wing addition.

Luka Vuskovic had a friendly debut to remember for Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and if the teenager continues along this path then he will hand Thomas Frank a difficult decision.

Spurs have plenty of centre-backs at the club with the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies as well as young defenders Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington, who left for Aberdeen on loan at the weekend. Summer arrivals Vuskovic and Kota Takai have now added to those numbers.

Twenty-year-old Japan international Takai's £5million signing from Kawasaki Frontale was expected to see him become part of Frank's first team squad this season and for 18-year-old Vuskovic a decision had to be made over whether he would stick around the club at least until January or whether he would be sent out on a third loan since his signing was announced by the north London club in 2023.

football.london previously reported that a long line of clubs are waiting on Frank's decision as they look to take the Croatian elsewhere.

With Takai out with a training ground knock, Vuskovic caught the eye in his first Spurs appearance in the 2-0 win at League Two side Reading on Saturday afternoon with a headed assist and then a clinical low strike. It impressed the Tottenham fanbase and further dynamic displays this summer are likely to make it very difficult to justify loaning him out.

In the latest episode of the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold and head of football Lee Wilmot discuss the situation with Vuskovic and Takai as well as the latest on Tottenham's interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha and the Morgan Gibbs-White situation.

You can listen to the podcast episode by heading right here or watch the show on YouTube by going right here.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been briefed on the rule amendments set to be introduced in the upcoming Premier League season, with particular focus on VAR and goalkeepers' time-wasting tactics.

In anticipation of the professional football season's start, which begins for Leagues One and Two on the first weekend of August, IFAB has confirmed the rule changes that will be implemented. Two significant changes for Premier League clubs involve VAR.

IFAB has declared that leagues will be permitted to allow their referees to clarify VAR decisions in-stadium via the speaker systems. This will occur when there has been a VAR review or an extended VAR check, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Premier League announced in February that they were optimistic about implementing this change at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. It has already been tested in several high-profile matches, including in the Carabao Cup last season.

In the meantime, IFAB has taken a firm stance on goalkeepers retaining the ball for too long. From next season, keepers will be allowed to hold onto the ball for eight seconds, up from the previous six.

However, referees will raise their arms after three seconds and start a countdown from five to ensure the ball is released within the time limit. Failure to comply will result in a corner kick being awarded to the opposing team.

A few minor tweaks have also been made to the game's rules that clubs need to familiarise themselves with. For instance, referees will insist that corners are taken from the side closest to where the goalkeeper was positioned when they conceded the corner.

Additionally, if a substitute or injured player off the pitch, or a coach, kicks the ball onto the field, an indirect free kick will be given without any further penalties.

This rule aims to prevent instances where players and coaches have kicked the ball while it was still in play to keep the game flowing.

Previously, such actions would have resulted in a booking.

Following Bryan Mbeumo's transfer to Manchester United on Monday, his former teammate Yoane Wissa has reportedly left Brentford's pre-season training camp amid speculation surrounding his future.

Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United have all been linked with a move for Wissa in the summer transfer window as they look to strengthen their attacks. Spurs will feel confident that the 28-year-old centre-forward will join them considering the lure of working under previous manager Thomas Frank.

It seems that Wissa clearly sees his future away from the Bees as, according to BBC Sport, he has left the training camp in Portugal to fly back to London. Once he arrives in the capital, it is expected that the striker who scored 19 Premier League goals last season, will undergo talks with director of football Phil Giles about his future.

The report claims that Tottenham and Newcastle are the frontrunners for Wissa thanks to their ability to offer him Champions League football. It is believed that securing personal terms at either club will not be an issue.

Wissa is not expected to fly back to Portugal following his meeting with Giles. However, this is not thought to be a sign that he is definitely leaving the club.

Upon their arrival back in England, Wissa is expected to link back up with his teammates should he remain a Brentford player. Originally, it had been touted that the Bees were not willing to lose Mbeumo and Wissa in the window.

However, considering he turns 29 in September, there are fears that the Bees may have a depreciating asset were they to keep him against his will. Spurs would likely need to pay £40m for the forward.

This update comes as a move for Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White continues to be delayed for Frank. Gibbs-White is currently not with his Forest teammates in Portugal for their own pre-season training camp due to a private matter.

The Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur is well and truly under way with the first match with the Dane at the helm now in the rear view mirror.

Spurs will make their next trip of pre-season to Luton Town on Saturday where they will come up against former goalkeeper Josh Keeley, who only made the move to the Hatters last week. The friendly comes after Tottenham opened their account under Frank against another League One side in Reading on Saturday with a 2-0 victory.

After this coming weekend's match the north London side will make their way to Asia for a shorter than normal summer tour with games against Arsenal and Newcastle in Hong Kong and South Korea respectively. A couple of days after they return they will head off to Germany to face Harry Kane's Bayern Munich ahead of the first competitive game of the season against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine. A few days later the Premier League season begins with the visit of promoted Burnley.

So how did it all begin on Saturday at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and which players came out of it as winners or losers, in the loosest possible terms? With Frank naming a different XI in each half against Reading, football.london has given their verdict on the players that we reckon just about fit into each category.

Winners

Luka Vuskovic

There's only one place to start and that's with the 18-year-old Croatian who had a friendly debut to remember. It's taken two years to get Luka Vuskovic to north London, as due to EU regulations he had to wait until he had celebrated his 18th birthday, and the big teenager looked desperate to make up for lost time.

The centre-back started in the second half and after a couple of rushed touches and one mistimed tackle, he burst to life with the headed assist from Mohammed Kudus' corner on to Will Lankshear to nod home the opening goal of the game.

Things got even better when Vuskovic ran into the box after another cleared corner and Kudus picked out his run and the young Croatia international stroked a perfect low strike inside the right-hand post. Just to prove he's not all about the attacking, he then made a clearance in front of his own goal from a Reading attack.

"Luka deserves the praise as well," said Frank. "A great header. Showed his physicality and his composure on the ball. He’s not getting stressed when opponents get close. And what a strike."

Mohammed Kudus

Another player who looked desperate to impress was Spurs' new £55million signing Mohammed Kudus. The Ghana international also played in the second half and it's fair to say that the entire game changed with his introduction.

With his lower body strength and dribbling ability, the 24-year-old was a dynamic presence on the pitch and Reading did not have any answers to what he was doing. He curled in the corner that led to Lankshear's goal via Vuskovic's head and then grabbed an assist by picking out the centre-back's run.

He also set up Jamie Donley for a chance later on following a blistering run down the right flank and with Brennan Johnson quiet in the first half, Kudus certainly shone brightest among the attacking players.

"I thought there were a lot of positives in there," said Frank after the game. "If we start with Kudus, of course, he’s the newest one. He was exciting to watch. He had four, five very good actions where you could see what he’s about. His pace, one-on-one skills, the way he can twist and turn going forward."

Will Lankshear

Pre-season and Will Lankshear just seem to go together in the summer like strawberries and cream. The 20-year-old made his breakthrough last summer under Ange Postecoglou with a couple of goals in friendlies, pushing Dane Scarlett and Alejo Veliz down the pecking order.

That led to three Premier League appearances and another three in the Europa League, in which he scored his first goal for the club at Galatasaray before also being shown his first red card. A loan move to West Brom followed during a season of real development for the big striker.

This summer has started in a similar vein with Lankshear showing good reactions to head home from Vuskovic's flick-on at Reading. The young striker didn't see much more of the ball but he proved to another manager that he can weigh in with goals.

Frank will have to decide whether to keep the forward around this season as a homegrown player or whether another loan move beckons to continue his development.

Alfie Devine and Jamie Donley

With an absence in available number 10s right now, both Alfie Devine and Jamie Donley got the chance to show Frank what they are made of.

Both 20-year-olds started in the central attacking midfield role in either half. Both put in solid enough displays with plenty of tidy football and progressive passing in trying to make things happen. It almost did for Donley in the second half when he raced away on a break and was picked out by Kudus only for the academy product's low shot to be deflected wide of goal.

With Tottenham needing some homegrown players this season for their European squad, one of Donley or Devine could be kept around until January at least and Frank will want to take a good look at them this summer before making any decisions.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Yes, we know he doesn't play for Tottenham and yes, we know that whole transfer situation is a complete mess right now, but this game was good for Morgan Gibbs-White.

That's because it showed, despite the solid displays from the youngsters above, just how much Spurs need an experienced number 10 with James Maddison still on his way back from his knee injury and Dejan Kulusevski set to miss the start of the season after his patella surgery.

Both Spurs and Frank have been casting envious eyes at Gibbs-White since his Wolves days and the Dane believes the 25-year-old England international would be a perfect mobile and creative midfielder within his system. The question is whether a way can be found to make the move happen.

Losers

Son Heung-min

It's incredibly harsh to have Son Heung-min in the losers column just two months after the Spurs captain lifted that trophy in Bilbao and also because the 33-year-old had an involvement in both goals on Saturday by winning the corners they both eventually came from.

A more fitting term for this column would be disappointers but winners and disappointers doesn't really have that ring about it.

It's accurate to say though that Son was very rusty at the Select Cars Leasing Stadium as he struggled to control the ball at times and sliced one effort well over the crossbar. He grew frustrated in that move mentioned above when neither Kudus nor Donley passed the ball to him.

The South Korean star just look a bit out of sorts throughout amid all the speculation about his future, and Frank admitting he had not decided his captain for next season yet, and the player ended the match holding his back, looking like he was struggling with some pain there as well.

Lucas Bergvall

Again, last season's player of the year can hardly be called a 'loser' but the format dictates the name of this column. Like Son, the 19-year-old Swede just looked particularly rusty on Saturday against the League One opponents.

The teenager gave the ball away on a couple of occasions with under-hit passes that put Spurs into trouble around his own box. He looked very much like a player taking part in his first match since picking up that ankle injury in training at Hotspur Way back in May.

The Swede will get fitter and sharper as this pre-season goes on and this was hopefully just him needing to shake off the cobwebs like his captain.

Yang, Abbott and Phillips

While Frank used 22 players on the day in Reading, three members of the squad had to travel to just sit on the bench and watch. They were teenagers Yang Min-hyeok and George Abbott as well as 20-year-old Ashley Phillips.

Their position at the bottom of the submitted team sheet, below the 11 players who came off the bench at half-time, suggests they were always likely to remain spectators unless there was an injury.

football.london has previously reported that 19-year-old Abbott is expected to head out on loan, likely with a new contract, after his development over the past year. The sheer number of wingers and centre-backs suggest that Yang and Phillips are likely to also exit the club this summer unless something dramatic occurs in the weeks ahead.

Dane Scarlett

Dane Scarlett was the only player unaccounted for by Frank after the game when he explained why various players were missing.

The striker did have a groin operation towards the end of last season but was back in training and on the bench for the Europa League final in Bilbao. However, despite training last week ahead of the friendly at Reading, including the day before the game, the 21-year-old was not included in the matchday squad.

Perhaps it was decided that it was better for him to train with the likes of Richarlison, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel rather than sit on the bench and watch on Saturday but it's not a good look for him that once again Lankshear has taken his chance ahead of him during pre-season.

This is a year when Scarlett really needs to make an impact wherever that may be and fulfil all the promise he's always had.

Kota Takai

The 20-year-old Japan international finally got his work permit after a week of waiting and would have looked sharper than most in training as he was halfway through the J.League season when he made the move from Kawasaki Frontale to Tottenham.

However, a little knock in training ahead of the friendly at Reading robbed the centre-back of his chance to impress. Unfortunately for him, a bit like for Scarlett, Vuskovic grabbed his opportunity to dazzle on his debut in his absence.

The expectation when Takai signed was that he would be part of Frank's squad this season and Vuskovic could end up getting a loan, with a queue of clubs across Europe awaiting a decision. However, Vuskovic won round one of that contest due to the Japanese defender's little knock.

This could be a fascinating little battle to impress Frank the most as this summer progresses.